Sis Boom Bah... Hurrah!!!

First, let me say: there is nothing legalistic about the fact that we are to obey God. It is legalistic to say that we are saved by our obedience. Put another way; salvation is not a product of obedience but obedience is a product of salvation.

That said, I was asked about my position on organized sports years ago(and again just recently); and so I went to the source of discovering God's will about anything... His Word. This is what I discovered:

Galatians 5:26 Let us not be DESIROUS OF VAIN GLORY, PROVOKING ONE ANOTHER, ENVYING ONE ANOTHER.

A) DESIROUS OF VAIN GLORY
G2755 kenodoxos-
Thayer Definition:
1) glorying without reason, conceited, vain glorious, eager for empty glory
The emphasis is on being "eager for empty glory."
--> It is so amazing to me how others can get so excited and exhibit "glorying" in the success of a favorite team or player and not display equal enthusiasm in what Christ accomplished on the cross. Bragging is commonly heard among sports fans as they carry on about this move or that dunk or catch. Such glorying is empty glory of which we are told in God's Word to avoid. "Boasting" about what Jesus did on the cross is rarely heard from the same people professing themselves to be Christian.
B) PROVOKING ONE ANOTHER
G4292 prokaleomai-
Thayer Definition:
1) to call forth
2) to call forth to one’s self
2a) especially to challenge to a combat or contest with one
3) to provoke, to irritate
--> Such is the norm for organized sports. Challenging the competitor, often with provocative language intended to irritate the other, is the name of the game. Don't get me wrong, I play some sports with my kids; but the emphasis is on having fun and not on winning. We don't even keep score. One aspect of playing sports that we leave off when playing is "stealing." We don't steal the ball when playing basketball (blocking is allowed) and we don't steal bases when playing baseball... it's just as fun! Call me a fanatic because I think "do not steal" applies to every area of life; what can I say... I am Jesus FAN!!! I'm not trying to please the crowd.

C) ENVYING ONE ANOTHER
G5354 phthoneō
Thayer Definition:
1) to envy
Webster's Definition: ENVY
1. To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
--> Therefore, envy is the feeling of displeasure produced by the knowledge of the advantage or prosperity of others; i.e. in reference to sports it is a drive to be better than the competition and dissatisfaction at being less than the best. To wrap this idea up in two words: competitive spirited.

The Bible says to imitate Jesus- 1John 2:3-6. Jesus lived a life of humility and sacrifice not even attributing to Himself the right to be held equal with God, but instead took on the form of a servant and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross- Philippians 2:5-7. Now that is something to glory in and cheer about. Are you still sitting?
Sis boom bah Hurrah!!! Jesus saves!!!!!!!!!