A Baptism By Fire

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:9-15 ESV

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark dedicates no part of his gospel to Jesus' birth. Instead, he opens with very brief descriptions of Jesus’ baptism and His testing by Satan in the wilderness. Even when covering these two significant events, Mark provides few details. He uses them as further proof of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, but then moves quickly past them to focus on Jesus' ministry.

Almost in passing, Mark mentions that Jesus was from Nazareth. Since Mark does not cover the birth of Jesus, there is no mention of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. For the purpose of Mark’s gospel, the most important details concerning Jesus began with His adult life. He is not negating the importance of the incarnation but is simply focusing his gospel on the launch of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus had spent His life growing up in Nazareth, a nondescript village in Galilee. Even among the Jews, Nazareth mattered little and was held in low esteem. In fact, when Philip first met Jesus, he told his friend Nathanael, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45 ESV). Upon hearing the name of Jesus’ hometown, Nathanael sarcastically responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46 ESV). Yet from this unlikely and unimpressive locale came the Savior of the world.

Luke reveals that Jesus was 30 years old when He left Nazareth and arrived in the wilderness of Judea, where John was baptizing (Luke 3:23). Jesus chose to inaugurate His ministry by being baptized. Mark makes it clear that John’s baptism was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4 ESV), and was meant to be a public expression of an individual’s admission of sin and need for forgiveness. By submitting to baptism, they indicated their willingness to repent and be cleansed of their sins in preparation for the Messiah and His coming Kingdom. 

But why was Jesus baptized when Scripture makes it clear that He was sinless. The author of Hebrews states that Jesus “was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15 BSB). Paul adds that “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT).

The author of Hebrews provides insight into the motivation behind Jesus’ decision to be baptized by John.

…it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. – Hebrews 2:17 NLT

Not only did Jesus take on human flesh and become one of us, but He willingly underwent the same ritual of baptism in order to associate Himself with sinful humanity. Though He was sinless, He submitted to John’s baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It is the same reason Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified. Despite His sinlessness, He willingly died a sinner’s death on the cross, serving as the sacrificial substitute for sinful humanity.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. – 1 Peter 2:24 BSB

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit. – 1 Peter 3:18 ESV

Paul succinctly states that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3 NLT). Jesus became one of us in every way so He could give His life on our behalf. By being baptized by John, Jesus fulfilled the will of His Father. Matthew records that when Jesus arrived at the Jordan River and asked John to baptize him, John was reticent.

John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” – Matthew 3:14 NLT

But Jesus insisted, telling John, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires” (Matthew 3:15 NLT). Everything Jesus did obeyed His Father’s will. He would later claim, “I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will” (John 6:38 NLT). He compared His faithful adherence to His Father’s will to nourishment and sustenance.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” – John 4:34 BSB

Another reason for His baptism was that it foreshadowed another kind of baptism He would undergo as part of God’s sovereign will. Later in his gospel, Mark records a difficult exchange between Jesus and two of His disciples. It happened immediately after Jesus told all His disciples what would take place in Jerusalem.

“The Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.” – Mark 10:34-35 NLT

At least two of His disciples failed to hear what Jesus said. His blunt admission about His pending treatment by the Jewish religious leaders went in one ear and out the other. Their minds were fixated on Jesus’ earlier statements about His coming Kingdom.

“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” – Mark 13:23 ESV

“Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark 13:24-25 ESV

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” – Mark 13:29-30 ESV

 His disciples heard what they wanted to hear and interpreted Jesus’ comments as a guarantee of a place of prominence in His Kingdom. This led the two brothers, James and John, to ask Jesus for a favor.

“When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” – Mark 10:37 NLT

Their bold and self-centered request infuriated the other disciples, but Jesus soberly responded: “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” (Mark 10:38 NLT). 

Jesus was going to be “immersed” in an overwhelming form of suffering that no one else could have endured, and it was God's will for Him to do so. Jesus later described the unbearable nature of His future baptism by fire.

“I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.” – Luke 12:50 NLT

Despite the terrible nature of His pending death, it was His Father’s will, so Jesus was determined to carry it out. It was also the Father’s will that the people of Israel come to John in the wilderness and submit to the “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John had clearly called them to “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2 ESV), and they were expected to obey God’s will. So, by submitting to baptism, Jesus gave them an example of faithful obedience, even though He had no sins to repent of and no need for forgiveness. 

After Jesus fulfilled His Father’s by being baptized, Mark records that something incredible happened.

…when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” – Mark 1:10-11 ESV

A supernatural sign appeared from heaven, accompanied by God’s voice declaring His pleasure for His Son. This scene provided a divine seal of approval: God the Father validated Jesus’ identity as His Son and declared His complete satisfaction with all that was about to happen. The next three-and-a-half years of Jesus’ life would have God's full blessing and approval.

But this fantastic scene is followed by the rather strange statement: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12 ESV). Mark is indicating that what follows in his narrative is also to be understood as God’s will for Jesus’ life. Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness to fulfill the will of God. His destination was the wilderness where, for 40 days, He would undergo a series of temptations by Satan. Mark doesn’t mention it, but Jesus would go without food and water during this grueling ordeal. As a result, He would be weak and famished. His physical condition would have deteriorated. But as Jesus told His disciples, His nourishment came from doing the will of His Father.

The author of Hebrews declared, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 NLT). His suffering allowed Him to fully understand and empathize with those whom He came to save.

Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. – Hebrews 2:18 NLT

Jesus survived His baptism by fire. He overcame the enemy's temptations and emerged from the wilderness 40 days later, completely sinless and fully obedient to His Father’s will. Untarnished by Satan’s attacks and affirmed of His Father’s pleasure, His real earthly ministry could begin.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Eager Expectation That Comes From An Eternal Perspective

16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. – 2 Timothy 4:16-22 ESV

Since his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul developed the unique ability to view the events of his life through a Christ-colored lens. His life had been far from easy, but he never complained or questioned God's goodness. But he did give the church in Corinth a lengthy and disturbing catalog of his “sufferings” on behalf of Christ.

I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. – 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 NLT

Paul described his litany of trials as a form of boasting, but he clarified that he was proudly listing his weaknesses, not his strengths. 

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. – 2 Corinthians 11:30 NLT

In the next chapter of the same letter, Paul shared how he had prayed repeatedly for God to remove “a thorn” in his flesh, “a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). But God answered his requests with the simple assurance, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). 

This led Paul to adopt the attitude he carried with him for the rest of his life.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

Paul’s words reveal a mindset that seems counterintuitive. The thought of someone “boasting” about their weaknesses sounds unstable and psychologically unhealthy, but Paul was far from crazy. He had learned to view his earthly life from an eternal perspective, so that the things that happened to him and around him were temporary and impermanent.  This longer-term perspective gave him a more positive outlook that helped him navigate life's inevitable ups and downs. Paul wasn’t a wide-eyed optimist who walked through life with blinders on. He knew what it was like to be hated, persecuted, and deprived in all kinds of ways, but he shared the secret of his contentment with the believers in Philippi.  

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:11-13 NLT

Several times in his letter to Timothy, Paul mentions those who abandoned him or compromised the truth of the gospel.

Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me… – 2 Timothy 4:10 ESV

Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm… – 2 Timothy 4:14 NLT

Hymenaeus and Philetus…have left the path of truth, claiming that the resurrection of the dead has already occurred; in this way, they have turned some people away from the faith. – 2 Timothy 2:17-18 NLT

As he wraps up his letter, Paul adds a new detail that almost sounds as if he is having a pity party.

At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. – 2 Timothy 4:16 ESV

In preparation for his trial before the Roman emperor, Paul was given a preliminary hearing. This was likely intended as an opportunity to present the facts of the case and call witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense. But Paul reveals that “no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me” (2 Timothy 4:16 NLT). No one showed up to defend Paul; no witnesses spoke up for him. But instead of responding in bitterness and self-pity, Paul wishes these individuals would receive grace from God.

May it not be charged against them! – 2 Timothy 4:16 ESV

Then he reveals the Christ-centered perspective that allowed him to view even the darkest days of his life positively, rather than negatively.

But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. – 2 Timothy 4:17 NLT

When no one else showed up, the Lord was there. When it looked as if Paul was alone, he knew his Lord and Savior was with him. Paul, who was a student of the Hebrew scriptures, seems to have had the words of King David in mind.

Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. – Psalm 27:10 NLT

And this was not the first time Paul had expressed to Timothy his strong belief in Christ’s presence in the midst of his sufferings.

You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. – 2 Timothy 3:11 NLT

Paul saw God’s hand in every situation and circumstance of his life. Rather than viewing suffering as a sign of God’s absence or abandonment, Paul chose to see it as a reminder of God’s strength in the midst of his own weakness. He saw trials and difficulties as opportunities for God to display His strength and demonstrate His love. This doesn’t mean that Paul enjoyed suffering or sought it out, but that he chose to see it from God’s perspective. He believed God was sovereign over all things, and was willing to accept everything as coming through His hands. In a way, Paul shared the perspective that Job shared with his wife. “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10 NLT).

But Paul didn’t expect his earthly life to go on forever. He knew a divine timeline dictated how long he would live, and he looked forward to the day he would go to be with the Lord. That’s why he could say, “Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever!” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT).

Even if his trial before Nero ended in his conviction and execution, Paul viewed it as a victory. He was completely confident in his eternal future, so any suffering he might endure in this life was “nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT).

Paul didn’t have a death wish, but he wasn’t afraid of the prospect of dying either. He told the Philippian church that he constantly vacillated between wanting to continue his earthly ministry and longing to be with Christ.

My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body.– Philippians 1:20-24 NLT

In Paul’s mind, either option was a win, because whichever happened, he would be within God’s sovereign will and enjoy unbroken fellowship with his Savior.

Paul concludes his letter by asking Timothy to convey his love to his old friends, Priscila and Aquila. It seems clear that Paul was reminiscing about his life and ministry, recalling names from the past as he faced an uncertain future. He longed to see Timothy and the many friends and associates whom he might never see again. But he was not melancholy or morose, and did not exhibit the characteristics of someone suffering from depression. He was at peace and ready to face the future with confidence, calmly assuring Timothy, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT). 

Father, I am always blown away by Paul’s eternal perspective that allowed him to face the uncertanties of life with joy, peace, and contentment. I have not had to face a fraction of the trials Paul was forced to endure, but I still find myself complaining, worrying, and doubting Your love, power, and provision. Contentment doesn’t come easy for me, and it certainly doesn’t show up when trouble knocks on my door. When trials appear, I don’t tend to view them as opportunities to see You work; I demand that You take them away. I don’t like suffering and I have a difficult time accepting that all things come through Your hands. But the Scriptures are filled with examples of Your goodness and power showing up in those moments when Your children are weak and in greatest need. I have even seen that to be true in my own life. Yet, I still find myself questioning Your presence and power when things don’t go as I expected. I want to share Paul’s more positive outlook, but it doesn’t come easy. I don’t want it to be some kind of fake, positive-thinking ploy that impresses others but doesn’t fool You. I want it to be based on my knowledge and understanding of who You are that produces an unwavering confidence in Your power, presence, and provision — no matter what happens. I want to live with the same eternal perspective that Paul had and be willing to say, “the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18 NLT). And with Your help, I know I can and will. Thank You. Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sanctification, Suffering, and Scripture

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.– 2 Timothy 3:10-17 ESV

Timothy found himself surrounded by false teachers and foolish people whose lack of spiritual discernment led them to accept their heresy as truth. But Paul would not let his young disciple lose hope or abandon his ministry objectives. Timothy still had work to do. The gospel must be preached, new believers must be educated in the teachings of Christ, the truth of God’s Word must be defended, and the promises of God must be believed – at all costs.

If Timothy needed encouragement or an example to follow, he only had to look to the life of Paul, his mentor and friend. After all, Paul wrote this letter while confined to prison in Rome, and he was there solely because of his faith in Christ and his commitment to preaching the gospel. Those who opposed his message falsely accused him and despised him so much that they would do anything to see him eliminated. A group of 40 Jews had even made a pact, sealed by an oath, that they would not eat until they had personally assassinated Paul.

The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.” – Acts 23:12-15 NLT

So, just in case his memory had lapsed, Paul provided Timothy with a sobering reminder that his own ministry experience had been anything but easy. From the moment he received his commission from Christ, Paul faced opposition, persecution, and suffering. But he had done so with patience, faith, love, and steadfastness. This was not a display of arrogant pride or boasting on Paul’s part; he was simply reminding Timothy of what he had already witnessed with his own eyes. Paul recounts three occasions when he suffered persecution for doing what he had been called to do. The first took place in Antioch of Pisidia. There, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel of Jesus Christ in the synagogues and saw many people come to faith.

Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. – Acts 13:43 NLT

But they also met with increasing opposition on the part of the Jews.

But when some of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said. – Acts 13:45 NLT

And it wasn’t long before their jealousy and slander turned to acts of physical violence.

Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. – Acts 13:50 NLT

Railroaded out of Antioch by the Jews, Paul and Barnabas made their way to Iconium. But as Luke records in Acts, their relocation did little to improve their popularity. 

