To Cheat Means Defeat

“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (2Tim 2:5).

Growing up as a child of the seventies, I’ll never forget the open to “Wide World of Sports.” Jim McKay would get us ready for what we were about to see. “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” I mean, how many times did we see the ultimate epic fail of the dude on the ski jump?!?

A couple of thousand years before ABC spanned the globe, Paul wrote all winning and losing. “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules (v5). Compete according to the rules and enjoy the thrill of victory. Cheat the system and you’ll feel the agony of defeat. Cheaters never really win and real winners never cheat.

To cheat means defeat.

When you first read Paul’s words, you might think they’re a cut-and-paste right out of the Olympic rulebook. Or maybe something lifted from the bylaws of the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NCAA. Play hard and play by the rules. But in the end, cheating to win is cheating to lose. Even when following Jesus. ESPECIALLY when following Jesus! 

Let’s face it, athletes and teams have been trying to pull a fast one for centuries. Baseball teams are always trying to steal signs. NASCAR’s known for it’s “if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’” mantra. But you could fill a Sports Hall of Shame with names like Pete Rose, Ben Johnson, Lance Armstrong, Tonya Harding, and Barry Bonds. And we’re looking right at you, Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots. 

But long before PEDs and Deflategate, Paul is on Death Row in Caesar’s Supermax, better known by historians as the Mamertine Prison. The man who wrote a boatload of the New Testament writes what will be his very last letter. The apostle knows his days are numbered (2Tim 4:6-7). He pleads with his protege to get to Rome and get there quickly (2Tim 4:9, 21). 

Just in case Tim doesn’t get there before his execution date, Paul fires off a quick note to encourage the young pastor both his personal life and public ministry. Here in 2 Timothy 2:3-6, he compares church leadership with being a dedicated soldier, an elite athlete, and a sod-busting farmer. He wants us to learn big-time lessons from the battlefield, the athletic field, and the farm field. 

Now you might think the apostle was a one-dimensional dude who only talked about theology and church stuff. Think again. Check out what he wrote in the NT and he’s clearly a man who loved athletics. Paul probably would have had the cable TV sports package. Reading a few passages from his letters, you have to think he could have made it as a great sportswriter. Like he does here in this verse, Paul consistently compares following Christ to leaving it all on the playing field (1Cor 9:24-27; Phil 3:12-14; 2Tim 4:6-8). Train hard. Play hard. Play to the whistle. Play by the rules.

Here in his letter from Death Row to Timothy, Paul talks about the grit and competitive nature of an athlete. Two times in this verse he uses a word (Gr. athleo) which describes someone who competes, strives, or participates in athletics. Somebody with an insatiable desire to win. They have a burning passion to finish first. It drives them. Dominates everything they do. But they are unwilling to take shortcuts to victory. They do it the right way. They do it by the book.

At the heart of the term athleo is one who is willing to go through difficult struggles in order gain victory. He’s talking about enduring short-term suffering for long-term gain. You do realize that following Jesus is ultimate example of delayed gratification, don’t you? Paul says the garbage we face on this side of eternity is nothing compared to what God is preparing for us later (Rom 8:18; 2Cor 6:14). Jesus’ kid brother James tells us we’re blessed when we hang in there in the hard times because one the other side, the Lord gives us “the crown of life” (James 1:14). 

In the words of the legendary Jim Valvano, “Don’t give up! Don’t EVER give up!” Keep fighting. Keep competing. Don’t cut corners. Following Jesus is going to be an absolute bear at times. We’re going to want to throw in the towel. Quitting will look like the best option. But that’s just the smoke-and-mirrors of the enemy. It’s his demonic go-to strategy. Satan will tempt us in anywhere and everywhere to punk out. Marriage. Work. Church. Health. Don’t throw in the towel! Don’t wave the white flag! It’s worth it. So totally worth it! Be a competitor. Play hard to the whistle. Give it everything you’ve got until you hear the horn.

There is a prize on the line. While the modern Olympics are modeled after the ancient Greek athletic games, there are a couple of significant differences. First of all, athletes competed in the raw back in the day. Yup, that’s right. Naked. I really have no desire to catch a glimpse of one of those hefty heavyweight wrestlers or 300-pound shot-putters. The other modern change is the awards. We now award gold, silver, and bronze medals for first, second, and third. Back in the First Century, only the winner got the prize. Guess it’s like Ricky Bobby says. “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

Paul makes it absolutely clear that there’s a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to cheating when following Jesus. “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (v5). The apostle probably wouldn’t be surprised at the long sad list of people who lost it all after winning the wrong way. Lance Armstrong. Ben Johnson. Marion Jones. Barry Bonds. Mark McGwire. Roger Clemons. Call it attempted victory through better chemistry. Winners in the short-term. Losers in the long run.

To cheat means defeat.

The apostle is making a point to Tim about the incredible importance of integrity, especially for those in ministry. There’s so much at stake. Every spiritual leader absolutely MUST play by the book. Do you hang it out over the edge of right and wrong? Don’t cut legal corners. Don’t fall for moral shortcuts. What are you watching? What websites do you visit? What are you reading? But integrity isn’t limited to preachers, pastors, and ministers. It applies to EVERY follower of Jesus! God promises that any secret sin is going to come out, sooner or later, and will be dealt with (Num 32:23; Prov 15:3; Ecc 14:12; Lk 12:2; Rom 14:12; 2Cor 6:9-11; Col 3:25; Rev 20:11-15).

To cheat means defeat.

But we need to be 100% sure of what Paul is NOT saying. He’s not telling us we earn our salvation by perfect performance. It’s not possible. The only way we enjoy the ultimate victory is by trusting in the One who totally played by the rules. Jesus lived the perfectly obedient life to His Father’s commands when I was a complete failure. He died the death of punishment for my sin that I should have died. And if that’s not all, He rose to a spectacular resurrection life that I in no way deserve. 

I follow God’s commands for my life as a response for what Jesus has done for me. I compete hard and according to the rules because He did that for me. When I fall short (and I will, you can take that to the bank!), there is more grace than I can imagine. I don’t have to cheat because He didn’t. Oh, He was certainly tempted to give up and punk out in His desert duel with the devil (Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13). Three years later, He had a heart-to-heart with His Heavenly Dad about the Cross and stayed the course (Mt 26:38; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42). Because of that, Christ is the only one qualified be our High Priest (Heb 4:15-16).

We can taste the ultimate thrill of victory because of what Jesus has done for us. We never have to know the eternal agony of defeat thanks to Him. But in the meantime, we need to hang tough and play by the rules. God’s rules. There’s too much at stake. Too much on the line.

To cheat means defeat.