Below, Paul is speaking to believers and explaining the absolute necessity to run and finish the race that they have begun. He even uses himself as an illustration.
1 Corinthians 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.
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.
Believers run this race to obtain an incorruptible crown. Notice that he does not say multiple crowns - but a single crown (the word an is singular/one).
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
uncertainly - adelos - hidden fig. indistinct
Paul knows why he is running this race. There is no hidden or uncertain reason. He fights, not to simply swing or thrash the air with no ultimate point.
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
subjection - doulagogeo - to be a slave-driver, i.e. to enslave (fig. to subdue)
castaway - adokimos - unapproved, i.e. rejected; by impl. worthless
Paul, himself, admits that he must actively bring his body - his flesh - into subjection. Even in preaching the gospel to others, he understands that disobedience to Christ by walking in the flesh will result in being rejected - a castaway. Rejection will not result in inheriting eternal life.
Chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians ends with verse 27, and the 1st verse in chapter 10 continues with the same point. Paul provides an example in the Old Testament to support how absolutely it is necessary that a believer continues in the faith by obeying the Lord.
1 Corinthians 10:
1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Notice that all of the initial steps New Testament believers are called to follow were followed by the Israelites, initially.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
admonition - nouthesia - calling attention to, i.e. (by impl) mild rebuke or warning
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
Many of the Israelites did not run the race obediently, but instead sinned against Christ. Paul, a few verses before these, uses himself as an example to illustrate the importance of continuing in the faith of Christ. He acknowledges that not finishing the race of faith in Christ would result in him being a castaway - rejected. If it were not possible for a believer to become a castaway, then Paul would not have used that or himself as an example.
The very same idea is described in Hebrews:
Hebrews 3:
6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
He is speaking to believers here. The word IF is used to indicate a condition or requirement. Also, we are not to hold fast for a limited amount of time- but instead “unto the end”.
7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
This is one of the greatest dangers for a believer. A hardened heart refuses to be taught, refuses to obey, and refuses to continue in faith.
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
unbelief - apistos - faithlessness, i.e. disbelief (want of Christian faith), or unfaithfulness (disobedience)
Paul directly addresses the brethren here (believers), but notice that he warns them not to depart from the faith. One is not kept by the power of God through faith if that believer departs from the faith through unrepentant disobedience.
depart - aphistemi - to remove, i.e. instigate to revolt, usually to desist, desert
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Jesus tells his disciples to deny themselves DAILY - One reason for that denial is illustrated in verse 13 above. Even a believer can be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. When one is hardened by sin, one is less likely to repent. Without repentance, we do not inherit eternal life.
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence 14stedfast unto the end;
partakers - metochos - participant, i.e. a sharer, by implication an associate
We, as believers, are called to continue in Christ unto the end - to remain steadfastly in the faith. IF we do not, we are not a part of Him. Without being IN Christ, we do not have eternal life.
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
unbelief - apistos - faithlessness, i.e. disbelief (want of Christian faith), or unfaithfulness (disobedience)
Immediately after verse 19 above, he applies the Old Testament story of the Israelites, who sinned against God through disobedience, thus not entering the promised land, to the believers in Hebrews. He continues,
Hebrews 4:1
Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
He did not simply share the Old Testament story of the Israelites for no apparent reason. He is exhorting believers (we must not forget that he is addressing those who believe in Jesus) to continue in the faith. As with the Israelites whose carcasses fell in the wilderness before entering into the land of promise, we must not be hardened by sin, or we will not enter into the promised land of eternal life. How does a believer avoid being hardened by sin? We rely on the One who overcame sin - Jesus. One is not relying on Him or abiding in Him if that person is continuing in sin. We cannot serve two masters.
Psalm 95
7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
It is a choice to follow him and hear his voice every day - “To day if ye will hear his voice.” Every day is the day of salvation.
John 10:
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
them - those who hear and follow
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
them - those who hear and follow
Notice the precise similarities of the verses in Psalm 95 and the verses in John 10. Both speak of the sheep being in HIS HAND. Immediately after we read the following verse in Psalm 95, “we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand,” the very next words are
“To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart”.
Do we see that the very sheep in His hand still have to stand against our hearts being hardened?
Hebrews 3: 13-14 fully demonstrates why we, His sheep, are not to harden our hearts:
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
May we not forget the reason we are exhorted to hear His voice “To day” (which means daily - BEING REBORN IS A PRESENT EXPERIENCE). If a believer’s heart is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, that believer has not continued in the faith. That believer, therefore, has not finished the race - and has become a castaway.
Below are additional specific instances when an apostle is addressing believers regarding remaining in the faith of Christ.
2 Corinthians 6: 1-2
1We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Every day is the day of salvation for believers. The day of salvation is not a one time past experience; it is a current experience. It is a continual faith in Christ to save us, to rescue us from every sin that so easily besets us. In every trial, in every affliction, in every testing, in every moment, we are to understand that He awaits at the door and knocks. The Lord will come in and sup with the person who opens the door. This is a daily occurrence. It is not a one time event of coming forward to the altar. Every day is the day of salvation. We are exhorted to teach and urge one another daily IN CHRIST. Because as he teaches in Hebrews 3 verse 13, sin is deceitful. If a believer does not remain steadfast in the faith of Christ, that believer’s heart will be hardened, and a hardened heart will not be penetrated with TRUTH and repentance.
1 Corinthians 15: 1-2
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
Hebrews 5: 8-9
Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
him;
Hebrews 6:11-12
11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the
promises.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing. Could it be any clearer? Yet, I know of people who are blinded to the plain truth of these verses because of OSAS. I thank God for setting me free from religion and pray that the eyes of others will be opened.
God bless you!
pat
Hello Pat,
These are dangerous times, and I believe God is calling His children to speak the Truth with love. There are those who are in false doctrines simply because they have always been taught a certain way, and when they are presented with the Truth of God's Word, they have ears that are willing to hear and a heart that is willing to seek God on the matter instead of clinging to the false doctrines they have been taught.
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