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. And there they preached the Good News. – Acts 14:1-7 NLT

But things took a rather odd and nearly deadly turn in Lystra. Their miraculous healing of a crippled man caused the inhabitants of Lystra to mistake them for gods in human form. They even tried to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, mistaking them for the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes. But Paul took the opportunity to declare the good news, calling their audience to “turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God” (Acts 14:15 NLT).

But the crowds remained undeterred by Paul’s words, still convinced that they were gods. Then, a contingent of Jews from Antioch and Iconium showed up, whose accusations against Paul and Barnabas transformed the adoring crowd from worshipers to executioners.

Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. – Acts 14:19-20 NLT

Paul reminds Timothy, “You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it” (2 Timothy 3:11 NLT). Paul miraculously walked away from his own stoning and made his way to Derbe, where he continued to faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. Then, according to Luke, Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps, returning to the very cities where they had faced opposition and Paul had been stoned and left for dead.

After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. – Acts 14:21-22 NLT

The inhabitants of these three cities must have been shocked when Paul and Barnabas showed back up. But no one would have been more surprised than those who had placed their faith in Christ as a result of the teaching of these two men. They must have assumed they would never see Paul and Barnabas again. But not only did they return, but they also provided a living lesson in what it means to suffer for Christ. It is likely that Paul still displayed the cuts and bruises from his stoning in Lystra.

And Paul reminds Timothy of the message he delivered to the faithful in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch: “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT).

The reality of the Christian life is that the godly will suffer while the ungodly will appear to prosper. False teachers will continue to deceive and mislead the innocent and immature. The wicked will appear to get away with their ungodly behavior, even flourishing, while those who follow Christ find themselves facing trials and difficulties of all kinds.

But Paul encourages Timothy to remain faithful at all costs, reminding him to consider the history of his own conversion and calling. Timothy was raised by a godly mother and grandmother who saturated his life with the Scriptures. That immersion in the Old Testament prepared Timothy to understand the truth about Jesus and His claim to be the Messiah of Israel.

You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. – 2 Timothy 3:15 NLT

Timothy knew Jesus fulfilled all the Messianic passages in the Hebrew Scriptures. He was the Son of David and the long-awaited Messiah, and He was Timothy’s Savior. Just as Scripture prophesied Jesus’ first coming, it also revealed that Jesus would come again one day. That’s why Paul reminds Timothy to keep trusting God’s written Word because it reveals the truth concerning His Living Word.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. – Acts 3:16-17 NLT

Things wouldn't be easy. Living the Christian life would not be a walk in the park. But Paul wanted Timothy to know that he could endure whatever came his way because he could trust in the Word of God. It had the power to instruct, discipline, encourage, and equip God’s people. It was divinely inspired and, therefore, spiritually empowered to help every believer not only survive but thrive. Sanctification, suffering, and Scripture are three non-negotiables in the life of the believer. Salvation will result in our transformation into the likeness of Christ. That process will involve suffering and persecution; it comes with the territory. But Scripture, which reveals God's redemptive plan made possible through faith in Christ, also provides everything we need to live godly lives as we await His Son’s return.

Father, this message is a difficult one for us to hear. We don’t want to think about suffering. In fact, we avoid it at all costs. Instead, we pursue ease and comfort, hoping to create our own little heaven on earth where pain, persecution, and problems have no place. But Your Son said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33 NLT). He reminded His disciples, “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19 ESV). So, Paul is right when he warns Timothy that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12 ESV). It is an inescapable fact that following Christ will bring down the wrath of the enemy. Satan hates us, and the more we serve God and reflect the character of Christ, the more intense his attacks will become. Our sanctification infuriates him because it proves the truth of the gospel. As we become more like Christ, we reflect the power of the Holy Spirit, the reliability of God’s promises, and the hope of eternal life. Yet, the temptation is to view suffering and persecution as unwanted, undesirable anomalies that have no place in the life of a believer. The enemy wants us to reject them as unacceptable and to see them as unwelcome “gifts” from an unloving God. But Paul describes our persecution, pain, and suffering as small and short-lived, and reminds us, “Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT). Yes, the pain is real, the suffering hurts, and the persecution is difficult to accept, but as Paul promises, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment” (Romans 5:3-5 NLT). Amen 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Call to Holiness, Not Happiness

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. – 2 Timothy 1:8-12 ESV

Paul’s letter to Timothy was personal, but global in scope and impact. Originally written with Timothy in mind, Paul’s words are applicable and appropriate for any child of God who understands their calling as an ambassador and servant of Christ. The early church fathers' decision to include this letter in the canon of Scripture shows they believed it was Spirit-inspired and, therefore, intended for a broader audience.

In a way, Timothy serves as a model or representative for the rest of the body of Christ. He was a relatively new believer, privileged to have the apostle Paul as his personal mentor and spiritual guide. Although it seems clear that Timothy was commissioned for gospel ministry and received spiritual gifts commensurate with that responsibility, Paul's instructions apply to every Christ-follower.

If we read this letter as if we’re eavesdropping on a personal conversation between two close friends, we will miss its vital truths. Paul’s admonitions and instructions, while directed at Timothy, apply more broadly to a larger audience. They span the boundaries of time and continue to speak to all those who share Timothy’s “sincere faith” (2 Timothy 1:5 ESV) and who desire to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6 ESV).

Paul issued the same challenge to all Christ-followers: “Imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT). He intended his life to model Christlikeness, and he expected every believer to learn from his example. So when Paul declared himself an ambassador for Christ entrusted with “the message of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV), he expected all followers of Christ to share that responsibility. When he told the Corinthian believers, “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV), he included them as fellow ambassadors, tasked with sharing the same divine invitation: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV).

There is a sense in which all believers are being mentored by Paul as they read his letters and allow the Holy Spirit to apply God’s truth to their hearts. We should read Paul’s words to Timothy with an eager expectation that we will discover personal applications that will radically alter the spiritual trajectory of our lives.

So, when Paul tells Timothy, “do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8 ESV), his words apply to us. As believers, we should never find ourselves ashamed to tell others about God’s message of reconciliation made possible through faith in Christ. Paul knew Timothy was struggling to reconcile his mentor's imprisonment. He was probably fielding difficult questions from believers in Ephesus who wondered what they should expect if the apostle Paul had been imprisoned for his faith. How could that be part of God’s divine plan? Would they be next? Paul knew that Timothy was probably embarrassed by his mentor’s untimely and inexplicable confinement and was struggling to find answers.

But rather than making excuses for his predicament, Paul invited Timothy to “share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8 ESV). Paul wasn’t ashamed of his imprisonment. He viewed it as a privilege and viewed it positively rather than negatively.

I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10 NLT

Paul saw his life as exemplary rather than an anomaly. From his perspective, he was living the model Christian life, and he even pleaded with the believers in Corinth to see every aspect of his life as worthy of emulation, highlighting the good along with the seemingly bad.

In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NLT

In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul reminded them that suffering for Christ was to be expected because they were engaged in a spiritual war.

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. – Philippians 1:29-30 ESV

The apostle Peter echoed Paul’s recognition that suffering is a non-negotiable part of the Christian life.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. – 1 Peter 5:8-10 NLT

So, Paul reminds Timothy (and us) that he was saved “to a holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9 ESV) and set apart by God for a divine purpose, and, like Paul, he had a responsibility to live up to his calling. Paul acknowledged his own appointment as “a preacher and apostle and teacher” (2 Timothy 1:11 ESV), and he knew that calling was the reason for his imprisonment. That’s why he could “take pleasure” in it. He knew he was doing exactly what he had been commissioned to do, and if faithfully carrying out his job brought suffering, he was simply getting a small taste of what His Savior endured on his behalf.

Paul found no shame in his imprisonment; in fact, he boldly proclaimed, “I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” (2 Timothy 1:12 NLT). Despite his less-than-ideal circumstances, Paul’s faith in Christ remained confident and secure. Difficulties had not caused his faith to waver or his trust in Jesus’ saving work to diminish. Paul was not looking for heaven on earth, and he didn’t expect his belief in Christ to result in a trouble-free life marked by health, wealth, and prosperity.

He knew that the salvation Christ died to provide was eternal in nature, not temporal. Jesus did not sacrifice Himself so Paul could live a comfortable, pain-free life in the here and now. He died so that Paul, Timothy, and every other individual who placed their faith in Him could one day experience an eternity free from sin, pain, suffering, and sorrow.  As Jesus Himself said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).

Father, we don’t like to think of the Christian life as a call to arms. The thought of being in a spiritual battle is unattractive to us. The idea that suffering is a non-negotiable reality of following after Christ is diffiicult for us to accept. But Your Son made it clear that trials and sorrows were to be expected because we live in a fallen world and Peter warned us that Satan “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NLT). Yet, we try to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. We seek comfort and sacrifice conviction. We play the short-game, longing for heaven on earth, while forgetting that eternity is what You have planned for us. Your gift of salvation wasn’t designed to give us our best life now, but was a calling to be holy as You are holy — even as we struggle to live out that holiness in an unholy and inhospitable world. We are to lights in the darkness and ambassadors of the good news to those who dwell in darkness. Renew our sense of calling and reinvigorate our commitment to carrying it out, no matter the cost. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Word From A Slave to the Saints

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

2 To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Philippians 1:1-2 ESV

As we begin our study of Paul’s letter to the believers in Philippi, we must establish the historical context behind this document. Obviously, the opening line, which serves as the salutation to the letter, presents Paul as its author. But we also find the name of Timothy, his young protégé and spiritual son in the faith. Timothy was with Paul as he penned this letter while under house arrest in Rome.

Paul’s arrival in Rome had been the culmination of a series of complicated and, obviously, God-ordained events that began with a plot on his life. Paul had returned to Jerusalem to meet with James and the other leaders of the Jerusalem church. He made a report regarding his work among the Gentiles, and this news was met with great joy. However, while James and his associates were excited about the evidence of God’s hand upon Paul and his successful missionary efforts, they reported that the believing Jews in Jerusalem were less than enthusiastic about Paul’s work. Some disturbing rumors were being circulated that Paul was teaching that Jews who came to faith in Christ no longer had to keep the law of Moses. James presented Paul with the basic gist of the rumor.

“…they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.” – Acts 21:21 ESV

One can understand why this news would have upset the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Ever since the birth of the Church at the Feast of Pentecost, the vast majority of its converts had been Jews who continued to practice all the rites and rituals of Judaism. In the Book of Acts, Luke records that these new believers had not viewed their decision to follow Christ as a replacement for Judaism.

…all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. – Acts 2:44-47 ESV

Since they viewed Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah, they believed He would be a champion of the Mosaic Law. Yet, they had heard that Paul was teaching something quite different.

James was concerned that once these Jews heard that Paul was in town, they would stir up trouble for him. So, he recommended that Paul go through a period of purification, signaling to his critics that he was still a faithful Jew. Paul had agreed to the recommendation and, as the seven days of purification were coming to a close, he had made his way to the temple to complete the process. But Paul was accused of bringing a Gentile into the restricted area of the temple reserved solely for Jews. A mob descended upon him intending to put him to death, but Paul was rescued by Roman soldiers and placed under arrest. This led a small faction of the Jews to swear an oath among themselves that they would fast from food or drink until they had assassinated Paul.

When the plot was exposed, Paul was shipped to Caesarea, where he appeared before the Roman governor, Felix. Paul would remain in Caesarea for two years under house arrest. Eventually, Felix was replaced by Festus, who decided to send Paul back to Jerusalem for trial. But Paul, knowing that he would not receive a fair trial in Jerusalem, appealed to his right as a Roman citizen to appear before Caesar in Rome. He was granted his request and shipped to Rome, where he remained for two years under house arrest, awaiting trial before Caesar. It was while in Rome that Paul wrote this letter.

But what is the relevance of this background information? It is important because the entire letter to the Philippian believers is filled with words of encouragement. Here was a man who had spent years facing trumped-up charges that had left him imprisoned for a crime he had not committed. He was still facing a plot on his life and the prospect of appearing before Caesar with no guarantee that his trial would end in either his acquittal or release.  In fact, he told his brothers and sisters in Philippi that he hoped for release but knew that death was a distinct possibility.

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. – Philippians 1:21 NLT

Long before Paul ever arrived in Rome, he made a similar statement to the believers living there.

If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. – Romans 14:8 NLT

So, here was Paul, writing to the believers in Philippi and attempting to encourage them in their faith. The words that Paul writes to these people carry far more significance and weight when you consider the circumstances under which he wrote them. Consider this well-known declaration by Paul found later in this letter.

I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. – Philippians 4:11-12 NLT

He follows this expression of contentment in the face of adversity with the confident assertion, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NLT). This was a man who knew what he was talking about. He was not offering pious-sounding platitudes, but shared well-tested counsel based on his own personal experience.

Paul had a strong attachment to the believers in Philippi because he played a major role in their coming to faith. In the Book of Acts, Luke records Paul’s arrival in Philippi, a Roman colony. Paul had led a woman named Lydia to Christ, along with her entire household. She was a leader in their community, and her home was the meeting place for the fledgling congregation.

It was in Philippi that Paul and Silas were imprisoned for casting out a demon from a young slave girl whose masters profited from her use as a fortune teller. Once freed from demonic possession, her value as a soothsayer was greatly diminished, and her owners turned their anger against Paul and Silas. After having been arrested and severely beaten, Paul and his companions were imprisoned. But Paul was not one to let obstacles stand in his way, even the bars of a prison cell. It was while in prison that Paul and Silas led their jailer to Christ.

