Perseverance, persistence, the prize!! The Christian life was never promised as an easy way to live; instead, Paul constantly reminds us that we must have a purpose and a plan because times will be difficult and Satan will attack. But we never persevere without the promise of a prize—a promise God will keep.
The Purpose:
Run to get the prize
Run with purpose in every step
The Plan: Discipline your body, training it
The Prize: An eternal prize
The Purpose:
Don’t get tired of doing good
Don’t give up
Do good to everyone
The Plan: Live to please the Spirit
The Prize: Everlasting life
The Purpose:
Put on all of God’s armor
Pray on every occasion
The Plan: Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy
The Prize: Taking your stand against the devil’s strategies
The Purpose: Press on to possess that perfection for which Christ possessed you
The Plan: Forget the past; press on to reach the end of the race
The Prize: The heavenly prize for which God calls you
The Purpose:
Teach these great truths to people who are able to pass them on to others
Be strong in Christ’s grace, even when your faith is faltering
The Plan:
Endure suffering as a soldier, and don’t get tied up in worldly affairs
Follow the Lord’s rule, as an athlete must do in order to win
Work hard, like a farmer who enjoys the fruit of his labor
The Prize:
We will live with Christ; we will reign with him
He remains faithful