2 Timothy 2:5

‘And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, unless he has contended lawfully (or ‘in accordance with the rules’).’

The second principle is the principle of obedience. He must also follow the example of contenders in the Games, by contending in accordance with the rules. Commitment does not mean that we follow our own ideas. God has laid down His rules in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). We must therefore read them and follow them, although as Paul tells us elsewhere, they are all summed up in the commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’ (Galatians 5:14). For if we do not obey His words then there will be no crowning, and no reward. Jesus demands that we live a full-orbed Christian life. In other words we cannot pick and choose but we must live wholly in accordance with His word.

‘Lawfully, in accordance with the rules, in a correct style.’ The rules for the Games not only required men to compete fairly and honestly, but they also required men to swear that they had trained properly for the event and had been properly disciplined in readiness for it. Christians must thus have the same dedication as athletes in preparing themselves for His service by spiritual exercise and a determination to do what is right. And they must then fulfil those responsibilities in total righteousness.