Once released from jail, Paul and Silas eventually made their way to Thessalonica, but it seems that Paul made at least one return trip to Philippi sometime before he wrote this letter to them. His visit was a direct response to a gift he had received from them that had been delivered by a man named Epaphroditus. Paul would use this young man to personally deliver his letter, allowing Epaphroditus to return home and put to rest any concern they had about his well-being. It seems that Epaphroditus had become deathly sick during his time in Rome, but had recovered. Paul was happy to send Epaphroditus home with a word of commendation, praising him for risking his life to minister to Paul’s needs.

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need,  for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. – Philippians 2:25-26 ESV

In his salutation to his letter, Paul refers to himself and Timothy as servants. The Greek word he used is doulos, and it refers to a bondservant or slave. In Paul’s cultural context, it was most often used to refer to a literal slave (“one who gives himself up to another's will” – "G1401 - doulos - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." Blue Letter Bible. Web. 3 Aug, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1401/kjv/tr/0-1/>).

Rather than present himself as a superior leader who deserved respect and honor, Paul referred to himself as a lowly slave. This is the same designation Paul used when writing to the church in Rome.

Paul, a servant [doulos] of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God. – Romans 1:1 ESV

Little did he know that his words would be prophetic. In time, he would find himself subservient to and at the mercy of the Roman government. But he would still be serving Christ even while subject to the power and control of Rome.

Paul addresses his letter “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi.” He refers to them as “saints,” using the Hebrew word hagios, which carries a depth of meaning. It is often translated as “holiness” but can also mean “to be set apart.” According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, hagios was used “of things which on account of some connection with God possess a certain distinction and claim to reverence.” Like the temple itself and the items found within it, believers have been set apart by God for His use; they belong to Him. This is what Paul stressed to the believers in Rome.

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. – Romans 6:13 ESV

Paul had a deep desire to see all believers live up to their calling as God’s children. He will plead with the believers in Philippi to live set-apart lives that reflect their unique status as saints of God.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… – Philippians 1:27 ESV

Here was a man well-acquainted with suffering for his faith. He had first-hand experience with what happens when you live set apart (hagios) in a world that stands opposed to all you believe in and stand for. At the core of Paul’s message to the Philippian church is his call to spiritual maturity in the face of adversity. The Philippians were a relatively healthy congregation but were surrounded by spiritual darkness and faced a constant temptation to compromise their faith. Paul will use his own walk with Christ as an example of what holiness looks like in real life.

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-14 ESV

Paul knew that this determination to press on and strive for the goal of Christ-likeness would require the grace and peace of God. But his confidence in God’s faithfulness to provide the strength needed to reach the prize was based on personal experience, not speculation. This is what allowed him to boldly proclaim, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 ESV).

Father, once again, Paul presents a compelling standard for holiness and faithfulness in the face of adversity. He is a hard act to follow. But as he writes to the church in Philippi, it is impossible to miss his passion for the gospel and his shepherd’s heart for the Your people. As I read this letter, don’t let me idolize Paul and put him on a pedastal as some kind of super saint. Help me see him as an ordinary man whose life was transformed by the power of the gospel. His life is not an anomaly. His evangelistic zeal is not to be viewed as a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated display of divine power. He is simply an example of what it means to be transformed by the gospel and led by the power of the Holy Spirit. He truly believed that all Christ followers could experience the same peace, contentment, joy, motivation, and determination to live godly lives as he did. He didn’t see himself as something special, but viewed himself as a “fragile clay jar” who contained the light of the gospel and was determined to let the glory of God’s grace shine through him. That is the way I want to live my life, and with the Spirit’s help, I know I can. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Cost of Commitment

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. – Colossians 4:2-6 ESV

Paul has emphasized the relationship between believers and their need to love one another. He encouraged them to “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you” (Colossians 3:13 NLT). They were to respond to one another patiently and lovingly as brothers and sisters in Christ, forgiving as they had been forgiven, and seeking to promote an atmosphere of Christlike peace and harmony.

Now, Paul calls on the Colossian believers to make prayer a priority in their lives, and he practiced what he preached. He opened his letter with several statements concerning the ongoing prayers that he and Timothy prayed on their behalf.

We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Colossians 1:3 NLT

…we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. – Colossians 1:9 NLT

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. – Colossians 1:11 NLT

Prayer was a vital part of Paul’s ministry and life. With responsibility for the spiritual well-being of so many congregations spread over such a large geographic area, Paul was limited in his ability to make personal appearances. So, he utilized prayer to call on the power of God to protect and provide for his far-flung flocks. Paul understood the power and necessity of prayer, and considered it the most vital resource for living the Christian life.

The author of Hebrews, whom many believe to have been Paul, wrote, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 BSB). Paul wrote something similar in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. – Ephesians 3:12 NLT

Paul was committed to cultivating the interpersonal relationships of the Colossians believers. He wanted them to live out their Spirit-transformed lives by displaying Christlike behavior toward one another. But he also desired that the Colossians maintain a healthy and ongoing dialogue with their heavenly Father. For Paul, prayer was the primary way for a believer to express their dependence upon God. He viewed prayer as far more than a means of getting what we want from God; prayer was a way for the believer to align their will with that of the Father. It was an essential form of two-way communication between the Heavenly Father and His child.

Through prayer, petitions could be shared, and directions could be received. For Paul, prayer was an expression of faith that demonstrated the believer’s dependence upon and trust in God. It was a privilege provided by a gracious God that allowed His children to call upon Him at any time. For Paul, prayer was to be a delight, not a duty. He was familiar with the Proverbs that promoted the efficacy of prayer.

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him. – Proverbs 15:8 ESV

The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. – Proverbs 15:29 ESV

He would have known what King David had written concerning God and the prayers of His people.

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
    he also hears their cry and saves them. – Psalm 145:18-19 NLT

And he would have heartily endorsed the words of James.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail. – James 5:16 BSB

So, as Paul begins to close out his letter to the Colossians, he emphasizes the need for prayer. He urges them to devote themselves to the practice of prayer. And he warns them to be “watchful” (grēgoreō), a word that carries the idea of being alert and ready to see how God will answer their prayers. When God does answer, and He will, they are to express their gratitude for His gracious intercession. Prayer requires faith, but not blind faith. It has God as its object and, therefore, answers to prayer should come as no surprise. Prayer and thanksgiving should go hand in hand because God is a faithful God who longs to fulfill the desires of His people. He not only hears the prayers of His children, but He answers them.

That’s why Paul asked the Colossians to pray for him. He understood the power of prayer and was not ashamed to request their prayers on his behalf. But Paul was specific in terms of his prayer request. He wanted them to pray that God would open up additional opportunities for him and Timothy to share the good news concerning Christ. At first glance, this seems like an unnecessary prayer because the spread of the gospel was God’s will. He didn’t need to be coerced or cajoled into opening up new opportunities for unbelievers to hear the news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. According to Paul’s letter to Timothy, God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4 ESV). So, why was it important that the Colossians pray this prayer on Paul’s behalf?

It seems that Paul wanted them to pray in keeping with the will of God. It was clearly God’s will that many would be saved, and the Colossians had the opportunity to align themselves with God by praying for His will to be accomplished. In doing so, they would be setting their minds on things above, not on earthly, temporal things (Colossians 3:2). They would be praying in keeping with God’s revealed will.

What makes Paul’s prayer request even more fascinating is that he shared it while under house arrest in Rome. Notice that he did not ask them to pray for his release or request that they pray for his protection or provision. They would have known about his confinement in Rome and his pending trial before Emperor Nero, and it would have been natural for them to desire his acquittal and liberation. And it was not that Paul preferred confinement to freedom. During his imprisonment in Rome, he wrote to the church in Philippi, expressing his belief that he would one day be released. 

I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. – Philippians 1:19 NLT

But Paul went on to express his conflicted spirit over the prospect of deliverance from imprisonment by either death or acquittal. He sincerely desired to be with the Lord, but could not imagine leaving his work undone. 

I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. – Philippians 1:20-24 NLT

By focusing their attention on the spread of the gospel, Paul was helping them to understand that God’s will trumped his own. If God deemed it necessary for Paul to be released in order for the gospel to be spread, He would make it happen. But Paul’s prayer request was selfless in nature; he wanted the good news to go out and for God to get the glory.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul declared God’s sovereign will concerning his imprisonment.

I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. – Philippians 1:12-14 NLT

Paul longed to be with Jesus, but he was also committed to the work to which he had been commissioned. So, for Paul, it boiled down to the will of God. The gospel must go out, and if God wanted Paul to be an ongoing participant in that mission, God would orchestrate Paul’s release. If God set Paul free, he asked that the Colossians pray for him to have clarity when proclaiming the message of the gospel.

Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. – Colossians 4:4 NLT

He reminded them that they too must live out their faith, constantly mindful of its impact on “those who are not believers” (Colossians 4:5 NLT). As they prayed for God’s will to be done, they must also live their lives in accordance with God’s will for them. They were to be salt and light, living wisely and circumspectly, always recognizing their role as Christ’s ambassadors on earth. That is why Paul encourages them, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone” (Colossians 4:6 NLT).

Their words were just as important as their works. Their daily interactions with the unsaved would be vital to the continued spread of the gospel, and their patient, loving treatment of one another would demonstrate the life-changing nature of the good news.

In a sense, Paul encouraged his flock in Colossae to practice the model prayer that Jesus gave His disciples.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10 ESV

Their petitions and their actions were to be in keeping with God’s will, and they were to pray and behave in ways that aligned with His revealed will for the world. Even facing possible death, Paul’s primary concern was that the gospel would continue to spread and the lost be restored to a right relationship with God. The Colossian believers were integral to that mission being accomplished, and he had the same expectation of them that he shared with the church in Philippi. 

…you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. – Philippians 1:27 NLT

Father, Paul is such an inspiration. His dedication and determination to carrying our Your will almost seems superhuman and impossible to replicate. But he was just a man. The same Holy Spirit that lived in him lives within me. I have experienced the same miracle of salvation and am undergoing the same process of sanctification that Paul went through. He was a sinner saved by grace and so am I. But I long to share his zeal for the gospel and his boldness to preach the good news of Jesus Christ regardless of the risks or the perceived results. He often found himself in trouble and faced substantial opposition to his efforts to carry out Your will, but his prayer requests were rarely self-focused. He was all about the spread of the gospel and was willing to suffer if it meant that more people could hear the message of salvation. For Paul, imprisonment wasn’t an obstacle; it was an opportunity. He truly believed that Your grace was sufficient and Your power showed up best in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). I want to share his outlook on life, his faith in Your all-sufficient power, and his commitment to fulfilling Your will — regardless of the cost. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Man Obsessed

14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,

“Those who have never been told of him will see,
    and those who have never heard will understand.” – Romans 15:14-21 ESV

As Paul begins to wrap up his letter, he provides a glimpse into his heart. After spending nearly 15 chapters defining and defending the gospel and its non-negotiable dependence on faith alone, he takes a moment to remind his readers why he wrote the letter in the first place.

He was passionate. In a way, he was obsessed with the personal commission he received from Jesus Himself to take the gospel to the Gentiles, and he would stop at nothing to see that he fulfilled his responsibility. That is why he could put up with suffering, abuse, rejection, ridicule, and his apparent lack of success on many occasions. He was relentless in his mission and refused to be distracted or deterred from his life’s calling.  He described it as “the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God” (Romans 15:15-16 ESV).

Paul considered his job as an apostle and missionary to be an expression of God’s lovingkindness and favor.  His responsibility to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the Gentiles was a privilege that was undeserved and unmerited, and he did not take it lightly. He had every reason to be proud of his work for God; not in a self-centered, boastful kind of way, but because he knew that anything he had accomplished was by God’s grace and through His power.

Paul had a healthy understanding of who he was and what he had accomplished.

For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. – 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NLT

His hard work and determination had paid off, and he could look back on all his missionary journeys and see the fruit of his labors. There were thriving, growing churches filled with new believers from all walks of life. Jews and Gentiles, having come to know Christ as their Savior, were worshiping together and living out Paul’s metaphor of the body of Christ. That is why he could say, “from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 15:19 ESV). He had done his job and fulfilled his commission. But he was far from done.

I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation. – Romans 15:20 ESV

He was neither content nor complacent and was unwilling to rest on his laurels. In fact, he had told the believers in Rome, “I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours” (Romans 1:11-12 NLT).

Paul was not distracted by the things of this world; money and materialism had no appeal to him. He told the believers in Philippi, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him” (Philippians 3:8-9 NLT).

Paul made it his “ambition” to preach the gospel. The Greek word he uses is philotimeomai, and it means “to strive earnestly, make it one's aim” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). You might say that Paul had a one-track mind. His single focus in life was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles; it was his sole passion. And what should amaze us is the incredible impact of one man committed to a singular cause. Paul changed the world and revolutionized the culture in which he lived. Everywhere he went, he left a wake filled with transformed lives. One man, one mission, and one hope for making men right with God: the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How easy it is for us to see ourselves as insignificant and incapable of making a difference in the world. We sometimes feel alone and outnumbered, and see our faith as too small and our influence as too weak when compared to the darkness that surrounds us. But like Paul, we must understand that any difference we make will not depend on us but on the power of God within us. Our job is to make ourselves available. We can make a difference with God’s help. As evidenced by the life of Paul, one individual can make a world of difference when he or she is committed to the cause of Christ and dependent upon the Spirit of God for strength.

