Keep The Flames Burning – by Joseph Cortes

I Corinthians 9:19, 23, 24 reads,

“And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you [you was added by the translators. It should have stopped at thereof.].”

In verse 24, it seems that only one racer will receive a prize. However, at the end of this verse, Paul writes, “So run, that ye may obtain,” meaning we will all receive the first prize award even if there is more than one Christian or disciple of Jesus Christ who is faithful to the end no matter how many are running. What Paul is expecting to receive as the prize are the rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ. See, Paul was on his racetrack. He was running, and he was running for a prize. Paul liked to use athletic analogies for examples, and in this one, he was on his own racetrack, just like I am on my racetrack, and you are on your racetrack. We know the prize is there and just as he was running for that prize, so must we. Unfortunately, too many have quit running the race. We must keep on running.

In the ancient games, before the Olympics, in all the running events except one race concluded with a runner coming in first. I study all kinds of history; everything related to history, including even sports. See, nothing is new under the sun. It all gets repeated over and over. The only new thing is what God’s Word says must happen and be fulfilled because when it does, it is new for that time, but everything in history usually repeats itself. In my journey, I studied the different athletic examples Paul used, and he used three athletic examples. We know running was one of them, boxing was another and wrestling. Paul’s uses two race examples in the New Testament. Everyone knows about the marathon, but there was another racing event that I will get to in the latter portion of this message. In this race, if you were not the first one to cross the finish line, it did not mean you lost the race. That is the analogy Paul uses here, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” In the physical world of athletic events, only one person can get the first-place prize, but here Paul is saying anyone who is committed to the end can get the first prize, so there is more than one first-place prize at the end of the race.

What Paul was saying concerning the spiritual race is that we can win that first prize or reward. We do that by doing something Paul referenced in the preceding verses. That is, getting the Word out to the world. Paul said he did not have a choice, so what makes you, or these Corinthians, an exception to the rule? In the capacity that you were called, you are to participate in getting the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ out. They were not an exception; they just made themselves into that by twisting and lying to themselves. Or perhaps by listening to some false preacher, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, telling them what they wanted to hear so they could have fewer responsibilities and commitment.

It is shameful that so few have any concern about participating in the capacity that they were called; the commission that Jesus Christ entrusted to them to get the Word out. Ask yourselves wherein the list of your priorities do you place that commission. I cannot answer for you; only you can answer that for yourself. Verse 25 continues,

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” Those running this race knew they had to apply some discipline and some changes to make sure in the physical sense in that athletic event that they did all they could do to win the first prize. Take boxing for an example. In today’s world, boxers seclude themselves in a boxing camp up somewhere, so all the distractions of this world are put aside during their training. They are training to win the match. The upcoming match that they are going to participate in becomes the most important thing in their life. They want and live for that prize in the here and now. Nothing can interfere if they are to be victorious and win the prize. It is why they seclude themselves.

However, we do not seclude ourselves. Do you understand it is a privilege to be chosen to run this race? It is a privilege to be chosen to run my race. It is a privilege to be chosen to run the race that you are on. Do you realize that you must be invited and then selected? It is an elite group, yet you want to be normal and be like everyone else. Your mindset is off the eternal future and on the here and now. We must live in the here and now, but for the sake of the Gospel, we must get it out to others, so they do not have just a here and now experience. There is a forever, and there is an eternity that never ends. We should never take that for granted, yet so many do. We have been called out of this darkness into the light. And in the light is where we must stay. Make it your goal to stay on the racetrack, to stay in the light, realizing the privilege that you have been given because you have been chosen to run the race God has set before us.

Paul knew very well that part of being temperate in all things was preparation and training. No runner in a physical race would have a chance to finish the race if he or she was out of shape. Think about it. I am not talking about these so-called wannabee marathoners that walk three-fourths of the marathon socializing with their friends, so they can say at the end that they did 26.1 miles. They are not serious marathoners; they are pretending marathoners just like professing Christians think they are in a Christian marathon race. They are there for the casual entertainment of the event. Training conditions are necessary to make it to the end.

I wrote down some quotes from people who have run marathons that know a little bit about it:

“There are many reasons to run a marathon as there are marathoners; but running to finish to survive is at the core of every marathon experience.”

“Preparing for a marathon after all is no easy thing. It is big, big time commitment.”

“All marathon training programs have one thing in common, lots and lots and lots of miles.”

“The unchanging fact about the marathon is that your body has to be well prepared to endure the strain and relentless miles of the long road.”

Just think about it. Do you think you need to be spiritually prepared by going through some training? We must be trained and growing in the Word of God, as a soldier of Jesus Christ that will not be mowed down or blown down the next time a strong wind comes in our path. Our spiritual essence must be prepared so we can endure the strain and the relentless attacks of the wiles of the devil on that long road in our Christian race because he will charge at us with everything, he and his evil army has. You must put the miles in, and you must grow your faith that comes by hearing and hearing. The Greek is clear that faith does not come through a one-time event. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. In the previous verses in this chapter, Paul asks how are we to hear if a preacher is not sent? How will it be done if we do not want to participate in sending that person?

