The prize....
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown;
but we an incorruptible.
Php 4:1 THEREFORE, MY brethren, whom I love and yearn to see, my delight and crown (
wreath of victory), thus stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
AMP
Php 4:5 Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit).
The Lord is near [
He is [1] coming soon]. Added by them AMP translators...
Joh 19:2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a
purple robe, (Is this symbolic of our robe, and overcoming??)
Rev 1:6 And hath
made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;(
Same Greek word translated "Robe")
and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
1Co 6:3 Know ye not (we know now!!!) that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
Running the race, doing your part as in the body of Christ, fulfilling the Plan of God for your life, doing what God has created you and called you to do...
The crown is a reward, and denotes someone that is given more authority to rule after this brief time we have on earth.... Did you obey the calling of God?? Did you run your race?? Did you do your own thing, own plans, or did you follow the direction of the Holy Spirit and do as God asked you to do??
The crown may not denote if one is actually saved though, there are different eternal rewards... look at the next scriptures..
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Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and
let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown;
but we an incorruptible.
The earning of this crown, would be not of faith, and grace (Though it takes both to have the power and strength to run) but it's something
we earn, out of works..... With the full backing of God to make it happen (I can do all things through Christ that strengthen me)
It is a prize, and something to go after..... This is different than having to do works to make it to heaven, Jesus already cleared that way through Him... Those that are faithful on earth will have positions of authority later in the life to come... What we do here is eternal, and so are the rewards..
This one passage explains much.......
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
No man can lay their own foundation, make their own plans... we must follow the one laid for us... Our plans, though they may seem good, are not always in line with God's plans..
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble;
half efforts, building your on things, not God's things, would be considered Hay and stubble.... Even things that seem good and scriptural, may not be in the plan of God for your work...
For example: one pastor decided to open a food pantry to feed the poor... Soon he was putting all his effort and work into that pantry, and it started to drain most of his resources, and effect his time in the Word and preaching..... After many months of frustration, he went to the Lord, and said... "I thought I was suppose to do this food pantry, and help the poor, but things just are not going like they should".. The Lord spoke and said... "
I never asked you to open a food pantry, for I have others I have called to do that."
The man had gotten out of the plan of God doing his own thing, and it cost him lots of money, effort and time... If the Lord is not behind something, then it's things that we build and we desire...
1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and
the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon,(
What the Lord planed for the man and directed him to do) he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss
No rewards, No crown)
but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Each of us is a Eye, arm, ear in the body of Christ, each were created as God's workmanship, and to be used as God has called us to do...
Example: Don't be led by money, be led by the Spirit!!!
One man had been in a nice church, and had a starting position to teach, the Lord had called him into ministry. (
Most callings are not speaking positions) He soon got a promotion at a job and to take the position he had to move to a different state.... he followed the money, and not the place where God had him to learn.. After lots of sickness, and things he should have never gone through, he quit his job, and moved his family back to where he left the plan of God... He took a far less paying job, and was blessed far more than he ever had.. Our plans, and purposes are not going to have reward...
Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
On the wrong path, things are dark, trouble comes and we go through places God never intended... we go through sicknessville, and povertytown... Things happen off the path we don't even understand why.... it is dark, and we don't even see the things we stumble on.. On God's path, things get brighter and brighter.... better and better...
Look at King David... he should have been out fighting with his troops... but instead...... he was at home in a bath robe, and bunny slippers looking out the window and saw you know who... being at the wrong place, put him in a position to commit the greatest sin he ever committed... There was no grace to overcome because he was not where he was suppose to be.... There are many more examples in the bible where people knew to be one place, but choose something different and it ends in disaster.
Jesus Is Lord.
