“[…through the gospel] of which I was made a minister,
according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the
working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was
given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,” (Ephesians
3:7-8, NASB95)
I frequently find myself asking, “Where is my focus?” Here
Paul, who just spoke of himself as a “prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of
you Gentiles…” (Ephesians 3:1), and he closes this same letter referring to
himself as “an ambassador in chains” (Ephesians 6:20). This is an incredible
picture that Paul paints as he refers to himself positioned here in the world as
a prisoner bound by man but who never didn’t lose sight of the truth that he
was sent by God such that even while in prison he might be an ambassador of the
good news of salvation to the world. He knew who called him to ministry and he
knew what he was sent to do. He knew that whether he was caged or freed by man,
that he was constrained by God to do what he was sent to do. He knew that this
was not going to be easy, but also that the fruit would last for eternity.
Paul, who had it all as a Jew among Jews, gave it all up.
But in giving it all up he realized that he had gained so much more. “… If
anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised
the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as
to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things
were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value
of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,” (Philippians
3:4–8, NASB95)
Jesus stopped him on that road to Damascus and called this
man to Himself. He then set him aside for a very special ministry which also
meant that he would have to suffer great rejection by his own people. Of all
the records of imprisonment of Paul they were all initiated by the Jews of whom
he was once a key person. Paul, like Christ, knew what it was to suffer
rejection and ridicule. He knew what it was to be beaten and left for dead. He
knew what it was to sit in prison for long periods of time. He knew all of
these horrible things. But more than that, he knew what it was to be loved by
God, to be saved by His amazing grace, and to be given the very special
privilege of sharing this good news with the world.
Paul knew that this was not of his own doing. He knew that
just as he was called to this ministry by Christ, he was also enabled to do this
ministry by His as well. Having seen times at both ends of the scale, Paul knew
that regardless of what was going on that it was in Christ that he found his
strength as he wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, NASB95) And if you were to continue reading
the next verses in Philippians you would read of the great joy he had in seeing
them grow as the fruit of the ministry which God had given him to do, and you
would see him rejoicing in their growth and their own returned ministry to him.
It was from this that he added, “And my God will supply all your needs
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be
the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Philippians 4:19–20, NASB95) It was all about
God getting the glory.
For Paul, the suffering was difficult, but he also knew that
God knew what He was doing and that through the suffering God would accomplish
what He intended. This is a great encouragement to me. There are days when I
wonder what and why, but then I am reminded that it is because of God’s great
love that He saved me and gave me the privilege to be His servant reaching into
a world that is hopelessly lost with the hope that comes by faith in Christ
alone. It is also in looking to Paul and Christ that I am reminded that the
things that seem so big to me really do pale in comparison to what they
suffered for me. Jesus, being God, set aside His place at the right hand of the
Father to be born as a man for the expressed purpose of paying for my sins and
giving me salvation and life as His incredibly precious gift. Paul, who
persecuted followers of Christ, was shown by Christ who He really was, and He
called Paul to be a servant of His so that through the ministry given him many
might hear and be saved. God so loved this great persecutor that He drew Him to
Himself and gave Him a great ministry. Paul was faithful in not losing sight of
this even when things got really tough and his physical life was on the line.
Perspective is an amazing thing, but our strength is not in
our perspective. Thinking positive will not save us by any stretch of the
imagination. But remembering who our God is and trusting Him to be faithful
makes all the difference. He has said that He will complete in us what He
began. He gives us what we need to serve Him and He will meet our every need.
He encloses us before and behind and knows our every thought, and He is
powerful to tend to our every concern. He has promised to direct our steps when
things are dark or uncertain, and looking to our God and trusting Him helps us
to frame up just how small the big stuff pressing in really is. It is here that
we know that we are His and that He has ordained the days of our lives. It is
here that we truly are reminded that the greatest privilege given to us and our
greatest response of loving appreciation is to give ourselves back to Him as
living sacrifices committed to doing His good works which He determined
beforehand.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:10, NASB95)
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is
your spiritual service of worship.” (Romans 12:1, NASB95)
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