And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me. – Colossians 1:27-29 NLT

Father, it is clearly evident that Paul was committed. He took his job seriously and viewed his mission as Your spokesperson as a privilege, not a duty. He was honored to serve and even suffer for the cause of Christ. He refused to give in, give up, or compromise his commission or convictions, even in the face of fierce opposition and the constant threat of death. He wasn’t oblivious to animosity of his enemies and he didn’t live with his head in the sand, ignoring the dangers that accompanied his mission. He simply knew that his work was divinely ordained and his life was providentially protected. He suffered constant rejection, relentless ridicule, and spent his fair share of time in prison for his efforts. But he remained committed to the cause. He even penned some of his most powerful and encouraging letters during his years in confinement. Rather than moan over his lot in life, he used those years of imprisonment to build up the body of Christ. His life is an inspiration. His dedication to ministry is a powerful reminder to every believer that we serve as Your ministers of reconciliation in this world. We too, are Your servants, tasked with the job of taking the gospel to the nations. But if we are to be successful, we must have the attitude that possessed Paul. 

“I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them.” – Romans 15:18 NLT

Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Things Are Not Always As They Seem

36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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 8:36-39 ESV

What are the “these things” to which Paul refers in verse 37? To get the answer, all you have to do is look at the preceding verse where he lists tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and the sword. Paul says that “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ESV).

According to Paul, we’re not only survivors, but we’re also thrivers. The phrase he uses, “more than conquerors,” is actually a compound word in Greek. It is hypernikaō and the first half means “exceedingly abundantly, over, beyond, more than.” We don’t just conquer, we hyper-conquer. Or better yet, we overcome, because that is what the second half of the compound word means. The Greek word nikaō means “to overcome, to carry off the victory, come off victorious” (Outline of Biblical Usage). In the end, we come off victorious in a big way. Why? Because God is for us. He has justified us, and one day He will glorify us. So, “these things” that happen to us in this life are nothing compared to God’s love and faithfulness and the future plans He has for us.

None of “these things” can prevent God from loving us, sanctifying us, and, one day, glorifying us. From our limited human perspectives, we tend to view things just as the psalmist did, whom Paul quotes. 

Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. – Psalm 44:22 ESV

That same psalm contains the following words of encouragement concerning God’s faithful care and provision for His people.

O God, we have heard it with our own ears—
    our ancestors have told us
of all you did in their day,
    in days long ago:
You drove out the pagan nations by your power
    and gave all the land to our ancestors.
You crushed their enemies
    and set our ancestors free.
They did not conquer the land with their swords;
    it was not their own strong arm that gave them victory.
It was your right hand and strong arm
    and the blinding light from your face that helped them,
    for you loved them. – Psalm 44:1-3 NLT

The psalmist went on to talk of their need for continued dependence upon God.

I do not trust in my bow;
    I do not count on my sword to save me.
You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;
    you disgrace those who hate us. – Psalm 44:6-7 NLT

Just as God had saved their ancestors in the past, the Israelites counted on God to defend and protect them from their enemies. The psalmist knew that the key to their ultimate victory was the presence and power of God, and Paul shared their viewpoint. Which is why he qualified his description of us as “more than conquerors“ by emphasizing the means of our victory: “through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ESV).

Our victory over the troubles and trials of this life is completely dependent upon the love of God as expressed in the sacrifice of His Son. God’s love for us is perfect and complete, and includes not only our salvation, but our ultimate glorification. Which is why Paul expresses his confident reliance upon his ever-faithful God.

I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39 NLT

There are times we feel as if God has fallen out of love with us. Difficulties have a way of making us feel unloved and uncared for. In the midst of a trial, we wonder where God has gone or why He is doing nothing to remedy our problem. The psalmist knew exactly how that felt.

But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor.
    You no longer lead our armies to battle.
You make us retreat from our enemies
    and allow those who hate us to plunder our land.
You have butchered us like sheep
    and scattered us among the nations.
You sold your precious people for a pittance,
    making nothing on the sale. – Psalm 44:9-12 NLT

The psalmist even boldly asserts that their suffering is unmerited because they are innocent of any wrongdoing.

All this has happened though we have not forgotten you.
    We have not violated your covenant.
Our hearts have not deserted you.
    We have not strayed from your path. – Psalm 44:17-18 NLT

From his perspective, God was strangely silent and inactive. God was the key to their rescue, but He seemed distant and uninterested in their plight. So, the psalmist issued the Almighty a wakeup call.

Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
    Get up! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you look the other way?
    Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression?
We collapse in the dust,
    lying face down in the dirt.
Rise up! Help us!
    Ransom us because of your unfailing love. – Psalm 44:23-26 NLT

But Paul would have countered this view with the words of another psalm written by King David.

“…he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps.” – Psalm 122:4 NLT

Pau understood that God had already provided the victory. That is why he could assure his audience that they were already super-overcomers. Why? Because their sins had been forgiven. They had been made right in God’s eyes and stood before Him as justified and fully assured of their future glorification. There was nothing that could happen to them in this life that would ever separate them from God’s love. He had already ransomed and redeemed them. They were His children and heirs to His kingdom.

In the latter years of his life, Paul was able to tell Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NLT).

His victory was assured, and so is ours. We will overcome. We will enjoy the full measure of the love of God, which will culminate in our glorification.

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. – Romans 8:23 NLT 

Father, this reminder of Your unfailing love and unassailable plan for my future is always needed. We live in difficult times when the world seems to be falling apart and the enemy appears to be winning the battle. Yet, as Paul reminds us, You are still large and in charge of all that You have created. You have never abdicated Your throne or relinquished Your right to rule and reign. Your will is being done at every moment of every day, and that includes in my life. There is nothing that can separate me from Your love and their is nothing that can deter or defeat Your plan for my future glorification. While I don’t always feel like a victorious conqueror in this life, Paul reminds me that our team wins in the end. And while this life may be filled with sorrow, suffering, and setbacks, You have already secured the final victory over sin and death through the sacrifice of Your Son. His resurrection and the promise of His ultimate return guarantees that my redemption will be fully realized one day. Never let me forget that reality. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

This World Is Not Our Home

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. – Romans 8:18-25 ESV

Paul has just told us that we need to accept the reality that, in this life, we will suffer with Christ “in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:17 ESV). All of us would love to avoid suffering; that is only natural. But Paul seems to indicate that suffering is part of the process that leads to our future glorification.

Much of the suffering we experience in this lifetime is related to our sanctification, God's work of transforming us into the likeness of His Son. He is constantly refining and purifying us, making our behavior comport with our status as His sons and daughters. And Paul confidently tells us, “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT).

We are works in progress, and are not yet what we will be. Part of the problem is the earthly bodies in which we are required to live. Paul compared man's earthly body to a tent, which emphasizes its temporary nature. It is not meant to be permanent but was designed for this world, not the next. 

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NLT

As we experience our time-bound existence in these temporary bodies, it is easy to become one-dimensional and focused on this life, all the while forgetting that there is a life to come. But this life is not all there is, and is not all we should think about. As we endure the suffering and distractions of this world, Paul would have us keep our eyes and our faith firmly focused on what God has in store for us. Which is why he said, “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT).

As followers of Christ, we need to constantly remind ourselves that no matter how bad things may get in this life, something unbelievably better awaits us. And even the good things we may experience during our time on this earth are nothing when compared to the glory that awaits us.

Again, what makes focusing on the future so difficult is our earthly bodies. When we suffer, our bodies convince us that nothing good can come from it. We become incapable and sometimes unwilling to consider that God can and does use suffering to sanctify us. Which is why Paul adds the following word of encouragement later in this same chapter:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. – Romans 8:28 NLT

Whether we realize it or not, our struggles in this life are proof that there is more to come. We will never be fully satisfied with life in this world, and the pain and suffering we experience cause us to long for relief and rescue. Even blessings that come in the form of material or physical things leave us empty because they are temporal and nothing more than a cheap imitation of what is to come. Everything in this world is prone to destruction and decay and will ultimately leave us disappointed because it cannot deliver what it seems to promise. That is why Jesus warned His disciples against placing too much hope in temporal treasures.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” – Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

Our hearts will find no lasting satisfaction or fulfillment in the things of this earth. In fact, if we're not careful, the temporal treasures we think will bring us happiness and contentment will actually produce coveteousness, lust, greed, selfishness, and a host of other far-from-righteous characteristics. It is this reality that led Paul to warn the Galatian believers, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:26 NLT). He also admonished them for living like they were citizens of this world rather than the one to come.

You are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? – Galatians 3:3 NLT

Living one-dimensionally can only lead to one thing: an overemphasis on this world. But we were made for glory.  He reminds the believers in Rome that, as children of God, they have an eternal future awaiting them, including glorified bodies that will allow them to live forever. 

We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.) – Romans 8:24 NLT

When Jesus rose from the dead, He did so in a glorified body that is no longer susceptible to death, and He remains in that glorified body at this very moment. And it will be in that glorified body that He returns one day. The apostle John reminds us that when Christ returns, we will see Him in His glorified human body and recognize that we, too, have been transformed into His likeness. 

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. – 1 John 3:2 NLT

Paul provided the believers in Corinth with further details concerning this future glorification of our earthly bodies.

…our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 NLT

We are to live with our hope set on the future, not the here-and-now. We cannot see what God has in store for us, but we can hope in it and for it because He has promised it to us. These bodies will decay and die, but we will receive new bodies, redeemed, resurrected bodies that will no longer experience pain, suffering, the process of aging, or the future prospect of death. Our future glory needs to become a present reality for us as God's children because, as the old hymn states: 

This world is not my home
I'm just a-passing through
My treasures are laid up
Somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me
From heaven's open door
And I can't feel at home
In this world anymore.

– Jim Reeves, This World Is Not My Home lyrics © Sony/atv Tree Publishing

Father, what a timely reminder. I woke up this morning to a temporal, time-based world. I didn’t sleep well but the alarm went off and I got up anyway. It didn’t help that my temporal, age-bound body ached and my back kept me awake most of the night. As I read through this passage, my sleep-deprived mind was fuzzy, making it difficult to concentrate. Even as I write this prayer, it’s difficult to put a sentence together. But Paul has reminded me that all of this is temporary. There is a new, glorified body awaiting me in the future. I don’t know exactly what that body will look like, but You have promised that it will be pain-free and death-defying. In it, I will experience the glory of Your Kingdom and without the debilitating effects of sin. Thank You for reminding me that “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18 NLT). Continue to give me the endurance to wait patiently for what You have in store for me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Running With Endurance and Expectation

13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:13-18 ESV

What Paul taught, he fully believed, and his belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is what fueled his ministry and personal life. It was also his firm, unwavering belief in the reality of our future redemption and glorification that motivated all his efforts. Quoting from Psalm 116:10, Paul says, “I believed, and so I spoke.” To understand why Paul chose this particular verse from this particular psalm, it is essential to recall what Paul has been discussing with the Corinthians.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. – 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 ESV

In these three verses, Paul describes the nature of his earthly ministry that was difficult and, at times, dangerous. No doubt, Paul chose to quote from Psalm 116 because it had become near and dear to his heart during those many times of trials and troubles. The second part of the verse he quoted reveals that this psalm carried special meaning for Paul. 

I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted” – Psalm 116:10 ESV

Even during his times of difficulty, Paul’s cries of despair were driven by his belief in God. The psalmist shared Paul’s faith in the sovereignty and compassionate mercy of God.

I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live. – Psalm 116:1-12 ESV

For you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the Lord
    in the land of the living. – Psalm 116:8-9 ESV

What shall I render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name of the Lord,
I will pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people. – Psalm 116:12-14 ESV

Paul had experienced the mercy of God not only in his conversion but also in the everyday struggles of life. His awareness of the Lord’s constant and compassionate intervention became part of the message he shared with others. He wanted them to know that his efforts on their behalf were motivated by his firm belief in the Lord’s providential involvement in his life.

He assures the Corinthians that his ministry among them was done for their sake.

All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. – 2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT

The greater good of men and the glory of God were what motivated his efforts. And it was these two things that prevented him from losing heart or becoming discouraged, no matter how much difficulty he faced.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT

Paul could relate to the reflections of the psalmist.

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
    So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
    I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
    for the Lord has been good to me. – Psalm 116:5-7 NLT

Paul was buoyed by the mercy and grace of God. He believed in God’s presence and trusted in His power. Yes, his body was dying, and he knew what it was like to suffer physically as he performed his ministry, but he found hope in the knowledge that God was with him in this life and would one day reward him with eternal life. From Paul’s perspective, his suffering was nothing more than “light momentary affliction” (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV). In the grand scheme of things, the trials of this life were small and of limited duration, “Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17 NLT).

He chose to view his earthly struggles from a positive, rather than a negative, perspective. They would be short-lived but have a long-lasting influence on his life. In his letter to the believers in Rome, he reminded them that their temporal suffering was nothing when compared with the future glory God had in store for them.

