“Aim For All That Matters: Salvation In Jesus Christ!”

“Aim For All That Matters: Salvation In Jesus Christ!”(I Cor.9:24-27).
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” The Corinthian Christians were familiar with the foot races of the “Isthmian games, which occurred every other year and were second only to the Olympic games in importance.”
Paul considered that the Christian calling is a race with each runner aiming for the prize.
The race of Christian calling is different from any race that aims for a single prize. In the Christian race of faith there can be many winners; as many as the number competitors who entered the competition; just as there can be as many losers.
One thing we learn from this is that the Christian race is highly competitive. But the nature of the competition differs from ordinary competitions.
The manner of Christian competition can be expressed in these words:“I am in competition with no-one but myself, striving each new day to be a better self than the previous day.”
We bring the word of salvation to others so that those who have been destined for salvation should not fall along the way. But like Paul our daily prayer is that we shouldn’t be like cocoyam leaves that gather water and water others, and not
themselves. We shouldn’t be carpenters, repairing other people’s roofs when ours have big leakages.Let me not be a sign post that guides others to where it cannot go.
This remains a sound piece of advice, first to myself before others:“If the message does not speak to you, don’t preach it to others.” To serve the Lord by bringing others in, we must ensure that we too are in. We have to battle against sin and be able to say, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
However, the dead and resurrection of Jesus Christ would have achieved nothing if our salvation depended solely on our works. That is why if there is any reason for boasting, then our boast should be that we understand and know the Lord (Her.9:23-24).
In this race of faith, whatever we do to upgrade our salvation should keep us humble; “for everyone who exalts hinself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”(Lk.14:11).
Sunday prayer: Holy Spirit, work in me so that I should not bring others into the fold and yet be disqualified for the prize. Amen!
Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev. Babila Fochang,