The Christian Life is a Directed Life

The Christian life is dedicated, and the Christian life is directed.

Look at verse 5 with me. An athlete is in view here. An athlete does not win the prize on offer unless he competes according to the rules. Greek athletes who wanted to take part in the ancient Olympics had to train fro 10 months under supervision to make sure they were up to the task. When they competed, they had to stay in the rules. They had to stay behind the line when they threw, they had to run in their lanes. The same is true for us as we live as Christians. As athletes were directed by the rules of the Olympics, so Christians are directed by God’s Word.

You and I can’t simply make up our faith as we go along, we have to hold it up against the standard of God’s Word. Does this action bring pleasure to God, is that word acceptable to use, what should I do with my time, how should I spend my money? What we watch on TV, what we do at the weekend, how we treat our server at a restaurant. We don’t have freedom in these areas, we simply have to serve Christ according to His Word. We must strive lawfully in our life according to the Scriptures.

Why are we Protestant not Catholic? You need a good reason not to be a Catholic, you need a good reason to choose one church over another, with a different flavour on every corner. Are your decisions directed according to the Word? Is your life directed by the Word of God?

This is the link between verses 4 and 5. The more dedicated we are, the easier we will follow direction, and the more directed we are, the more dedicated we will become. Verse 6 tells us that this takes diligence, or hard work, or labour. Again, Paul knows nothing of easy Christianity, and neither should we.