The prize in verse 24 is a reward as an incentive, and this reward is an incorruptible crown, which the Lord will award His overcoming saints who win the race. This reward is in addition to salvation (Heb. 10:35). Eternal salvation is by faith, having nothing to do with our work (Eph. 2:8-9), whereas reward is for our work after we are saved (1 Cor. 3:8, 14). We may not receive a reward but rather suffer loss, even though we are saved, because we are void of the work which the Lord would approve (1 Cor. 3:15). The reward will be given to us according to our works at the Lord’s coming back (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 4:5). It will be decided by the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) and enjoyed in the coming kingdom (Matt. 25:21, 23). The Apostle Paul strived to gain the reward (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:7-8).
We, the believers in Christ, have all received His salvation through faith in Him. This has been settled once for all. But whether we shall be rewarded by Him depends on how we run the race. In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul is running the course. In Philippians, one of his last Epistles, he was still running (Phil. 3:14). It was not until the last moment of his running, in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, that Paul had the assurance that he would be rewarded by the Lord at His appearing. With this reward in view, Paul charges the believers to run the race so that they may obtain the reward.
In 1 Corinthians 9:25 Paul speaks of exercising self-control in all things. All those who contend in the games, Paul says, exercise strict self-control. For instance, they watch their diet very carefully. If athletes exercise self-control in order to receive a corruptible crown, we should exercise self-control even more to obtain an incorruptible crown. Only by the exercise of self-control can we be runners in the race and contenders in the game.
Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, putting off every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, run with endurance the race which is set before us.” The Greek word translated “encumbrance” may also be rendered weight, burden, impediment. The runners in a race must strip off every unnecessary weight, every encumbering burden, that they may have no impediment to running the race. It is easy for us to pick up unnecessary burdens. But if we would run the Christian race, we need to put off every encumbrance, every unnecessary burden or impediment.
According to Hebrews 12:1, we also need to put off the sin which so easily entangles us. Here “the sin” refers mainly to the thing that entangles us from running the race. Both the encumbering weight and the entangling sin frustrate us in running the race. The encumbrances are outward, but the sin is inward, for it involves our sinful nature. Within our sinful nature there is something that often entangles us. In order to run the course of the Christian life, we need to put off the entangling sin.
Because there is much opposition to the Christian race, we need to run it with endurance. For this reason, Hebrews 12:1 charges us to “run with endurance the race which is set before us.” In order to run the race, we must suffer the opposition with endurance, never growing weary or fainting in our souls (v. 3).
“If also anyone contends in the games, he is not crowned unless he contends lawfully” (2 Tim. 2:5). An athlete must contend lawfully to receive the crown. If we would receive the prize, the incorruptible crown, we must contend lawfully.
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