Watching the Winter Olympics recently really opened my eyes once again to the uncanny similarities between athletic competition and our own individual spiritual race. In fact the great apostle Paul himself apparently was quite the athlete at one time or at least he certainly understood the complexity and intensity of healthy competition personally in his day. While using catch phrases like "fight the good fight" and "run the race" to reveal spiritual concepts as well. I thoroughly enjoyed watching in particular the downhill skiing and how these extremely driven athletes constantly throw themselves down steep mountainsides at perilous speeds risking it all just to win. These determined young men and women lay it on the line each and every time!
Paul also put it once this way when writing to the believers in Ephesus from prison and to you and I as well today, "FINALLY MY BRETHREN BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY AND HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND (Ephesians 6:10-13).". Paul's message here is certainly intense but as we look around today it all makes perfect sense!
Once again we see Paul here use another athletic reference comparing our spiritual battles to the competition found also in wrestling. I wonder though as believers today are we like Paul still using our armour and giving it our all? Of course only God knows for sure but as we look around today we obviously see corruption on the rise and godliness on the decline. And just as predicted by the holy apostles and prophets of old the forces of evil continue to dominate as they impose their will constantly today If Paul emphasized the importance of understanding spiritual warfare in his day why would we ignore the obvious today and somehow look the other way?
The truth is as believers you and I need to awake spiritually today as the battle for mans' soul rages on. And for us to truly overcome the evil in our day we must draw closer to Him and farther from sin. You and I today must also like Paul run our race to win, "KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH RUN IN A RACE ALL RUN BUT ONE RECIEVETH THE PRIZE? SO RUN THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN. NOW EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH FOR THE MASTERIES IS TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A CORRUPTIBLE CROWN BUT WE AN INCORRUPTIBLE ONE (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)." With all the distractions today and so many lies will we still run for an everlasting prize?
Paul also put it once this way when writing to the believers in Ephesus from prison and to you and I as well today, "FINALLY MY BRETHREN BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT. PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES. WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY AND HAVING DONE ALL TO STAND (Ephesians 6:10-13).". Paul's message here is certainly intense but as we look around today it all makes perfect sense!
Once again we see Paul here use another athletic reference comparing our spiritual battles to the competition found also in wrestling. I wonder though as believers today are we like Paul still using our armour and giving it our all? Of course only God knows for sure but as we look around today we obviously see corruption on the rise and godliness on the decline. And just as predicted by the holy apostles and prophets of old the forces of evil continue to dominate as they impose their will constantly today If Paul emphasized the importance of understanding spiritual warfare in his day why would we ignore the obvious today and somehow look the other way?
The truth is as believers you and I need to awake spiritually today as the battle for mans' soul rages on. And for us to truly overcome the evil in our day we must draw closer to Him and farther from sin. You and I today must also like Paul run our race to win, "KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH RUN IN A RACE ALL RUN BUT ONE RECIEVETH THE PRIZE? SO RUN THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN. NOW EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH FOR THE MASTERIES IS TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A CORRUPTIBLE CROWN BUT WE AN INCORRUPTIBLE ONE (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)." With all the distractions today and so many lies will we still run for an everlasting prize?
No comments:
Post a Comment