Strive According to God

2 Timothy 2:5  And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

For the last few days the Olympic games have been taking place in London. And competing in those games are athletes that have given their entire life, and every ounce of their efforts to make it there to compete. But in order for them to be successful they must compete while staying within the rules and regulations  else the games would be nothing more than chaos.

• 100m ran in the wrong direction, or in the wrong lane, no matter how fast, will not win. 
• A javelin thrown the wrong direction, no matter how far, will not count. 
• A swimmer who does not compete with the proper stroke for the current event, will lose. 

In football there is an out of bounds. There are yard lines, there is a play clock and a game clock. There are rules and a set time, why? So there will not be chaos, and there will be a functioning game. 

• The throw maybe the longest and most spiraling, but if it is caught out of bounds it is in vain.
• The kick may be the longest in history, but if it does not go between the goal post there are no points.
• May have the best team, but penalties can derail the win. 

In baseball there are rules. Three strikes you are out, three outs and the inning is over. After nine innings if you have fewer points you lose the game. 

• May be the longest hit ever, but it's no home run without being between the lines. 
• The 4th swing may have sent it out of the park, but after three you where out. 
• Your team may have been able to score 10 runs in the 10th, but there is no 10th unless you are tied. 

In everyday life, there are rules and there are regulations. There are things that the employee must abide by, there are rules the students must live by, there are rules that families must live by. And there are also rules we must live by if we plan to be saved. 

• We can do good deeds, but if we are not born-again it is in vain. 
• We can pay tithes, pray, fast, and read the Bible, but yet not be striving lawfully. 
• We can be good people, and still be lost. 
• We may sound good, and be a good speaker, but our efforts to win souls is in vain without the truth. 

So not only must we strive, but we must strive according to the word of God. And to begin to even strive for him we must be baptized in Jesus name living a repented life filled with the Holy Ghost. Then we must follow the word of God. It's not enough to fight, we must fight the good fight of faith. 

-Bro. C

Acts 2:38, read it and obey it!