That YOU Might Qualify

Many would dream of participating in the Olympic games.  Very few would forfeit their opportunity to participate so that others could...

Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix have been training partners in preparation for sprinting events in the 2012 Olympics in London, England.  At the recent U.S. Olympic Trials, the training partners had to compete against one another for the opportunity to be a part of the U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in the 2012 Olympics.

After running the first two rounds of the 100-meter, Tarmoh and Felix met again for the 100-meter finals.  When they crossed the finish line, officials determined that they had tied for third; it was literally a “photo finish.”  That’s extremely significant because only the top three runners go on to compete in the Olympics.

At first, Tarmoh told the officials that she would run in a run-off with Felix for the spot on the Olympic team.  However, after further deliberation and prayer, she decided not to run.  She wrote the USATF organization the following note: "I Jeneba Tarmoh have decided to decline my 3rd place position in the 100m dash to Allyson Felix. I understand that with this decision I am no longer running the 100m dash in the Olympic Games and will be an alternate for the event."

When she called Felix, Tarmoh said, she told her training partner, “Allyson, my heart is not in it.  I don’t want to do a runoff or a coin flip. You just take it and I just wish you luck in the 100, the 200, the 4 x 100, and 4 x 400. You trained hard for it.” *

The whole scenario of events involving Tarmoh and Felix can help us to appreciate something that affects each and every one of us…

There is One who became “disqualified” so that you and I could have eternal life!

Sin disqualifies US from entering into eternal life in heaven and dooms us to destruction (see Revelation 21:8; Matthew 25:46).  That’s terrible news because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

But the GOOD News (the Gospel) is that because of His great love for us -- His heart was in it -- Jesus, the Son of God, bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we can have forgiveness and eternal life (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

“God made Him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that WE might become the righteousness of God IN HIM.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus became “disqualified” because of OUR sin so that through His righteousness we might be “qualified” to enter eternal life!

To accept His offer of forgiveness and eternal life, one must place his faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:26-27).