Share in Suffering for the Gospel

[Christsfreeservant]

“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, 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, 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, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. ​

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“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. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:8-14 ESV)​

We who are followers of Jesus Christ are not to be ashamed of the message of the gospel of our salvation, the testimony about our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are not to be ashamed of his true servants and messengers who are speaking the truth of the gospel to the people, either. But please make sure these messengers truly are speaking the truth and not the lies, for the lies are what so many are teaching as the gospel these days, at least here in America. And the lies will appear Scriptural, but they are largely based off Scriptures which are being taught outside their appropriate context.

So, what is this gospel that we are not to be ashamed of and that we are to suffer for? It is first of all that God the Father sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ (God the Son) to the earth to be born as a human baby, to live to manhood, to minister to the needs of the people, to share with them his gospel message, to be hated and rejected by the religious leaders, and ultimately to be put to death on a cross. But in his death, he who knew no sin became sin for us that we, by genuine God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, might become the righteousness of God in our daily practice.

And it is that this faith which is required of us for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God is of God, it is persuaded of God, and it is gifted to us by God, and it is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. Jesus Christ is the author and the perfecter of our faith, and we can’t even come to faith in Jesus Christ unless God the Father first draws us to Christ, i.e. unless he first persuades us as to his holiness and righteousness and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of (turn from) our sins to now follow him in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living.

[John 1:1-36; John 3:16-21; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Hebrews 12:1-2; John 6:44; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:1-32]

And now we read in Romans 6:1-23 that, by this faith in Jesus Christ, we were crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and we were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For we are to no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies to obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it leads to righteousness and to sanctification, and its end is eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord.

And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience in holy living, then we have eternal life. And he said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. And many will hear, “I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”

[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 4:17-24; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Now, it is true that we are not saved by our own fleshly works. Not one of us is saved by our own merit, by the good deeds that we do in the flesh. Even the faith to believe in Jesus is not of our own doing but is a gift from God. But by that faith we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 2:10; cf. Titus 2:14).

And our Lord saved us to a holy calling. And we are to be holy in all of our conduct (1 Peter 1:13-16). And to be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So we are to be people of integrity who live holy, upright, godly, morally pure, honest, and faithful lives to our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands, for to this we have been called. But if, instead, sin is what we practice, and not obedience to our Lord, then we will not inherit eternal life with God (see all Scriptures referenced above).

So, this is the gospel message that we are to be sharing with others and that we are to be living, as followers of Jesus Christ. And when we do both, we are going to have people, even others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, who will turn against us, who will want nothing to do with us, who will shun us, and ignore us, and abandon us, and who will delete us out of their lives. And some of them may come against us and fight us and attack us, too. But we must stay the course and keep on living for the Lord and keep sharing his gospel message so that many others can come to know Jesus, too.

Should I Not Preach Jesus

An Original Work / July 4, 2013
Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.
I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.
I make myself a slave to ev’ryone
To win their hearts to Christ.
All this I do for my Lord Jesus,
And for the sake of His Name;
Do it for the sake of His gospel,
So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;
Written down for us as examples
To keep us from setting our hearts
On evil as did those of old.
Do not worship other gods of man;
Do not give your hearts to them;
Not partake in immorality.
Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are
Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.
God has given his word to warn us,
So through faith we will not fall.
No temptation has o’ertaken you
Except what is commonplace.
God is faithful to not let you be
Tempted past what you can bear.
He gives the way of escape.