I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (ESV)
If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.
Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...
Whatever Happens - Advance the Gospel
When a soldier is trained, the fact is made clear that the mission comes first. Before safety, before comfort, before rest, before all else - fulfill the mission. If a leader dies, the soldiers are trained to fall in line under the command of the next highest ranking person and to press on to FULFILL THE MISSION.
It is always good and right to remember that our life on this side of eternity is a life in the trenches of a spiritual battle. While our enemy would like nothing better than to lull us into a slumber of comfort and worldly pleasure, our King is ever reminding us through His Word, and His Spirit and His people that we are waging war on sin - sin in our heart and sin in the World.
Paul wrote this letter from prison, and eventually - church history tells us - Paul would give his very life by beheading. But from the time the scales of spiritual blindness fell from Paul's eyes in Acts 9:18 to his death, Paul boldly, fearlessly and shamelessly proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul lived and eventually died to FULFILL THE MISSION.
The Apostle could do so because he knew his Savior lived and he knew that there is nothing in all creation could stop Jesus' advancing kingdom.
That's why Paul could say such stunning things like he did to the church in Rome:
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV)
Paul had no doubt that he and the rest of us Christians could and would face things like tribulation, distress, persecution and the rest during our brief time here on mission in this life.
But so what!
Through it all, if we live for the mission the good and the bad will all serve to advance the Gospel.
You may lose a job, many of us have lost loved ones who hate our God and write us off, the culture may mock us, our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are literally facing the sword for their faith. But through it all - Fear Not. For, as Jesus told his disciples:
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do." (Luke 12:4 ESV)
And,
"...I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18 ESV)
In fact, Jesus tells us that the only thing we have to fear is God himself - because of our sin. After saying what he did above:
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do..."
Jesus followed it up with this warning:
"But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!" (Luke 12:4-5 ESV)
But, then Jesus took that fear away for you and me and everyone else who will put their faith in Jesus' work for us at the cross. This is what Paul understood.
Paul HAD BEEN the chief of sinners. He DID - at one time - have a very REAL REASON TO FEAR GOD'S WRATH.
Paul HAD BEEN the chief of sinners. He DID - at one time - have a very REAL REASON TO FEAR GOD'S WRATH.
BUT, Paul was now living on the other side of the cross, so he could bask in his forgiveness and tell us that,
"...if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 ESV)
That's the mission. Advance the mission by imploring people to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Unlike soldiers in the world, when we wage war on sin, our chief weapon is LOVE. First LOVE for God which causes us to hate and repent from the sin in our hearts and lives.
Also a LOVE for others (friends, family, enemies and strangers), which causes us to suffer anything in this brief life in order that some might come to a saving knowledge of our Savior and King - Jesus.
Unlike soldiers in the world, when we wage war on sin, our chief weapon is LOVE. First LOVE for God which causes us to hate and repent from the sin in our hearts and lives.
Also a LOVE for others (friends, family, enemies and strangers), which causes us to suffer anything in this brief life in order that some might come to a saving knowledge of our Savior and King - Jesus.
What is the hardest thing you are going through right now? Relational strife, employment woes, health problems, the loss of a loved one?
The thing that determines whether or not your current struggle (or your current happiness) advances the Gospel is how you respond.
When imprisoned, Paul could have recanted his testimony about Jesus. He could have just shut up. Or he could have cursed God and given up - instead he loved God and even loved those who had him in prison. And by loving them, what happened to him served to advance the Gospel.
You have the same opportunity. We have no control (or very little control) over what comes at us in this life. But we have a Holy Spirit empowered - Jesus Christ modeled ability to react in a way that brings Glory to the Father.
Today, Christian, FULFILL THE MISSION. Advance the Gospel.
