Olympian Ben Johnson Stripped of Gold Medal for Cheating
In the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Ben Johnson of Canada won the one-hundred-meter dash, setting a new Olympic record and a new world record. Our American contender, Carl Lewis, came in second, and most were shocked that he hadn’t won the gold. After the race, the judges learned that Johnson had had an illegal substance in his body. He ran the race illegally, so the judges took away his medal. Though he ran faster and made an unforgettable impression, he did not deserve the reward…God is the final judge! He searches our hearts; He alone knows our motivation. And He will be the One to say, “This deserves a reward. Ah, but that does not.” —Charles R. Swindoll, Hope Again, (Word, 1996), p. 34.
From a sermon by David Cook, Now Through Eternity, 2/1/2010