…if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. – Romans 8:17-19 NLT

Suffering precedes glory. Jesus believed it and demonstrated it in His own life. He endured the cross before He received the crown. That is why He promised that this life would have its difficulties (John 16:33), but He also assured us that this life is not all there is; there is more to come. And it was Paul’s belief in the reality of the resurrection and its guarantee of our future redemption that kept him going.

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

It is our faith in the future that gives us strength in the present. Having a future-focused faith keeps us from fixating on our troubles and trials, as if they are reality and heaven is nothing more than a fantasy. Paul reminds us, “the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT).

Like a runner who keeps his eyes on the finish line, we are to run the race of life with endurance. We must be willing to suffer the pains and difficulties associated with this world because we believe the reward at the end of the race will be well worth the effort. 

The writer of Hebrews provides us with some powerful words of motivation:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin. – Hebrews 12:1-4 NLT

Father, too oftern I buy into the enemy’s life that this life is all there is. Even though I believe in the promise of the resurrection and the reality of eternal life, I find myself trying to turn this world into my personal “heaven.” I want to experience all the abundant life Your Son promised but I want it now. and on my own terms. Then, when things don't turn out quite the way I expected, I find myself questioning Your goodness or doubting Your promises. I end up inflating the light momentary afflictions I face and forgetting about the future glory that awaits me. I take my eye off the prize and forget why I was running the race to begin with. Help me to maintain my focus and remember that I am running with a destination in mind. There is an end to this race, and the reward will far outweigh any pain and suffering I may have to endure along the way. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

For the Good of the Gospel

8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. – 1 Corinthians 9:8-18 ESV

At first glance, it might appear that Paul is making a bigger issue out of this than seems appropriate. He appears to be belaboring the point that he has the right to compensation for his work as an apostle. He has gone out of his way to portray himself as the one who helped plant the church in Corinth by sharing the gospel with them in the first place.

But Paul has a much greater issue in mind here, and it happens to be the integrity of the gospel itself. This really isn’t about people’s right to eat meat sacrificed to idols or Paul’s right to remuneration for his ministry activities. It is about the responsibility of every believer to ensure that the gospel is presented clearly and represented accurately to a lost and dying world.

When Paul said, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16b ESV), he was stating his heartfelt belief that he was obligated by Christ to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. It was his God-ordained commission, and he was not going to let anything stand in the way of him accomplishing his responsibility, including his right to have all his financial and material needs taken care of by those under his care. 

Paul makes it clear that he has every right to expect compensation, and he used the Mosaic Law as his defense. It dictated that even an ox treading grain was to be left unmuzzled and allowed to eat as it worked. The man who plows the field and the one who threshes the harvested wheat both do so in hopes of getting their fair share of the bounty.

Others ministered to the Corinthians who were being compensated for their efforts, so why were Paul and Barnabas not afforded the same rights? Were they not just as deserving? But Paul insists, “we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:12 ESV). Paul didn’t want anyone to accuse him of doing the Lord’s work for financial gain. He refused to give anyone the satisfaction of portraying him as a prophet for profit. The gospel was too important to him, and he was willing to give up his rights for its sake.

Paul’s whole approach to the gospel was different than that of others. He saw himself as compelled by God to do what he did. He couldn’t help but preach the gospel because it was not something he had decided to do on his own initiative. It had not been his idea; he had been called by God and given a non-negotiable command to take the gospel to the Gentiles. If Paul were doing this on his own accord, he would have every right to demand payment for his services, just like every other teacher or rabbi. But Paul saw his reward as coming from God, not man. He had a radically different perspective.

What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. – 1 Corinthians 9:18 NLT

Paul’s reward was being able to share the gospel free of charge, so he paid his own way. He covered his own expenses or was aided by the generous contributions of other believers outside of Corinth. In fact, in his second letter to the Corinthians, he explains how he was able to minister to them without demanding anything in return.

Was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God’s Good News to you without expecting anything in return? I “robbed” other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost. And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.  – 2 Corinthians 11:7-9 NLT

The bottom line was that Paul was more interested in spreading the gospel than getting what he rightfully deserved. He labored long and hard. He sacrificed greatly to take the good news of Jesus Christ to lands in which the name of Jesus had not yet been heard. He suffered physically and sacrificed financially and materially. But he was able to tell the Philippians, “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT).

He did what he did for Christ’s sake and in His power, and he had suffered greatly as a result, a point he made earlier in this letter.

Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home. We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us. We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. – 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 NLT

Why was Paul willing to suffer such things? He provides the answer:

We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ. – 1 Corinthians 9:12b NLT

When our rights get in the way of getting the good news out, we become an obstacle to the will of God. We allow our rights to take precedence over the primacy of the gospel. When facing the prospect of losing His own life, Jesus was able to say to His Heavenly Father, “not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42 ESV).

As the Son of God, He gave up His right to be honored and treated with the highest esteem. Instead, He allowed those He had created to humiliate Him and take His life, all for the sake of the gospel. Are we not willing to give up our rights and die to our selfish desires so that others might hear the life-changing message of the good news?

Father, Paul’s life is an inspiration but it also sets such a high bar when it comes to service and sacrifice. Yet, he was simply modeling his life after that of Christ. He loved as Christ loved. and suffered as Christ suffered, all for the sake of the gospel. Yet, I find it easy to come up with excuses for my lack of commitment and my aversion to cost. Why do I think I have the right to a trouble-free life when Your own Son willingly sacrificed His life on my behalf? He gave up his rights and privileges for my sake. He didn’t view His status as God’s Son as a privilege that preempted Him from accomplishing His Father’s will or suffering the fate ordained for Him. He went to the cross willingly, and His death was an act of love. Give me the strength to see my life as an opportunity to live and love as Christ did. May I be able to embrace the mindset of Peter: “Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world” (1 Peter 4:13 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Healthy Perspective on Life

25 Now concerning the betrothed, I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. – 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 ESV

For the second time, Paul uses the phrase, “now concerning.” It would appear that he is answering yet another question that he had received from the church in Corinth regarding particular matters they were struggling with. He opened this chapter with the words, “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote” (1 Corinthians 7:1 ESV). He has addressed the topic of sexual abstinence, agreeing that it is good, but that due to sexual temptation, it would be better to get married than to “burn with passion.”

He has warned that sexual abstinence within marriage is viable only under one condition: that the couple do so to dedicate themselves to prayer. Otherwise, they should act as if their bodies do not belong to themselves, but to one another. Paul has indicated his desire that those who are single remain so, so that they might dedicate all their energies to serving the Lord. But he knew that to do so and remain sexually pure would require a special gifting from God. Without divine assistance, they would be better off getting married.

Those married to unbelievers should not seek a divorce, but remain in their marriage and have a godly influence on their spouse and children. In summary, Paul was encouraging everyone to remain as they were when God called them. There was no need to seek a radical change in circumstance. What God required of them was a change of heart. Slaves should seek to be godly slaves, rather than spending all their time obsessed with gaining their freedom. Believing husbands should not seek to divorce their wives. Everyone needed to understand that the greatest change in their lives had already taken place; they had been restored to a right relationship with God Almighty. They were children of God, whether they were free or enslaved, married or single, circumcised or uncircumcised. It was their relationship with God that set them apart, not their particular circumstances.

Now, Paul turns his attention to the singles within the church. The Greek word he uses is παρθένος (parthenos), and it can refer to a virgin, a marriageable woman, a single man who has remained sexually pure, or an unmarried daughter. In this context, it would seem that the term, as Paul uses it, “refers to young, engaged women who were under the influence of various groups within the Corinthian church, not to go through with their marriages. The central issue would then be whether the young men and women should continue with their plans and finalize their marriages” (NET Bible Study Notes).

In Paul’s day, fathers were the ones who determined who their illegible daughters would marry, so he is addressing them with these comments. But he most likely has single men in mind as well. The issue remains the same. The Corinthians have a misunderstanding regarding the spiritual and physical dimensions of life. They had been heavily influenced by the philosophy of dualism, and there were those within the church who were advocating abstinence from marriage altogether. Why? Because they viewed sexual activity as evil and unspiritual, because it involved the body. Dualism taught that anything done in the body was either evil and to be avoided or didn’t matter at all. This latter view could lead to license, where anything was permissible because the body was non-essential. It could result in asceticism, a rigorous form of self-denial.

To address this issue and to deal with the singles in the church, Paul repeats that it would be best to remain as they are. If they were single, they should remain so. And he gives a more detailed explanation of his answer this time.

Because of the present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are.– 1 Corinthians 7:26 NLT

It is unclear what Paul means by “the present crisis”, but it would appear from the context that he is talking about the end times. He also says, “the appointed time has grown very short” (1 Corinthians 7:29 ESV). Paul held a strong belief that the end of the age was near, and it strongly impacted his approach to life. He told the Corinthians, “the present form of this world is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31 ESV)because he strongly believed that the return of Christ was near and that each believer should live with a sense of anticipation and eager expectation that He could appear at any moment. With that in mind, Paul encourages the singles within the church to remain as they are. But he also makes it clear that they are perfectly free to marry should they choose to do so.

But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. – 1 Corinthians 7:28a NLT

He plainly refutes the false view of the ascetics and dualists. But he also makes it clear that he believes the days ahead will be difficult for everyone.

…those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems. – 1 Corinthians 7:28b NLT

Paul knew from first-hand experience that life as a believer was difficult. Persecution was an everyday reality for Christians in that day. Rejection and ridicule were to be expected. Even Jesus warned His disciples, “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:19 NLT). He went on to warn them, “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (John 15:20 NLT).

The bottom line for Paul was that every believer needed to focus on living for Christ. They needed to have a single-minded devotion to their faith, living with their hopes and passions fixed on the future, not the present. He even provides some curious and seemingly confusing advice.

…let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. – 1 Corinthians 7:29-21 ESV

He is not advising married individuals to act as if they aren’t married, and he is not advocating the neglect of your spouse. He is simply saying that marriage cannot be your sole focus in life. As believing couples, they were to make it their mutual goal to live for Christ and to make an impact for the kingdom through their marriage. Those who found themselves experiencing difficulty were not to spend all their time mourning over their problems, but they were to replace their temporal concerns with an eternal focus. Those with money were not to live as if material things were the most important thing in life. Those who enjoyed all the things this world has to offer, such as power, possessions, and pleasure,  should hold them with open hands, because this world is passing away.

Debates about marriage and singleness, abstinence and avoidance, spirituality and worldliness, were all a waste of time if believers do not remember who they are in Christ. The distractions and difficulties that come with living in a fallen world can cause us to forget why we are here. Paul’s life was gospel-driven; he saw himself as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, not of this earth. He lived with the end in view, and he longed for the Corinthians to have the same mindset and embrace his outlook on life

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

Father, Paul can sometimes come across as harsh and a bit of a spoilssport. Yet, he had a healthy view of reality. He knew that salvation came with high expectations and the high probabiliity of tribulation. The Corinthian believers were already suffering for their faith and wrestling with how to balance their devotion to God with the everyday pressures of life. Paul was simply focusing their attention on what really mattered: that their lives would bring glory to God. I want that same thing for my life. I don't want to get distracted by the cares of this world. I want to be a good husband, father, grandfather, pastor, employee, neighbor, friend, and citizen of my community. But more than anything else, I want my life to glorify You and I want to live with the end in mind.  Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Preferring Rights Over Righteousness

1 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! – 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 ESV

It seems that the believers in Corinth were having a difficult time grasping the significance of their new status as members of the body of Christ. The concept of having been set apart to God and separated from the world had not yet sunk in. They were still thinking like Greeks and as citizens of Rome. Their mindset was more worldly than godly. This was not an uncommon problem in the early church. In fact, in his letter to Titus, Paul gave him a much-needed reminder:

…we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. – Titus 2:12-14 NLT

Back in chapter three of this letter, Paul reprimanded the Corinthians for their propensity to live their lives from a worldly perspective.

…you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn't that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world? – 1 Corinthians 3:3 NLT

It is unclear if Paul is laying down a hardline prohibition against Christians taking one another to court. But his point seems to be that the Corinthians were not approaching their problems from a spiritual perspective. First of all, the fact that they were having disputes among one another that would require legal action was unacceptable. It indicates that they were living in the flesh and not the Spirit.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul gave a lengthy, but far from complete, list of sins associated with living according to our sinful natures. In it, he included sexual immorality, lustful pleasures, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension,  and division. Virtually any lawsuit or legal claim entails one or more of these “deeds of the flesh.” Which is what led Paul to say to them, “Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?” (1 Corinthians 6:7 NLT).

Paul’s primary concern was the integrity of the body of Christ and the honor of God’s name. He is not making a sweeping accusation against the legal profession or courts of law. He simply desires that the believers in Corinth see their Christian faith as more than a label; it was to become a way of life. Their belief in Christ was to influence the way they conducted themselves within their local fellowship and before the eyes of a watching world.

