The national handball coach, Jan Pytlick, expressed deep disappointment about the defeat to France in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “I don´t have the words for describing my feelings”, he moaned.  If only our handball girls had done this and that, they would have won the game, was his wisdom after the event.

Paul was well familiar with the sport games of his day.  The followers of Christ have a race to run too.  Not to be qualified for Heaven, for salvation is a free gift of grace, but to win a planned reward.  This issue is pressed upon all of us as he pressed it on himself.  1 Cor. 9:24-27.

”Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (in Danish:  “..that you may win!”).  But we may lose it too. How is it possible to “win”?  By abiding by the rules (2 Tim. 2:5). But how do we follow the rules?  By plain obedience. It´s as simple as that. It is possible to preach to others and yet be disqualified, but still be saved, ”yet so as through fire” 1 Cor. 3:15. 

The lack of obedience should exercise our hearts before the Lord. Sorrow and repentance follow us as God´s people or are very much called for at this juncture.

“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me..”  (Jer. 15:19, NIV, – similar to the Danish rendering) Do we need those words?  Jeremiah, the preacher of penance, did.  The words were followed by great promises of usefulness for God. V. 19-21.

The grief of the Danish coach was of this poor world only.  It´s much more serious to be a loser about the spiritual race and warfare.  What if a grieved Spirit is being quenched in our lives (1 Thess. 5:19), and the fire of zeal is not there anymore, because the salt has lost its flavor? 

Dec. 18, 2011

jn