A.  Salvation is a gift that’s freely given, not a prize that has to be earned.  Therefore 1 Cor. 9:24-27 is not about salvation, but about crowns we can win after we’ve been saved.  We can confirm this by reading other things Paul wrote.  For example, he said our inheritance was guaranteed from the moment we believed (Ephes 1:13-14) and after that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).

In 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Paul used a sports analogy to help us understand the rules for winning our crown so we wouldn’t be confused about how this works.  As in events like the Olympics, winning the victors crown requires that competitors qualify and then compete. For believers, qualifying means being saved, because this is an event for believers only. Then we go into “strict training” in order to increase our chances for victory, because no Christian should be satisfied just to qualify, even if it does mean gaining eternal life. That’s just the beginning. We all want to win crowns and get rewards.

In going for the crown of victory we’re not competing against someone else, but against our old selves, also called “the flesh”. This is what Paul meant by beating his body to make it his slave.  Achieving victory means putting the flesh to death; getting rid of our selfish desires, our bad habits and attitudes, and any behavior that puts the Lord to shame. As in all competitive events there’s no penalty for losing, only a reward for winning.

A. The issue over living wills only becomes a scriptural one when it involves suicide.  Think of the days before “modern medicine”.  When a person contracted a terminal illness or suffered a life threatening accident, they died unless God intervened and healed them.  There was no  attempt to artificially prolong their life with organ transplants, chemicals, hi-tech equipment, etc.   In that sense a DNR clause in our will doesn’t interfere with God’s plan for us, it yields to it.  In my opinion there’s nothing wrong with a care plan that doesn’t interfere with God’s will.