The Importance of Winning

Take a few minutes to consider the importance of winning, Jesus and dragons.

How seriously do you take sports? In the Olympic games of ancient Greece it was not uncommon for competitors to kill each other or themselves for victory. There are records of men running until they die in races and of men disemboweling their opponents during boxing matches.

Out of historical context, we may take the charge to “Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24) more lightly than we ought. You see, second place was never an option to these athletes. In Paul’s day the Olympics did not have a gold, silver and bronze. There was only one crown and one winner.

So, really, what are we willing to die for? Philippians 3:14 tells us that our prize is salvation. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says that he beats his body into submission so that he will not be disqualified for the prize.

Here is the truly terrifying thought: What if we lose? Now let me reassure you that salvation is not something you can lose. If you say, "Jesus is Lord," and believe that God raised him from the dead, you are saved (Rom. 10:9, John 10:28). So, the stakes may not involve us losing our salvation. But, we are told to live as though salvation is at stake.

Consider these words on how to behave as saved believers:

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." - Romans 6:15-18

We fight, we rebel, we contend. Like it or not, this is a life-or-death struggle we are engaged in. Your salvation may be secured, your name written in the Lamb’s book of life, but what of the person next to you?

In Romans 13:11-14, we are told that it is time to wake up because our salvation is near. We are to put off the deeds of darkness and suit-up in the armor of light: clothing ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ and not even thinking bout the desires of our bodies.

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I wish that there were a way for me to emphasize the direness of our situation.

Have you ever had that dream where you feel like you are falling? Imagine it wasn’t a dream. Imagine waking up only to find that you have rolled of the side of cliff and were on your long way down. You have two options. One: grab the rope that is attached to you, deal with some rope-burns, and stop falling. Two: close your eyes and pretend it’s just a bad dream and let yourself fall back to sleep.

Let’s raise the stakes: The people you love most are falling right next to you. They’re still sound asleep.

Let’s raise the stakes again: A fire-breathing dragon is climbing towards you, hell-bent on devouring you all.

I might almost be starting to begin to get close to the gravity of our situation. That is fairy tale is the truth. Because here’s the reality, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Are you beginning to see why we should take preparation for the fight seriously? We are already in the fight!

So what chance do we have, then? Well as G.K. Chesterton said, “Fairy Tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

He has already done everything necessary to stop our fall, defeat the dragon, and overcome the cliff (John 10:10). He still warns us, though, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them….For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:17&20

You might say that He's the rope and the Law is what He's anchored to. The entire purpose of the anchor is to support the rope.

We have everything we need to win: Truth – to wake us up, Righteousness – to stop our decent, The Gospel – to give us the traction to move, Faith – to resist the attacks of darkness, Salvation – to keep us from losing our head or our hope, and the Spirit – to fight back with all the authority and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

What might that look like practically? Recognize and love the people who reprimand you. Live in peace with each other. Rouse the sleeping, lift up the downcast, and help along the weak, all with exhaustive patience. Do what is good for everyone else, regardless of what is done to or for you. Never stop rejoicing, praying or thanking God. Do not stifle the Spirit or look down on prophecies, but test everything against the Scriptures. Cling tightly to what is good and throw away what is not. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-28)

Discussion points:

What do you struggle with the most? Who have you asked to help you with this?

What was the hardest thing you’ve very had to overcome and how did you do it?

How do we never stop rejoicing, praying or thanking God in the midst of disaster?

What prizes do we substitute for the upward call of God in Jesus Christ? How can we tear down those idols?

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” What does is mean to dress ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ? What does it mean, then, to have righteousness that surpasses the Pharisees and teachers of the law?