Paul is also not naive enough to believe that disputes will never take place between believers. As long as we live in these earthly bodies, we will be prone to conflicts, even with fellow Christians. But there is a proper way in which we are to settle our disputes. That is why Paul asks, “Isn’t there anyone in all the church who is wise enough to decide these issues?” (1 Corinthians 6:5 NLT). For Paul, it made much more sense to settle disputes between believers and within the family of God. It was a matter of common sense. How could ungodly judges know what is best when deciding a dispute between godly believers? What makes legal sense is not necessarily what God would have us do. The right legal decision and the proper spiritual one are not always one and the same.

Remember what Paul said earlier in this very same letter.

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.” – 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 NLT

The message of the cross is at the heart of Paul’s argument. The cross of Christ doesn’t just provide us with forgiveness from sin and escape from future condemnation; it provides us with the power to live godly lives in this world. It is a means of both positional and practical righteousness. However, none of that makes sense to those living in the world. While a secular judge may determine that a believer who owes a debt to a brother must pay it in full or face the full penalty of the law, God may require that both the debt and the brother be forgiven. God’s ways are not our ways. His judgments and application of justice will not always follow the legal code established by men.  Since “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11 ESV), how can an unbelieving judge know what God’s will might be in a given situation?

Paul refers to the lawsuits they were filing as “trivial cases.” He is not suggesting that they were small matters or of little significance. He is simply saying that, in the grand scheme of things, earthly disputes are nothing to worry about. We are to live with a future orientation, fully aware that our ultimate reward is in heaven, where we will sit as judges over the nations. We will rule and reign with Christ, and all disputes, large and small, will be settled once and for all. The greatest dispute to be settled will be the debate over the sovereignty of God and the Lordship of Christ. Everyone who has refused to acknowledge God and accept Christ as Savior will be judged. And yet, here were the Corinthians wasting time and energy disputing with one another over “trivial cases,” and taking one another to court to settle insignificant issues that have no eternal value.

We have been set apart by God and have been given new natures. We have the Holy Spirit living within us and the Word of God to direct us. Our designation as Christians is more than a label; it is a description of our lifestyle. We are to live like Christ. We are to love like Christ. We are to model Christ in all that we do. Christ was willing to suffer so that we might live. He was willing to endure unjust accusations and an undeserved death sentence so that we might be saved. As Isaiah so poignantly put it:

He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. – Isaiah 53:7-8 NLT

Father, we live in a culture that is fixated on justice. Yet, we don’t have a clue what that word even means. If You were to inact justice and pour out Your righteous anger on mankind, no one would be left standing, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Every one of us stands condemned and deserving of judgment, yet You provided a way for us to receive mercy, grace, and forgiveness through the seemingly unjust death of Your righteous and completely sinless Son. In the meantime, we fixate over the so-called injustices we suffer at the hands of others. We complain about the slights and mistreatments we have to endure, even from those who claim to be our brothers and sisters in Christ. We waste so much time worrying about our rights in this world and forget that we are citizens of a future Kingdom. Help me have the attitude that Paul expressed to Timothy. “I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10 NASB). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Self-Delusion of Self-Satisfaction

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. – 1 Corinthians 4:6-13 ESV

While some may have preferred the rhetoric of Apollos over that of Paul, there is little doubt that Paul had a way with words. He could craft a sentence with the best of them, choosing his words carefully and cleverly, to see that his point was clearly received. He was adept at using sarcasm if he deemed it necessary to get his message across. And in this passage, he wields his words like a sword to cut his audience down to size, because they had a formidable pride problem.

Multiple times in this letter, he uses the Greek word,  φυσιόω (physioō), which means “to be puffed up, to bear one's self loftily, be proud” (“G5448 - physioō - Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). The problem within the church in Corinth wasn’t just that they were taking sides by preferring one spiritual leader over another; it was that their motivation was based on pride. They had an inherent desire to see themselves as somehow better or spiritually superior. The very moment they chose to follow a particular leader because they deemed him better than the others, they were guilty of judgment. Any church member who didn’t side with them in their choice of spiritual leader would be viewed as less enlightened. We already know that their factionalism was causing quarrels within the church, so Paul boldly and bluntly confronts their pride problem.

Paul writes, with tongue planted firmly in his cheek, “You think you already have everything you need. You think you are already rich. You have begun to reign in God’s kingdom without us!” (1 Corinthians 4:8 NLT). He accuses them of acting as if they had already arrived. They had nothing more to learn and no need for any further spiritual growth. Rather than acting as humble servants and stewards, they were pridefully posturing themselves as spiritually superior to their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul’s words remind me of those spoken by Jesus against the church in Laodicea: “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17 NLT). Jesus went on to tell them, “So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see” (Revelation 3:18 NLT). Like the believers in Corinth, the Laodiceans had a pride problem as well.

Paul goes on to contrast the attitude of the Corinthians with that of the men who had been ministering the gospel to them.

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! – vs 10 (NLT)

We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed. – vs 10 (NLT)

Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. vs 11 (NLT)

We are often beaten and have no home. – vs 11 (NLT)

We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. – vs 12 (NLT)

We bless those who curse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We are patient with those who abuse us. – vs 12 (NLT)

We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment. – vs 13 (NLT)

In a way, the Corinthians were living as if they were already experiencing their future reward in this life. They acted as if they had already arrived spiritually. They saw themselves as wise and powerful and put a high value on honor and esteem. Material things were important to them. Yet Paul paints a very different picture of what the life of a believer should look like. As we follow Christ on this earth, our lives should be marked by humility, service, and even suffering. From his own experience, he had discovered that a relationship with Christ often leads to being despised, rejected, and ridiculed. Those who live in obedience to God and who model their lives after Christ will be misunderstood and misrepresented.

Paul displays a high degree of transparency when he states, “I sometimes think God has put us apostles on display, like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike” (1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT). He didn’t see himself marching in triumph at the head of a parade or being lauded as a victorious general, but instead, he viewed himself as a captive prisoner, being dragged in chains and humiliation before the cheers and jeers of the enemy.

…like prisoners of war at the end of a victor’s parade, condemned to die. We have become a spectacle to the entire world—to people and angels alike. – 1 Corinthians 4:9 NLT

Following Christ is not about pride and prominence. It should not lead to arrogance and a sense of having arrived. Our journey toward our future glorification will be marked by pain and suffering, even loss. Like Jesus, our glorification will be preceded by humiliation. Suffering isn’t just inevitable; it is unavoidable. But the Corinthians had chosen to reverse the order. They wanted to lead the parade. They desired to be recognized and rewarded now, not later. They were choosing honor over humility, present recognition over future reward, and the praise of men over the praise of God. Which brings us back to the words Jesus spoke against the church in Laodicea:

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”  – Revelation 3:15-16 NLT

Their love for God was lukewarm. Their attitude toward their call as followers of Christ was apathetic. Like the Corinthian believers, they had become dangerously satisfied with who they were and how far they had come. But Paul, like Jesus, was not willing to allow them to remain in a state of spiritual complacency marked by misplaced pride. He desired more for them and demanded more of them. Because God was not done with them.

Father, spiritual complacency remains a huge problem in the church today. Paul’s words to the Corinthians are timeless and still apply to the body of Christ in the 21st Century. Despite the warnings of Jesus, Paul, and others, we still run the risk of thinking we have somehow spiritually arrived. We become easily satisfied with our current spiritual condition and begin to compromise our convictions. Pride in our past accomplishments takes precedence over our desire for further spiritual growth. We compare and contrast ourselves with others in a vain attempt to elevate our standing and justify our lack of initiative. Through the power of Your indwelling Spirit, would you light a fire in the hearts of Your people, prompting us to turn our backs on complacency and make spiritual maturity our highest priority. You are far from done with our transformation, so why should we be? Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Best Is Yet To Come

13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14 To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. – 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 ESV

The Thessalonians were distracted. They had taken their eye off the prize and were focusing on their present circumstances, wondering if, as the false prophets had claimed, the day of the Lord had begun. Their trials and tribulations seemed to support the idea that they were living in the end days. But this thought created confusion and caused them to doubt the teachings of Paul and his companions.

Paul describes the last days as being filled with apostasy, rebellion, and the judgment of God upon all those who reject the truth concerning His Son. As bad as things may have been for the Thessalonian believers, their conditions were nothing like those that will accompany the final days. The presence of trials in the life of a believer was not to be confused with the future day of Tribulation. In fact, Paul and the other New Testament authors encouraged believers to welcome trials as a vital part of God’s plan for their ongoing sanctification.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. – James 1:2-4 NLT

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. – Hebrews 12:10-11 NLT

Suffering and sanctification are inseparable in the life of the believer. Just as Jesus suffered in this life and then experienced the joy of glorification, so will we one day. Paul reminded the believers in Rome that their status as children of God, made possible through their faith in Christ, also made them co-heirs with Christ. And part of their inheritance was the glory to come. But, as with Jesus, their suffering must precede their glorification.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. – Romans 8:17-18 NLT

But as Paul states, their present suffering was nothing when compared with their future glorification. In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul stressed the example provided by the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
   he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:6-11 NLT

Paul reminds the Thessalonian believers that they had been chosen by God “to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT). Their experiences of suffering were proof of their salvation and ongoing sanctification. They had been given the privilege of suffering on behalf of Christ, and Paul wanted them to remember that their suffering had a purpose. It was a God-ordained process for increasing their dependence upon His indwelling Spirit so that their lives might display His power in their weakness.

And Paul had learned this truth from firsthand experience. Three different times, he asked God to remove “the thorn” in his flesh. But God had answered: “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT). And this eye-opening lesson from God had radically altered Paul’s perspective on the role of suffering and weakness in the life of the believer.

So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT

Paul stressed to the Thessalonians believers that God’s ultimate goal behind their salvation was not their present happiness, but their future glorification.

To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 2:14 ESV

Their ultimate glorification would not come in this life, but in the life to come. In the meantime, God was using the presence of suffering and trials to expose their weaknesses and encourage increasing dependence upon the Spirit’s presence and power within them. Paul challenged them to stay the course. Not only were they destined to experience additional suffering in this life, but they would also find themselves bombarded by false teaching that contradicted the words of Jesus and His apostles.

So, Paul called them to “stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15 NLT). As he told the believers in Ephesus, his job was “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12 NLT), and he was committed to doing just that.

This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. – Ephesians 4:13 NLT

His commitment was fueled by his belief in the transformative nature of the gospel message. Salvation was to result in sanctification. Faith in Christ was meant to produce Christlikeness. Spiritual infancy was to give way to spiritual maturity, and the spiritually mature are far less likely to be deceived and distracted by false teaching.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. – Ephesians 4:14-15 NLT

Paul closes out this part of his letter with a prayer that takes the form of a blessing. He asks God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son to provide the Thessalonians with comfort and strength in the midst of all their trials. Notice that he does not ask for the removal of their trials; his emphasis is on hope. This is a clear reference to the culmination of their salvation with their future glorification. Paul reminds them that God and His Son “loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace” (2 Thessalonians 2:16 ESV). He stresses eternity and hope. His point is that the Thessalonians needed to stop being distracted by their current circumstances and the misguided teaching of the false prophets and refocus their attention on the finish line. 

If they kept their eyes on the prize, their glorification, they would realize that “their present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed” (Romans 8:18 BSB). And this future hope would provide the comfort and strength necessary to live transformed lives in the present.

Father, our glorification is not a pipe dream; it's an undeniable reality that is backed by Your word. You have promised it, so we can count on it. But as human beings, it is so easy to make everything about this life. We are temporal creatures who have difficulty imagining a life free from sin, suffering, and sorrow. As C. S, Lewis put it, “We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory). Give us a vision of the life to come and the faith to wait eagerly for it. Don’t allow us to become satisfied with less and content with the deceptive pleasures of temporal life. You have so much more in store for us. May we begin to understand the true “weight of glory” that awaits us, and live confidently and expectantly with our eyes fixed on that promise. The best if yet to come. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

This Is Not All There Is

5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 ESV

Paul has informed the Thessalonians that he uses them as an example for the other congregations to whom he ministers.

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT

But he knows that bragging about them does not make their suffering any easier. He understands that they are confused by the difficult conditions they face and are questioning how their trials could be God’s will for them. It all seemed to make no sense. Hadn’t Jesus come so “that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV)? Didn’t He promise fullness of joy to those who kept His commandments (John 15:11)?

The presence of suffering in the life of Christ’s followers has always caused doubt and confusion, even though Jesus warned it would happen. He clearly told His disciples, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33 NLT). Placing one’s faith in Christ is not a vaccine against suffering. Salvation does not provide immunity from the effects of living in a fallen world where the presence of sin permeates everything and impacts everyone. Jesus was informing His disciples that following Him was going to set them at odds with the world around them.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” – John 15:18-19 NLT

Attempting to live as lights in a sin-darkened world was not going to be easy. Exposing the deeds done in darkness would not win them any friends. Even Paul warned the believers in Ephesus, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:11-14 ESV).

But the apostle John declared that those living in darkness would prefer to remain right where they were, refusing Jesus’ offer of salvation from sin and death. 

