1 Corinthians 9:25

Plain English Version

Those people that run in races, they control themselves and train their bodies so they can win a prize, even though that prize will only be good for a little while. But it is better for us. We control ourselves properly so that we will win a prize that will be good for ever. God will give us new life, so that we will live for ever.

Cross References

1 Corinthians 15:54

You know, whenever we do bad things, we break God’s law, and God’s law says we have to die for doing those bad things. There is a power that gets us to go wrong and die like that. It is like a cheeky scorpion that stings us and kills us. But God will change our bodies into bodies that will never die, and at that same time God will finish up that power that makes us go wrong. You know, a long time ago, one of God’s men wrote about this, and it is in God’s book. He wrote, “God will finish up that power that makes everything die.” “It will be gone. It will not sting us any more, and people will not die any more.” And it will happen just like those men wrote.

Galatians 5:23

He will stop you from thinking you are too important, and he will help you to control yourself. And there is no law to stop anybody doing any of those good things.

1 Timothy 6:12

It’s like we are in a big fight against the devil and all his bad spirit mob. He wants us to go wrong and stop believing in Jesus. But Jesus gives us really good life that goes on for ever, so we have to keep on trusting Jesus for that life, and then we will win the fight against that bad spirit mob. Remember the time that you first believed in Jesus, and you told a lot of people about it. That was the time he called you to follow him, and to get that life that goes on for ever. So now keep on believing in Jesus, and keep on following him so that you keep on living that good life for ever.

2 Timothy 2:5

And you are also like a sportsman. You know that sportsmen have to follow the rules of their game. If they don’t, they can’t win. Well, just like that, you have to follow the rules that God set down, so that in the end God will tell you that you won.

Titus 1:8

Church leaders have to be like this, – They have to let visitors stay in their houses. – They have to really want to do good things. – They have to control themselves. – They have to be sensible. – They have to do what is right. – They have to do things that make God happy. – They have to be strong for Jesus.

Titus 2:2

You have to teach the older men to control themselves. They have to do good things so that people will respect them. They have to keep on believing in Jesus strongly. They have to love other people. And, if they get trouble, they have to never give up following Jesus.

James 1:12

If God lets people test you, to see if you trust him properly, don’t give up trusting him. After God sees that you keep on trusting him, he will give you new life, so that you will live with him for ever. He promised to do that for everybody that loves him.

1 Peter 1:4

We are his family, so he will give us a lot of good things. He has them all ready in heaven for us, so now we just wait for those things. God looks after them all there for us in heaven. They will never rot or get dirty there, and nobody can ever mess them up.

1 Peter 5:4

Then, later, Jesus will come back, and he will be happy with your work, and he will make you great, for ever. He is the leader of all of us, and he looks after us properly.

2 Peter 1:6

and you have to learn to control yourselves too, – and you have to learn to keep going strong, no matter what happens, – and you have to be good to each other too, so that you will make God happy, – and you have to love other Christians like they are your own brothers and sisters, and you have to love everybody else too.