1 Corinthians 9:24-27 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (25) And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. (26) Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight: not as one who beats the air. (27) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul counsels the saints to approach their day of judgement with purpose. In this passage He likens it to competing in a race, and He tells us that we should compete in such a manner that we are determined to win our race. He goes on to say that just as an athlete who wants to win their race trains and prepares with purpose, so should we. Think about Olympic athletes for example. They train for years and are completely focused on winning the gold medal in their chosen field of sport. And so in a similar manner, if we want to receive the crowns that have been laid up in store for us on that day, then we must have that very same attitude in our Christian walk, for as we will see in this series our eternal crowns are not received in any other way.
Philippians 3:12-15 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (15) therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul tells us that in his Christian walk that he pressed toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Again, we see that the Holy Spirit puts the apostle Paul forward to us as an example of just how focused we should be on attaining the eternal prize that is set before us. I want you to notice that Paul tells us that all mature believers should display this type of attitude. The reason that mature believers should have this attitude is because they should have learnt to determine God’s will for their lives. Baby Christians on the other hand, are still learning how to hear from God and how to follow after the leading of the Holy Spirit, and so they do not yet know what God’s will is for their lives. With regards to mature believers however it should be different, because they should have clearly heard from God as to what works He has prepared beforehand for them to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). And so having learnt from God what it is that He has called them to do they can now focus on completing those works.
John 17:4-5 “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. (5) And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”
The Holy Spirit through the apostle Peter has taught us that Christ Jesus is our example and that we should follow in His footsteps (1 Peter 2:21). The passage of scripture quoted above is an account of our Lord Jesus praying to the Father the night before He was to be crucified. I want you to notice that the Lord Jesus stated that He had glorified God the Father on the earth. Jesus said that He had done that by completing the work that God the Father had given Him to do in the earth. And so as a reward for finishing His Father’s work on the earth, Jesus said that God would glorify Him together with Himself for all eternity. In other words, Jesus received His eternal reward from God the Father because He had completed the work given to Him to do in this life. If the Son of God was glorified by the Father because of His obedience in finishing the work of the Father, then we are no different. And so if we are going to receive our eternal rewards from God our Father, then we too are going to have completed the work given to us by the Father.
Michael E.B. Maher
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