20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Phil 1:20-21 (NRSV) There is in these words of the imprisoned apostle a level of devotion- and yet an unspoken freedom-- that is rarely seen in the Christian church today, even among those we consider the best living disciples of Christ. His greatest concern was not his own health or safety, nor even the circumstance of his existence in its barest form. His single desire here was that the gospel of Jesus Christ be carried throughout the world- period. That this would happen as a result of his efforts here on earth, or whether is was the will of God that he perish in this service, made no difference to him. In truth, he readily anticipated his physical death as something by which soul and spirit would gain Jesus for all eternity. Jesus asks us, as a condition of being a follower, to "carry your cross and follow me". Paul understood this in a way that most of us, with few exceptions, have not- and this knowledge caused him to proclaim the gospel unceasingly-right up to the moment the Roman axe took off his head. It is a near certainty that none of us will wind up like Paul. But does that mean that any less has been asked of us as followers of Christ? Does it? Sola Jesu!
Posted on: Fri, 05 Jul 2013 11:07:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015