Now, why were you saved?

Why did God choose you and then save you?

In order to make you like what?

His son, what's the goal of your Christian life then?

It's the same thing for which you were saved.

He saved you to make you like his son,

and that purpose for which he saves you becomes the purpose for which you live.

Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur. I'm your host, Phil Johnson.

When a runner places his feet in the starting blocks and waits for the gun to sound,

he is not wondering where the finish line is.

He knows the goal, and he keeps his eyes on the prize. What about you? As you're living the

Christian life, are you pursuing the right prize? Are you focused on what truly matters? Consider that

today as John MacArthur begins a study titled Reaching for the Prize.

John, with the idea of reaching for the prize in mind, one thing that comes to my mind is a story I've heard you tell from your days as a college athlete. I'd love for you to share that story.

I think it's a perfect introduction to this study. Yeah, well, I know the story you're talking about.

I was a sprinter in college, and I ran

the 100 and occasionally the 400, but I also ran in the, what would be the 4x400 relay

with three other guys. And we were in a big meet, a multi-university meet, and we came to that

race. It's usually

toward the end of the day. And we had a good lead leg, and I ran second man. I wasn't the

fastest at that distance, so it could give you two guys to make up whatever I might lose.

So I'll never forget. I ran a really good leg, got a good handoff of the baton after the first

...