…the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. – John 3:19-20 ESV

Jesus promised many trials and sorrows in this life, but He also provided His followers with the following assurance: “Take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT). Paul is attempting to explain to the Thessalonians that the presence of suffering and persecution in their lives should not come as a surprise. As followers of Christ, they were destined to suffer just as He had, but their present suffering had an upside.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. –Romans 8:17-18 NLT

There was a method to God’s seeming madness. While the Thessalonian believers viewed their suffering as painful and pointless, Paul wanted them to know that God had a purpose behind it all. There was an as-yet invisible part to God’s divine plan to which they were currently unaware. And while their trials might tempt them to question God’s goodness and justice, Paul knew that it was all part of God’s righteous and fully sovereign plan for them.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering… – 2 Thessalonians 1:5 ESV

Rather than complaining about their lot in life, they were to trust their all-knowing, all-wise God because He knew what He was doing. There was a divine purpose to their suffering that had both short-term and long-term ramifications. Which is what led James to write: “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:1-4 NLT).

God uses our suffering to transform us. The presence of trials is meant to make us God-dependent rather than self-sufficient. That’s exactly what Peter meant when he wrote: “Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT). Trials require trust. When we can’t solve our own problems, it forces us to turn to the one who holds us in the palm of His hands. And that is exactly what David suggests that we do.

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. – Psalm 55:22 NLT

God loves His children and, oftentimes, that love shows up in the form of troubles and trials that test our faith in Him. But when, through faith, we turn our cares over to Him, we experience an increasing level of perseverance that results in the further development of our spiritual maturity. We grow stronger and even more faith-filled, needing nothing. Which is what Paul meant when he wrote: “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT).

Another major factor behind Paul’s contentment with any and all circumstances in this life was his strong belief in God’s plans for the future. He understood that this life was not all there is; there is a life to come. For Paul, this life was a temporary environment in which he lived as an alien or stranger in an earth-bound body, waiting for something far better and longer lasting. 

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. – 2 Corinthians 5:1 1 NLT

Paul wanted the Thessalonians to find hope and encouragement in the reality of their future glorification, but also in God’s future judgment of the wicked.

God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. – 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 NLT

God was not blind or oblivious to what was going on in Thessalonica. He was fully aware of their suffering and knew the names of those who were responsible for it. Not only that, but He had a plan in place to bring about the just and righteous judgment of those people for their acts of wickedness. Just as the future glorification of the persecuted believers in Thessalonica will be far beyond anything they could ever imagine, the future judgment of the wicked will be far worse than anyone could ever dream.

They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. – 2 Thessalonians 1:9 NLT

At His second coming, Jesus will right all wrongs and restore order and justice to the world. He will punish the wicked, but He “will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe” (2 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT), and Paul includes the Thessalonians in that group. Yes, they might suffer in this life, but in the life to come, they will enjoy an eternity with the Father and the Son, free from the effects of sin and completely separated from any form of suffering, sorrow, or shame.

The apostle John recorded his vision of this future reality in the Book of Revelation. 

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” – Revelation 21:3-5 NLT

With that amazing image in mind, Paul tells the Thessalonian believers, “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:11 NLT). Paul was asking God to show up in the midst of their suffering, providing them with the power they needed to live up to their calling as His children. When they endured suffering well and walked worthy of their calling, the name of Jesus would be glorified because it would be evidence of God’s saving work in their lives.

Living a godly life was never intended to be easy. Jesus didn’t die so that we might live our best life now, but so that we will one day experience eternal life in all its glory. But in the meantime, God has provided us with everything we need for living in obedience to His will and for displaying His divine nature through our lives.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. – 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

Father, I’ll be honest, there are times when this life seems to be all there is. Even though I know Your promises about a life to come, I have a difficult time envisioning it. I have no problem seeing the trials and troubles of this life because their can be painfully real. But eternal life is hard to fathom. A future free from sin, sorrow, and suffering sounds great but it’s also hard to imagine. So, would you give me the faith I need to trust in Your promises and live in the here and now with hope in the hereafter. Jesus, You said suffering would be a part of this life and You were right. But You also promised that the day would come when the suffering would end and our joy would be complete. I want to live with that reality in mind. I want to trust in the promise of my future glorification. Help me keep my eye on the prize – “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 ESV). Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Strength to Endure

1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. – 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 ESV

As is obvious from the book’s title, this is a second letter written by Paul to the congregation of the church in Thessalonica. There may have been other letters written as well, but they were not included in the Canon of Scripture. It is unclear how much time passed since Paul wrote his first letter, but he obviously received new information regarding the spiritual state of affairs in Thessalonica, and he felt compelled to pen his response.

Paul was still in Corinth, some 358 miles away, when he heard the latest report concerning the church in Thessalonica. Driven by his pastor’s heart but hindered by the distance between them, Paul immediately put pen to paper in an effort to clarify the confusion that had been brought into the church by false teachers. This was a constant problem for Paul and the other apostles. As soon as they proclaimed the good news regarding salvation alone through faith in Christ alone, others would appear on the scene, declare themselves to be teachers, and begin offering what Paul refers to elsewhere as “a different gospel.”

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. – 2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV

These “false” teachers were propagating their own version of the truth, adding to or taking away from the message of Jesus that Paul and the rest of the apostles had been divinely commissioned to preach. Paul told the churches in Galatia that these individuals were to be treated as enemies of God and as threats to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. – Galatians 1:8 ESV

But before broaching the subject of the doctrinal controversy going on in Thessalonica, Paul addressed his audience in his usual gracious manner, expressing his strong affection for them and complimenting them for their “steadfastness and faith” in the face of all the persecutions and afflictions they were having to endure. The members of the Thessalonian church were still relatively new converts to Christianity, and they were living in a predominantly pagan society heavily influenced by both Greek and Roman culture. Located on a major trade route, Thessalonica was a cultural melting pot that enjoyed unprecedented prosperity. As the capital of the Roman province of Macedon, it also benefited from the protection provided by Caesar’s powerful legions.

But all of these factors made Thessalonica a particularly hostile environment for those who had chosen to place their faith in Christ. While Thessalonica was considered a rather pluralistic society, there was strong resistance to Christianity from the Greeks and the sparse contingent of Jews who called Thessalonica home. The small but growing band of Christ-followers was feeling intense pressure from all sides as they attempted to live out their new faith under less-than-ideal conditions.

Paul, writing on behalf of his ministry companions, Silvanus and Timothy, compliments the Thessalonians for their steadfastness and perseverance under fire.

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. – 2 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT

While the circumstances around them were difficult, these faithful few were not giving in or choosing to give up. In fact, Paul emphasizes that they were handling the pressure with remarkable poise and persistence.

…your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. – 2 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV

Paul opens his letter with his usual salutation, declaring his desire that they enjoy the ongoing benefit of God’s grace and peace. While Paul used this same phrasing in many of his letters, it should not be seen as some rote and, therefore, meaningless line. He meant what he said. His desire that they experience God’s grace or unmerited favor was real. For Paul, the grace of God played an indispensable role in every believer’s salvation, but also in their ongoing sanctification. Without the benefit of God’s grace, no one could come to faith in Christ.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:24 NLT

Paul understood that, after salvation, God’s grace continued to play a vital role in the believer’s transformation into the likeness of Christ. God graciously provides each believer with His indwelling Holy Spirit, who provides the power required to live the Christian life. That’s why Paul warned the believers in Galatia just how futile and foolish it was to try to achieve spiritual maturity without God’s grace, as demonstrated by the Spirit’s enabling power.

After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? – Galatians 3:3 NLT

Paul knew that without the ongoing benefit of God’s unmerited favor, the Thessalonian believers would never experience the fullness of joy and the abundant life Christ promised to give them. But he also knew that the peace of God was another essential resource in their ongoing spiritual transformation. In his letter to the churches in Philippi, Paul described this peace as that which “exceeds anything we can understand,” and he assured them that God’s “peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7 NLT).

When Paul commended the Thessalonians for their faith and love and complimented them for their steadfastness and faith, he knew that it was all attributable to God’s grace and peace. He was at work in their midst. Yes, He had saved them, but He was also sustaining and supporting them as their spiritual journey continued. Paul was fully convinced of the reality of God’s ongoing participation in the life of every believer, a belief he expressed boldly and often.

Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 NLT

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

The Thessalonians were in good hands, and they had everything they needed for living godly lives because of the grace of God the Father. The apostle Peter shared Paul’s confidence in the power of God’s grace.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

Father, You never said that the Christian life would be easy. Even Your Son warned that it would be accompanied by trials and marked by suffering. He told His disciples that the world would hate them just as it hated Him. And yet, despite the difficulties that sometimes accompany the life of faith, You have provided us with everything we need to not only survive, but thrive. You constantly pour out Your grace and peace in abundance, and provide us with power through the indwelling presence of Your Spirit. We are never alone or left to struggle in our own strength. The same grace that made our salvation possible makes our sanctification attainable. Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, provides us with comfort and hope even in the darkest moments. We can display endurance and faithfulness because You make it possible. And for that, we are eternally grateful. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ESV

As the Thessalonian believers continued to grow in their salvation and live in a manner pleasing to God, Paul knew they would do so in the hope that Jesus Christ would soon return. The imminent return of Christ was a common theme in the early church and proved to be a powerful motivational message for those facing the very real threat of persecution and even death. Paul regularly spoke and wrote about the second coming of Christ, reminding his children in the faith that His return was the ultimate goal.

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. – 1 Corinthians 20:21 NLT

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. – Romans 13:11-12 NLT

Paul has already addressed the return of Christ three times in his letter to the church in Thessalonica.

…they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. – 1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT

After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! – 1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT

May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. – Matthew 3:13 NLT

The return of Christ was the endgame for Paul, and he eagerly anticipated it because Jesus had promised it.

There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. – John 14:2-3 NLT

And Paul was not alone in his confident claims concerning the Lord’s timely return. The apostle James also saw the imminent return of Christ as a powerful motivator when addressing believers experiencing life's pain and difficulties.

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. – James 5:7-8 NLT

Peter, another one of the apostles, joined the chorus, reminding his readers that the Lord’s return would mark the end of all things.

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. – 1 Peter 4:7 NLT

And not to be left out, the author of the book of Hebrews encouraged his readers to use the reality of Christ’s return as motivation to model Christlikeness in their daily lives.

…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25 NLT

However, when you live with the eager anticipation that something will happen soon and it fails to materialize, disappointment and disillusionment can set in. As the days pass and the promise remains unfulfilled, you may begin to lose hope. And, as Paul knew, watching the deaths of their fellow believers was causing a certain amount of confusion and concern among the members of the early church. Why had they died before Jesus had come back? What would be their fate?

It seems that all the talk about the imminent return of Christ had left some of the Thessalonians with the mistaken impression that all who believed in Him would live to see it happen. But as time passed, some of their fellow believers had died. So, Paul attempted to provide them with clarification and further insight into all the talk about the “end of all things,” and he gets right to the point.

…now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. – 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT

Their grief was not just over the loss of their friends, but it also included their concern over the eternal state of those who had died. Had they not believed? Were they doomed to spend eternity in hell? Had their deaths been the result of falling away from the faith?

It is important to remember that the early church had minimal access to doctrine or well-informed insights into theological matters. In its infancy, the church depended on Paul and others for theological training and instruction on issues such as the end times. Paul’s letter to the Romans was his attempt to provide a detailed doctrinal analysis of the faith, expounding on the teachings of Jesus and the gospel so that members of the early church could gain a deeper, more foundational understanding of their faith.

Paul has already told the Thessalonians that he regularly prayed for them, “asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT). And that is precisely what he is attempting to do in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

First, he addresses the 800-pound gorilla in the room: The untimely deaths of their fellow believers.

For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. – 1 Thessalonians 4:14 NLT

With this statement, Paul brings up another aspect of the end-time events of which they were unaware. This section of verses is one of the primary passages used to support the doctrine of the Rapture of the church. Paul is not talking about the Second Coming of Christ, but of His return for His bride, the church. The term “rapture” is not found in the Bible, but it is derived from the Greek word Paul uses in verse 17. There, he mentions that those who are still alive when Christ returns will be “caught up together…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” The Greek word translated as “caught up” is harpazo, and it means “to seize, to snatch away, to carry off by force.”

In the late 4th century, the Bible was translated from its original languages into Latin. In this translation, called the Latin Vulgate, the phrase “caught up” was translated as rapturo, from which the term “Rapture” comes.

Paul was informing his readers about an event that would precede the Second Coming of Christ and usher in the rest of the end-time events. There was no need for the Thessalonians to grieve over the loss of their friends because God had a plan. Those who had died had gone to be with Him. Their bodies had been buried, but their souls had gone to be with the Lord in heaven. When Jesus addressed the thief on the cross, He promised him, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NLT). There is no such thing as soul sleep or a holding place called Purgatory. Upon death, all believers go to be with the Lord.

Paul assures those left behind in Thessalonica that they will one day see their deceased friends again. In fact, they will accompany Christ when He returns for His church.

…when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. – 1 Thessalonians 4:14 NLT

But then Paul appears to contradict himself. He just said that the dead believers will come back with Christ, but then he states, “the believers who have died will rise from their graves” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 NLT). Well, which is it? Do they return with Jesus, or rise from their graves? And the answer is, “Both.”

Paul is describing the resurrection of their bodies. At the Rapture, the souls of all those who have died in Christ will return with Him and be reunited with their resurrected and transformed bodies. Paul talks about the need for this in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting.… It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. – 1 Corinthians 35-37, 42-44 NLT

In his second letter, he provides greater detail regarding these spiritual bodies.

