We do not have to be unrepentant sinners.

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

1Co 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

1Co 9:26  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

You CANNOT ever win a race you do not run in. And all who run in a race to win must give it their all, yes? Does any race runner win without giving it their all? Maybe in a fixed race, or an unfair race, but usually in races you can tell how much effort is expended by those truly desiring to win a race. We are to run our Christian race as runners who desperately want to win the prize. We can't slack off, we can't hold back, we need to run full out to receive the prize.  And to run this Christian race we are running to be temperate in ALL things. We are running the Christian race in order to obtain an incorruptible crown. There is no earthly crown made of gold or any precious metal that is worth more than the incorruptible crown. We run, we fight a VERY REAL fight. We must keep ourselves under subjection- we must put ourselves in our proper place. We must preach Christ and everything we preach we MUST practice. We cannot preach Christ as loving and then be willfully hateful. We cannot preach Christ and willfully embrace sin. We cannot preach Christ and WILLFULLY, unrepentantly live for ourselves, selfishly.

We ARE sinners, the flesh is weak, but we do NOT have to be unrepentant sinners.

By the grace of God, through the power of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the out pouring of the Holy Spirit, may we run the race to obtain the incorruptible crown, temperate, certain, flesh shunning victors.