August 10th 2025
The Training Needed To Run The Race Of Your Life As A Follower Of Jesus Is To Study God’s Word As Preparation For Receiving The Award Of Your Salvation!
John 18:36-37 (NIV)
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
All human beings have a problem identifying the truth, as their sinful nature interferes with the reality surrounding them. Each person tries to establish the truth by seeing the truth in a way that they can identify as what they are willing to accept as being true. We only identify teachers we have had in our lives when they teach in a way that is most acceptable to us. We are more apt to believe what is being taught if we believe the person teaching in some way agrees with us! Most of what we know has been taught to us by another human being. What I am trying to define here is a human being who is NOT a believer in Jesus Christ!
As Jesus was telling Pilate who had previously asked “What is truth?” That in this cursed world there is only one absolute truth available, which is that “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Why would there only be one truth in this world? Jesus answered this question to Pilate, and for us, “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” God has provided only one Way for members of mankind to live in this temporary world and to leave it and have their immortal soul end up in heaven when they die. That Way is to follow Jesus Christ.
Currently in this cursed world more people believe in and follow someone born into this world as a human being, than those who choose to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. And it seems the number of non-believers is increasing, as the next generations are not attending a church of their choice! Paul wrote to Timothy about this future trend. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Paul went on to write about the result of such a trend, which we see some evidence of today in this cursed world. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:3-5). People today ignore, or do not even know about the rules God gave us about ONLY having sexual relations with an opposite sex person to whom you are married! Doing this would eliminate the need to murder (abort) a baby God made in His image and likeness, because of an unwanted pregnancy!
Sorry about writing so much about my perspective on our world today and seemingly negative view, but it becomes more difficult to write an upbeat trend of any kind. God has always reserved a remnant of believers. I do not believe that is necessary yet in this world. The positive view is that we still always see people coming forward to help their neighbors when floods of earthquakes or fires occur. This is definitely more than just a remnant of believers! I believe that, do you? Jesus’ brother James gives us some good advice about studying God’s Word. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22). Like the Nike slogan “Just do it!”
Paul wrote about life and comparing it to running in a race. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). The training needed to run the race of your life as a follower of Jesus is to study God’s word as preparation for receiving the award of your salvation, and maybe a crown!
Your salvation is an award not a reward, as it is given as a free gift, not based on the good deeds you may have completed in your lifetime in this world. In his second letter to Timothy Paul wrote about his anticipated “crown of righteousness!” Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8). This crown of righteousness is available “not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” If you do long for Jesus appearing, then you too have crown awaiting you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
John 18:36-37 (NIV)
Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." "You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
All human beings have a problem identifying the truth, as their sinful nature interferes with the reality surrounding them. Each person tries to establish the truth by seeing the truth in a way that they can identify as what they are willing to accept as being true. We only identify teachers we have had in our lives when they teach in a way that is most acceptable to us. We are more apt to believe what is being taught if we believe the person teaching in some way agrees with us! Most of what we know has been taught to us by another human being. What I am trying to define here is a human being who is NOT a believer in Jesus Christ!
As Jesus was telling Pilate who had previously asked “What is truth?” That in this cursed world there is only one absolute truth available, which is that “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Why would there only be one truth in this world? Jesus answered this question to Pilate, and for us, “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” God has provided only one Way for members of mankind to live in this temporary world and to leave it and have their immortal soul end up in heaven when they die. That Way is to follow Jesus Christ.
Currently in this cursed world more people believe in and follow someone born into this world as a human being, than those who choose to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. And it seems the number of non-believers is increasing, as the next generations are not attending a church of their choice! Paul wrote to Timothy about this future trend. The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Paul went on to write about the result of such a trend, which we see some evidence of today in this cursed world. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:3-5). People today ignore, or do not even know about the rules God gave us about ONLY having sexual relations with an opposite sex person to whom you are married! Doing this would eliminate the need to murder (abort) a baby God made in His image and likeness, because of an unwanted pregnancy!
Sorry about writing so much about my perspective on our world today and seemingly negative view, but it becomes more difficult to write an upbeat trend of any kind. God has always reserved a remnant of believers. I do not believe that is necessary yet in this world. The positive view is that we still always see people coming forward to help their neighbors when floods of earthquakes or fires occur. This is definitely more than just a remnant of believers! I believe that, do you? Jesus’ brother James gives us some good advice about studying God’s Word. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22). Like the Nike slogan “Just do it!”
Paul wrote about life and comparing it to running in a race. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). The training needed to run the race of your life as a follower of Jesus is to study God’s word as preparation for receiving the award of your salvation, and maybe a crown!
Your salvation is an award not a reward, as it is given as a free gift, not based on the good deeds you may have completed in your lifetime in this world. In his second letter to Timothy Paul wrote about his anticipated “crown of righteousness!” Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8). This crown of righteousness is available “not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” If you do long for Jesus appearing, then you too have crown awaiting you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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