“To describe the agony of a marathon is someone who has never run it in his life trying to explain a color to someone who has been born blind.”

“Marathon running is a terrible experience, monotonous, heavy, and exhausting.”

“We are different in essence from other men. If you want to win something, run 100 meters; if you want to experience something, run a marathon.”

It is not easy to be in a spiritual marathon if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ. I have preached enough messages on it before. It is nothing new to you. It might be new if you are a recent Christian, but I told you we are more than conquerors in Jesus Christ. His promise is He will strengthen us. He does not leave us nor forsake us. Whether it is a marathon race, or the race Paul was referring to, we can finish if He is leading the way and we are following Him. Paul knew the necessary preparation and training to run the race that the Lord had him in continually, and the same goes for you and me. Training is necessary. Never stop hearing the Word of the Lord, never stop growing in the Word of the Lord. It is an essential component to be His disciple. Nothing is different in the spiritual world. You need good Bible-based training to prepare you for your spiritual marathon. Proper spiritual training and conditioning is a must.

I mentioned earlier that in the ancient Greek athletic games there was one race that was different from all the other races and this is the race that I think Paul was referring to in I Corinthians 9:24 and 25. In this particular ancient race, the runners in this race held a torch in their hand. They did not have the luxury of propane to keep it lit, and this has nothing to do with the Olympic torch by the way. The Olympic torch of modern creation goes back to the Nazi period. This is not what I am referring to, so do not mix the two.

Now listen closely. The runners held a torch in their hand, but the goal was not to necessarily be first, but instead to finish the race with their torch still lit when crossing over the finish line. In other words, if your flame burned out, or something caused it to burn out or be extinguished, you were immediately out of the race. So, the finishers of that race were first prize winners because the objective was to finish the race with the torch still lit.

Even though I believe Paul uses the marathon race in his letters, it does not necessarily fit here. I think this is the race that Paul was using as an example. It would be more difficult than you might think to race while balancing a torch and at the same time protecting it from the wind and any other outside extinguishing elements. For instance, what if a sudden rainstorm happened, or a great pocket of wind came, or your torch was not appropriately prepared and would not stay lit? Your flame had to remain lit. It was your responsibility to keep it lit throughout the whole race; therefore, you were dodging the certain extinguishing elements along that journey, in addition to the fatigue. It is one thing to run a race going straight forward knowing where your destination is, but this was the type of race that if you felt the wind building up, you would try to possibly turn your body sideways to absorb some of the wind as you were still racing forward to the finish line. These were not short races either, so your body was fatigued and stressed differently than just a typical race, even a marathon race. The objective was to keep the flame burning until the end.

Based on the historical records of the games, in my opinion, Paul understood this was the type of race which I believe he had in mind as a metaphor for life—this life, his life—in how this race depicts that. Remember this ancient race. I believe this is what Paul was referring to. It is not about beating someone else, but enduring to the end with your torch lit. In other words, do not burn out because of troubles or circumstances.

Instead, be men and women of the Lord Jesus Christ. Disciples with the understanding that the Lord did not give us an easy path just as He said in His gospel records. Nevertheless, He does not want us to burn out. He wants to keep us, and our flame lit, but it takes participation on our side too. While running the race, I can guarantee us this one thing; we will run into resistance. We will become tired, frustrated, or possibly hurt. Because of that, I pray not only for myself, but for you also, that the Lord Jesus Christ will give us a second spiritual wind that will provide us strength, endurance, and perseverance to finish our race with our flames burning. This is the only way to finish the race that we are on.

I will finish with Joshua 1:9, which shows the Word of the Lord has not changed since this was given as a commandment to Joshua.

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed [shattered, broken, or afraid]: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

No matter where we are on the racetrack, the Lord is there. He is ahead of us leading the way. He wants us to keep our flame burning. I want to add one thing, be strong and of a good courage and keep your flame burning. I pray this not only for myself, but I pray for you also.

This is precisely what we will be doing. Our rallying call is to be strong and of good courage and keep your flame burning. Personalize it, “I will be strong and of good courage, and I will keep my flame burning because I know who’s in front of me leading the way, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.” Hallelujah.

Copyright 2019 Faith Cometh By Hearing

Please email us at email@teachingfaith.com if this has

encouraged and strengthened your faith.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it reads, “God loveth a cheerful giver.” The Greek word for cheerful is Hilaros which means when someone is prompt to do something, they are ready in mind, with a joyful heart. In the Septuagint it also means to cause to shine. Today I am looking for Hilaros Givers who are ready and full of joy for the opportunity to cause others to shine by hearing, learning, and growing in God’s Word.

Join with us today and participate as a Hilaros Giver. If you wish to participate use the following link: http://www.teachingfaith.com/giving

Write us at

Faith Cometh By Hearing

539 W. Commerce St., #577

Dallas, TX 75208