Today’s New Covenant nugget is from 1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may WIN.
This is not talking about general success in life… this is about ‘kingdom success’. Paul the apostle is talking about winning in the race for souls… being successful in our assignments from the Lord and winning people over from darkness to light.
THE WAY THAT WE WIN IS TO YIELD TO THE CHRIST NATURE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE WORKS OF JESUS.
AS KINGS AND PRIESTS WE ARE TO ENFORCE WHAT JESUS ESTABLISHED.
JESUS HAS GIVEN US THE POWER AND THE AUTHORITY TO WIN!
1 Corinthians 9:19-24
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, THAT I MIGHT WIN the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under thelaw, that I might WIN those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ ‘the perfect law of liberty’), that I might WIN those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might WIN the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (The Passion Translation says, “I have adapted to the culture of every place I’ve gone so that I could more easily win people to Christ.”
23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may WIN.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD STRATEGY FOR WINNING
IN A SENTENCE… “SUPERNATURALLY BECOMING ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE TO WIN THEM FOR JESUS!”
Not naturally lowering ourselves to their level, but supernaturally joining ourselves to them and then lifting them to our level by grace, love and by the power of God!
JESUS BECAME LIKE US SO THAT HE COULD REACH US
JESUS BECAME A FRIEND TO SINNERS
YOU DO NOT WIN PEOPLE BY JUDGING THEM AND BY POINTING OUT THEIR FAULTS, YOU WIN THEM BY RELATING TO THEM, BY IDENTIFYING WITH THEM, BY LOVING THEM AND THEN MINISTERING TO THEM.
WITHDRAWING FROM THE WORLD IS NOT THE KINGDOM WAY!
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 says, “And everyone who competes for the prize is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body (my flesh) and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
After Paul encourages the church of Corinth to become all things to all people in order to win them for Christ, he instructs them to discipline themselves and to bring their flesh under subjection, lest after they have ministered to others, they disqualify themselves by allowing darkness to influence them, instead of them driving out darkness.
We have to have supernatural self-control and discipline through grace to put our flesh down and not fall into the trap of sin while we are in the sinners world to win them for Christ. Jesus said that He was tempted with every temptation known to man when He became like us to reach us. Jesus used supernatural grace given self-control to not yield to temptation while becoming like us to reach us. He did not use ordinary ‘self-willed’ discipline, He used the power of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit to be supernaturally strong.
We are commissioned to go INTO the world and be witnesses, and to become all things to all people in order to reach them for Jesus, but we have to be strong in the Lord to walk in holiness without compromise so that we do not disqualify ourselves in the process of reaching out to sinners.
WE NEED TO RECEIVE SELF-CONTROL AND HOLY GHOST DISCIPLINE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, SO THAT WHILE WE ARE REACHING OUT, WE DO NOT FALL IN!
BECOMING ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN TO REACH SOME DOES NOT MEAN PARTAKING OF THEIR POISON!
BECOMING ALL THINGS TO ALL MEN IS RELATING THE LOVE OF GOD TO THEIR HEARTS.
Acts 1:8 says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
THE POWER TO BE A WITNESS IS THE POWER TO WIN!
Jesus called the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the power that we receive when we are filled with the Spirit and speak in tongues, ‘power to be witnesses’. This is where we get the supernatural, miracle working power to minister miracles to the lost and to become all things to all people to reach them without getting caught in the trap of sin and worldliness.
It is the power to face temptation and to continue to walk in holiness like Jesus did.
Family of God, the Lord has called us to be salt and light and to become all things to all people so that they may be saved and be blessed with abundant life on earth and eternal life with the Lord forevermore. We need to WIN in this assignment from the Lord… He is depending on us to continue His ministry of salvation and deliverance to a lost and dying world. Jesus has given you the power to win in this race for the souls of men… selah!
CONFESSION
“Jesus, I receive power to be a witness right now!
I will continue your ministry to a lost and dying world!
I supernaturally become all things to all people so that I may win them to You!
I receive supernatural, miracle-working power to minister Your grace and love.
They will not influence me, I will influence them, in Jesus Name!
I receive supernatural discipline and self-control to walk in holiness as I minister to the lost.
I receive your power to win in all my kingdom assignments in life right now, in Jesus Name!”
In His Amazing Love, Nick
