Fall from Grace? Examining the Tour-de-Lance

I'm so tired of hearing about poor Lance Armstrong.  He hasn't lost a thing, really, and there's no reason to feel sorry for him at all.  Several years ago Lance defeated cancer, and good for him, I sincerely mean that, good for him.  Unfortunately, it was his cancer that confirmed his disbelief in God. 

From his book, "It's not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life," (Title is a little ironic now isn't it?), he writes:

"I had developed a certain distrust of organized religion growing up, but I felt I had the capacity to be a spiritual person, and to hold some fervent beliefs. Quite simply, I believed I had a responsibility to be a good person, and that meant fair, honest, hardworking, and honorable. If I did that, if I was good to my family, true to my friends, if I gave back to my community or to some cause, if I wasn't a liar, a cheat, or a thief, then I believed that should be enough."

Oops.  So much for fair, honest and honorable, not a liar and cheat is out too, however he has given back to his community; to a certain cause, something he believed in. Doctors, Treatment, Self; "believing in whatever I chose to believe in, that was the most important thing, I decided. It had to be."

No Lance, it's not the most important thing.  Sorry. More from his book:

"At the end of the day, if there was indeed some Body or presence standing there to judge me, I hoped I would be judged on whether I had lived a true life, not on whether I believed in a certain book, or whether I'd been baptized. If there was indeed a God at the end of my days, I hoped he didn't say, "But you were never a Christian, so you're going the other way from heaven." If so, I was going to reply, "You know what? You're right. Fine."

If things continue as they currently stand, I really don't believe that's what Lance will be replying to God.  You see, Lance is still alive, but he's not really living.  Lance hasn't lost anything because he never had anything to begin with.

He's got no hope and is "far off": Ephesians 2:12-13
His trust and belief in man and self is wrongly placed: John 14:6
He does not know God and therefore does not know love: 1 John 4:7-8
He does not have life: 1 John 4:9 and John 1:4
He has no confidence for the day of Judgment: 1 John 4:17
He cannot live without fear: 1 John 4:18

Lance may feel ashamed, although it doesn't appear so from his latest "confession" with Oprah, but he may feel ashamed.  He might be embarrassed and may have difficulty "rebuilding his reputation."  The days ahead might be hard for Lance who was once hailed as an all-time great athlete, king of his sport of cycling.  Maybe even harder than his battle with cancer, I don't know.  But I do know this for certain, there is a bigger battle in Lance's life.  One that he is losing every day.  Thankfully, there is still time....

Lance is still alive...A self-described competitor, a win-at-all-costs competitor....

It's not too late.  Here is the winning formula (for starters):

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lance hasn't lost anything.

Fortunately, he has everything to gain.