…we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. – 2 Corinthians 5:1 NLT

The departed saints will return with the Lord and be reunited with their new spiritual bodies, which God has prepared for them. Those who are still alive at the time of the Rapture will ascend into heaven, receiving their glorified bodies as they go. And the end result of all this? “…we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17 ESV).

Paul concludes by encouraging the Thessalonians to find comfort and hope in this new revelation about their lost friends and the church's future Rapture.

Therefore encourage one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:18 ESV

As the early church evolved, its need for sound doctrine increased exponentially. The teachings of Jesus needed to be expanded and expounded upon, and Paul spent a great deal of time in his letters helping his far-flung flock understand the depth and detail of the gospel message. Many in the early church were still expecting Jesus’ imminent return and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. They were surprised by His seeming delay and confused by the trials they were forced to endure because of their faith in Him. For some, the “good news” was not turning out as expected.

But Paul wanted them to understand the depth and reliability of God’s plan. Jesus had not died to guarantee them their best life now, but to pave the way for eternal life. He knew a firm grasp of the end times was essential to their ongoing faith and would give them the strength to live with hope and confidence.

Father, even today, so many of Your children live with a cloudy understanding of Your plan for them. They live in fear and doubt because their lives have not turned out as expected. The presence of sorrow and suffering has caused them to question Your love and goodness. The difficulties associated with living the life of faith have diminished their hope and left them seeking comfort in the things of this world. They want their best life now and can’t imagine that You have something far greater in store for them that this world cannot offer. Would you help us to keep our eyes fixed on the prize and focused on the promise Your Son came to fulfill? He is coming back and He will finish what He began. Your plan is perfect but it is not yet complete. But, one day, You will fulfill all that You said You would do. We can count on it. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Abiding Fruit of Faith and Love

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. – 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13 ESV

At some point, Timothy left Thessalonica and rejoined Paul in Corinth. Upon his arrival, he shared with the apostle some encouraging news regarding the spiritual and emotional state of the Thessalonian believers.  Upon hearing of their “faith and love,” Paul was indeed encouraged, referring to Timothy’s report as “good news”(euaggelizo).

Normally, Paul used this Greek word only when referring to the gospel message – the good news concerning Jesus Christ. In fact, this is the only place in the entire New Testament where it is not used in that way. But for Paul, news of the steadfast faith and love of the Thessalonians was directly linked to the life-transforming power of the gospel. Their persevering faith was evidence of God’s power, made possible by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

In the apostle Peter’s first epistle, he reminded his readers that, because of “God’s power,” they were “being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5 ESV). God was preserving them through faith and guaranteeing their future inheritance of eternal life. This comforting fact prompted Peter to exhort them to rejoice even in the face of trials.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

Paul also knew that the capacity of the Thessalonian believers to express love was proof that they had experienced God’s love. The apostle John clarified that those who truly loved others were exhibiting the life-changing love that God had graciously shown them.

We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. – 1 John 4:19-21 NLT

Faith and love were on display in Thessalonica, and Paul could not have been more pleased. Paul was also encouraged to hear that the Thessalonian believers maintained a strong love for him and Silas, manifesting itself in a desire to be reunited with them.

He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. – 1 Thessalonians 3:6 NLT

Paul didn’t always receive a warm welcome in the many cities he visited. He knew what it was like to face rejection and had even endured physical abuse at the hands of those with whom he shared the gospel. So, it was comforting and encouraging to hear that the Thessalonian believers had not lost their affection for him despite the suffering they had endured. This was particularly meaningful to Paul when he knew that there were those who were constantly trying to undermine his authority and diminish his influence. To hear that the believers in Thessalonica had not turned their backs on him or the gospel he had preached was especially encouraging to him. Paul let them know that news of their persevering faith had brought him comfort in the midst of his own personal circumstances.

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. – 1 Thessalonians 3:7 NLT

He had found the content of Timothy’s report to be spiritually rejuvenating.

It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. – 1 Thessalonians 3:8 NLT

Paul was a man of prayer and, while physically separated from the believers in Thessalonica, he had been interceding for them before the throne of God.

Night and day we pray earnestly for you… – 1 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT

And they were in good company because Paul made it a habit to pray for all the churches he had helped to plant. He told the church in Ephesus, “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly…” (Ephesians 1:16 NLT). He informed the Colossian church, “So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you” (Colossians 1:9 NLT).  And he wrote to the believers in Rome, letting them know that they were on his heart and in his prayers.

Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. – Romans 1:8 NLT

Paul told the Thessalonians that his prayers for them were filled with expressions of thanksgiving to God. He was able to enter into God’s presence with gratitude and with great joy because he knew that his spiritual children in Thessalonica were thriving, even in the midst of difficulty. But along with prayers of thanksgiving to God for all that He was doing among them, Paul was also “asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT).

Paul was the consummate pastor/shepherd. He loved to see people come to faith in Christ, but he also found great joy in helping them grow in their faith. He was an evangelist and a spiritual mentor, and he shared Peter’s passion to see new believers move from spiritual infancy to maturity.

Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation… – 1 Peter 2:2 NLT

Paul told the believers in Ephesus to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT). And so, Paul made the spiritual growth of the various flocks he helped to found a high priority in his prayer life. When he couldn’t physically be present among them, he made sure he was regularly interceding on their behalf. And along with his prayer for permission to return to Thessalonica, Paul asked God to increase their capacity to love others.

…may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. – 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NLT

And this love was not to be myopic or focused solely on the members of their own congregation. It was to flow outside the fellowship and into the streets of Thessalonica, so their lost friends, family members, and neighbors could also experience the love of God. Paul was simply asking God to empower them to do what Jesus had expressed in His sermon on the mount.

“…love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:44-48 NLT

Anyone can love those who love them in return. But the love of God was best expressed in the gracious gift of His Son. It was while we were still mired in our sins and incapable of expressing love to Him that God loved us. And no one describes the love of God better than the apostle John.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. – 1 John 4:9-12 NLT

Faith and love. Paul knew these two things were the key to their ongoing spiritual health and vitality. And both come from God. They are not self-manufactured or the by-products of human willpower. That is why Paul reminded the Thessalonians that one of his ongoing prayers for them was for God to continue to increase their love and strengthen their faith. And his request had an eternal focus. He was thinking long-term, not short-term.

May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen. – 1 Thessalonians 3:13 NLT

Paul was a man on a mission, and that mission had a goal. There was a finish line at the end of the race and a prize at the completion of the contest. And while there might be obstacles and difficulties along the way, there was a reward waiting for all those who run the race with endurance.

And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. – Romans 8:17-18 NLT

Father, our faith in Christ should produce fruit. Our belief in His death, burial, and resurrection should impact our behavior and produce a joy that shows up in selfless, sacrificial love for others. But we can be so self-centered and obsessed with our own comfort and convenience. It’s so easy to rejoice in the fact that our sins are forgiven and our eternal state is secure, but fail to see the countless individuals who still live in darkness, enslaved to sin and unaware of the free gift of God’s love as expressed in the sacrifice of His Son on their behalf. Help me to live with gratitude for Your undeserved love by loving others in the same way. May Your Spirit help us to “increase and abound in love for one another and for all,” until Your Son returns or You call us home. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Well Worth the Hassle and the Wait

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last! 

17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy. – 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20 ESV

While there had been those who accused Paul and Silas of being in the ministry for what they could get out of it, Paul strongly denied their charges. He insisted that “we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery” (1 Thessalonians 2:3 NLT). Their purpose had been “to please God, not people” (1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT). With God as his witness, Paul asserted, “we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money!” (1 Thessalonians 2:5 NLT).

Now, Paul uses the Thessalonians themselves as witnesses for his defense, recalling how they gladly heard and received the message of the gospel.

…when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. – 1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT

They knew from their own experience that the message of salvation through faith in Christ alone was real and life-changing. Upon believing, they received the filling of the Holy Spirit, which was proof that the words of Paul and Silas were from God and not from men. Paul could not stop thanking God for the life-transforming power of the gospel. He even reminded the Thessalonians that this power to change lives “continues to work in you who believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NLT).

The word they had shared had worked, producing true and lasting life change in them. For Paul, that was the bottom line and all the proof he needed to substantiate his ministry and message. The Thessalonians had gotten far more out of Paul and Silas’ ministry than they had. These two men had not profited financially or increased their social standing in Thessalonica. So, before anyone considered listening to the false claims leveled against Paul and Silas, they needed to look at the fruit in their own lives. They were living proof that the message and ministry of Paul and Silas was true.

In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul provided a much-needed reminder of the transformation the gospel had made in their lives. He wanted them to see and appreciate the stark before-and-after contrast produced by their encounter with Christ. The gospel had been far more than just another message from the lips of men. It had been radically transformational and eternally significant.

Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

This was true for the Thessalonian believers as well. They had each experienced a remarkable alteration to their habits and behaviors. Their faith in Christ had resulted in the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God and produced undeniable fruit. If they were ever tempted to question Paul’s motives, all they had to do was look at the impact his message had on their lives. They had been cleansed, made holy, and restored to a right relationship with God.

And Paul adds another aspect of their experience that gave proof of the gospel’s veracity and power.

…you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. – 1 Thessalonians 2:14 NLT

Their own persecution at the hands of their countrymen was further proof of the gospel’s power. The difference it made in their lives had been witnessed by their friends and neighbors, who had not been happy with the results. After coming to faith in Christ, they had become lights in the darkness, exposing the sinful condition of their fellow citizens, and it resulted in persecution. And Paul assures them that this was normal and to be expected, and served as further proof of the gospel’s power. Their suffering on behalf of their faith was exactly what the believers in Judea had experienced; it came with the territory.

Jesus Himself had warned, “Everyone will hate you because you are my followers” (Mark 13:13 NLT). He told His disciples that they could expect to experience the same rejection by the world that He endured.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you.” – John 15:19-20 NLT

This hatred by the world was nothing new. The message of God’s redemptive plan for mankind has always met with resistance. Paul recounts how the prophets of God, who carried His message of repentance to His disobedient Israelites, were met with rejection and even faced death at the hands of those they were trying to save. The apostles of Jesus were having similar experiences as they took the message of God’s offer of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone to a lost and dying world.

To the world, the message of the gospel is nonsensical. The claim that the God of the universe sent His Son to take on human flesh and die on a cross to pay for the sins of mankind sounds ridiculous. The very fact that the salvation offered by God requires an admission of sin and the need for a Savior made the Jews uncomfortable. Paul pointed out the incomprehensible nature of the gospel in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. – 1 Corinthians 1:21-23 NLT

The gospel has and will always face opposition. But Paul insists that those who stand opposed to God’s gracious offer of salvation made possible through His Son’s sacrificial death will fail. He flatly states that, in their attempt to reject the Gospel message or its messengers, they “fail to please God and work against all humanity as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles” (1 Thessalonians 2:15-16 NLT). Sadly, their efforts do little more than anger God and add to their debt of sin. And, as Paul told the believers in Rome, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NLT).

For Paul, the physical separation from his spiritual children in Thessalonica was difficult. He longed to see them and to continue his ministry among them. It had been more than a year since he and Silas first visited their city, and much had taken place in their absence. He was proud of them, but his pastoral heart longed to be with them. But Paul insists that he had faced some serious opposition that kept his desire from becoming reality.

…we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. – 1 Thessalonians 2:18 ESV

Paul believed in spiritual warfare and was fully convinced that his ministry was opposed by the enemy of God because his ministry had been ordained by God. His commission placed him on the front lines of a battle that was taking place in the spiritual realms, but that had real-life implications.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 NLT

Paul was well aware that he faced human opposition, but he also knew that the primary force behind it all was Satan himself. Yet, he remained “strong in the Lord and in his mighty power,” and “put on all of God’s armor” so he would “be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT).

Fully prepared for the battle in which he found himself engaged, Paul found the motivation to fight the good fight by focusing on the fruit of his efforts.

After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy. – 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 NLT

Doing battle with the enemy was well worth it because it meant the difference between souls being saved or remaining lost. Resisting the opposition was essential if the message of man’s reconciliation to God was to spread. The joy of watching lives being transformed by the power of the Gospel is what kept Paul going. And while he faced opposition in this life, he knew the day was coming when all his efforts would be repaid with eternal life.

…what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. – Romans 8:18 NLT

Father, sometimes the gospel feels like little more than an add-on or accessory to our busy lives on this planet. Rather than viewing it as a a life-changing, eternity-sealing encounter with the living God, I treat it as some kind of bonus that gives me a leg up on this life with the added benefit of eternal life. I fail to recognize the magnitude of the gift I have received. When I suffer, I complain, When things don't go the way I expect them to, I become frustrated. The thought of eternity seems distant and difficult to grasp, so I focus all my attention on the here and now, wondering why my relationship with Christ hasn’t produced heaven on earth. But Paul reminds me that my present suffering is nothing when compared to the future glory that awaits me. This life is not all there is. Your Son didn’t die so I could enjoy my best life now. He sacrificed Himself so that I could be restored to a right relationship with You and enjoy the assurance of Your presence and power in this life and the one to come. Yes, this life can be difficult. Suffering can be all too real. But it should not diminish my hope in Your promises, power, and presence. Help me keep my eye on the prize. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.