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.

The Chase for the Championship

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

For pro football players, it’s all about the Lombardi Trophy. In baseball, the goal is raising the World Series banner. NBA players will do anything to win a ring. The Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize in hockey. Winning the championship and taking home the trophy drives professional athletes to unthinkable sacrifice and effort. But Paul makes it clear there’s real only one award that matters. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v14). The apostle is obviously a first century sports fan. He’s like an athlete going for broke to win it all. However this isn’t about taking home a trophy. Paul pushes hard to get his hands on everything God has for him in Jesus. It’s all about the chase for the championship.

Earlier in his life, the apostle devoted himself to filling his trophy case (Phil 3:4-6). His goal was to impress God by piling up accomplishments on his religious resume. Boy, did he ever. There was just one little problem. Once he met the resurrected Jesus, the former Pharisee realized he was totally wasting his time. It was like trying to win the Super Bowl playing fantasy football. Everything he’d done wasn’t even going to get him into the playoffs, much less a championship. Only after God saved Paul did he come to understand Christ had already won the title for him. It wasn’t about piling up stats or winning awards. It was all about trusting in what Jesus had done for us. Once he realized all that God has done for him, the apostle chased after the championship Christ had already won for him.

Paul is devoted to “press on toward the goal for the prize” (v14). “Press on” is the Greek verb dioko. It describes running after, chasing, or hunting something down. It carries the idea of aggression and relentlessness. Earlier in his career as a terrorist, the man formerly known as Saul was “persecuting (Gr. dioko) the church” (Phil 3:6). Once Jesus got ahold of him and put him on God’s team, Paul was going to “press on (Gr. dioko)” for a deeper intimacy with his Savior (Phil 3:12). He’s in hot pursuit of the ultimate prize. If we’re comparing our journey with Jesus with a sports season, realizing God has made us part of kingdom is like making the playoffs. But just getting to the postseason isn’t enough. That’s just the first step his road to the title. The hunt is just beginning. Just like in sports, the intensity ratchets up during the playoffs. Teams devote themselves totally to winning the title 24/7 in the postseason. Former NFL coach George Allen used to say, “The future is now!” If you think there’s a difference in effort in the playoffs, that’s nothing compared to Paul’s commitment to know more of Jesus.

The apostle is focused on the “goal” (v14). The Greek word here is skopos. It means a distant object one is trying to reach, something which all activity is directed, or the aim. This is actually an athletic term for the finish line. That’s not surprising. Several times in his letters, Paul reads like a sportswriter covering first century sports (Rom 11:11; 1Cor 9:24-27; Gal 5:7; Phil 1:27-30; 2:16-18; 2Tim 2:5; 4:7; 1Th 2:19). Picture a scene from your favorite sport during crunch time. A ball carrier stretching toward the pylon. A basketball player focused on the hoop. A golfer locked in on the cup. We’re talking total focus. Blinders. Tunnel vision.

His eyes are on the “prize” (Gr. brabeion). Once again, Paul sounds like he’s writing for ESPN or Deadspin instead of to a church in Macedonia. This describes the award which goes to the winner of the competition. It comes from the word for umpire or referee who awards the prize. This is doing everything within the rules to win. No cheating. No PEDs. You win fair and square. In a letter to Corinth, he writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize (Gr. brabeion)?” (1Cor 9:24). He’s talking about winning a medal in the Olympics. Lifting the Stanley Cup. Raising the World Series pennant. The apostle has his eyes on the prize of knowing Jesus. Nothing else matters.

Paul compares knowing Jesus as win at all costs. It reminds me of some great quotes throughout the years. Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi said, “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt would say, “Second place is just the first loser.” But is there a better quote on victory than the words of Ricky Bobby? “If you ain’t first,  you’re last!” Well, if winning means more of Christ, the apostle would be the first to agree.

For a follower of Jesus, the ultimate championship is “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v14). In other words, God calls us to Himself through His Son. It’s Jesus who lived the perfect life on our behalf. In sports terms, He’s undefeated and unscored on. Every game isn’t just a no-hitter, it’s a perfect game. He did for us what we could never do for ourselves. He’s got the title in His hands and invites us to share in His victory. Jesus is the Goal. Jesus is the Prize. I love how Eugene Peterson paraphrases verse 14. “I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back” (v14 The Message). Eyes on the prize, baby. This is the chase for the ultimate championship!