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Of This Gospel
Ephesians 3:7-9 ESV
Ministers of the Gospel
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to all proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are all to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and to take his gospel message to the ends of the earth. And, why wouldn’t we?
If truly we have been born again of the Spirit of God, and we have been delivered from our slavery to sin, and we have been empowered of the Spirit of God to live for God in his holiness and righteousness, why wouldn’t we want to tell others about this? Why wouldn’t we want others to find the same freedom we have found in Christ, and to have an intimate and personal relationship with God/Jesus Christ, such as we now have?
We do share with other people the things which make us happy, don’t we? We share with them the things which thrill our emotions and which we are passionate about, and which we get excited about. We share with them our experiences and what interests us. We tell them about our work, or our families, or where we have been, or what we have done. We talk about our hobbies or the things we have read or heard or seen that peaked our interest, or that we enjoyed. And, we share with them our thoughts, too.
So, if Jesus Christ is truly the most important person in our lives, and if life in the Spirit is the life we are living for the glory of God, and if we are grateful that by God’s grace we have been set free from bondage to sin, that we have been saved from hell, and that we have the hope of eternal life with God, isn’t that the best news we can share with anyone? And, isn’t that the best news they could ever hear or receive in their lives?
But, pride gets in the way of this sometimes, doesn’t it? We get fearful of what other people are going to think about us, or how they might respond to us if we talk with them about Jesus. Funny we don’t worry about talking about our kids or our grandkids, or our jobs, hobbies, etc. So, why should we be afraid to talk with people about Jesus? What is the worst that could happen to us? They could kill us and then we would go to be with Jesus.
Do We Care?
If it really burdens our hearts that people in this world, and even people in our families, are dying and going to hell, shouldn’t we be telling them about Jesus and of his gift of grace? Shouldn’t we be telling them that he is God (the Son of God), but that he left heaven to come to earth to take on human form and then to suffer and die for us on a cross? And, that in his death he became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God?
Shouldn’t we be telling them that when he died on that cross that he died in order that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness? Shouldn’t we be telling them that he didn’t stay dead, but that he rose from the dead as conqueror over death, hell, Satan and sin? And, he lives that we might now live with him and in him, and that he might live in us? And, that the life we now live in him we live for the glory of God and not for ourselves?
Shouldn’t we be telling them that there is a remedy, an answer, and help for what ails them, for what burdens their hearts, and for the bondage they are living under to sin? And, that answer is found in Jesus? For, he died to set them free from their slavery to sin and to purify their hearts and to give them new lives in him which are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And, he lives to give us all life in him with purpose, meaning and direction. And, in him we can know true peace, joy, and fulfillment, too.
Shouldn’t we be telling all this to people? So, that they, too, can find life in Jesus Christ, our Lord, be delivered from their bondage to sin, have a vital and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and have the hope of eternal life with God, too? Yes! So, we need to ask the Lord to show us where we are to share this GOOD NEWS, and how he would have us to share it with others.
In Your Inner Being
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV
Not only should we be concerned about getting the gospel out so that other people can know Jesus, be delivered from their slavery to sin, and have the hope of eternal life with God, but we should be concerned about our brothers and sisters in Christ, too. We should care about their lives and what they are going through and what their needs are, and we should minister to them and to their needs with the love and grace of God.
And, we should be concerned, too, for their spiritual growth and development, and that they walk in holiness, and that they not fall back into living for the flesh. So, we need to be praying for one another, and we need to be encouraging one another in our walks of faith so that we don’t fall back into sin, and so that we don’t get discouraged and lose heart when trials and troubles come our way.
We need to pray for one another this type of prayer, but we also need to be sharing with one another all that God has for us who believe in him, and what he requires of us, too, so that we can all reach maturity in Christ. We need to also warn against false teaching, and about liars and deceivers who might lead them astray. And, we need to be proclaiming the truth in opposition to the lies so that our brothers and sisters in Christ do not fall prey to being deceived by clever enchanters who say what their flesh wants to hear.
And, too, it is necessary that we pray for those who are being persecuted, especially for those who are out on the front lines sharing the truth of the gospel and refuting the lies of the enemy. For, they are coming under enemy attack, I guarantee you, if truly they are saying what God wants them to say without fear of what will happen to them. They are definitely in spiritual warfare and so we need to uphold them in prayer that the Lord would strengthen them and give them courage, and that they would say what needs to be said without fear of reprisal.
Far More Abundantly
Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV
And, this is awesome news! Sometimes, because we are human, and we live in flesh bodies, and we have finite minds, and we can’t see as God sees, we might not have the faith or the confidence to believe God for the impossible. But, our God is not limited except by his own divine character and will. He can’t sin or do what is against his own character and purposes. But, nothing is impossible for him which is within his divine character, will and purposes.
So, we don’t ever have to be afraid of anyone or anything. We should definitely not be foolish or not use good and sound judgment, for we should have a reverential fear and respect of danger. But, we don’t need to fear what other humans might do to us if we tell them the truth of the gospel of our salvation. For, our God is absolutely sovereign over all he has made, and nothing is impossible for him to do for us, according to his will and purpose.
So, we need to believe God for miracles, and for him to change our human hearts, too. And, then we need to obey him, and do what he says.
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907
Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
Ephesians 3:7-9 ESV
“Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things.”
Ministers of the Gospel
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to all proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are all to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, and to take his gospel message to the ends of the earth. And, why wouldn’t we?
If truly we have been born again of the Spirit of God, and we have been delivered from our slavery to sin, and we have been empowered of the Spirit of God to live for God in his holiness and righteousness, why wouldn’t we want to tell others about this? Why wouldn’t we want others to find the same freedom we have found in Christ, and to have an intimate and personal relationship with God/Jesus Christ, such as we now have?
We do share with other people the things which make us happy, don’t we? We share with them the things which thrill our emotions and which we are passionate about, and which we get excited about. We share with them our experiences and what interests us. We tell them about our work, or our families, or where we have been, or what we have done. We talk about our hobbies or the things we have read or heard or seen that peaked our interest, or that we enjoyed. And, we share with them our thoughts, too.
So, if Jesus Christ is truly the most important person in our lives, and if life in the Spirit is the life we are living for the glory of God, and if we are grateful that by God’s grace we have been set free from bondage to sin, that we have been saved from hell, and that we have the hope of eternal life with God, isn’t that the best news we can share with anyone? And, isn’t that the best news they could ever hear or receive in their lives?
But, pride gets in the way of this sometimes, doesn’t it? We get fearful of what other people are going to think about us, or how they might respond to us if we talk with them about Jesus. Funny we don’t worry about talking about our kids or our grandkids, or our jobs, hobbies, etc. So, why should we be afraid to talk with people about Jesus? What is the worst that could happen to us? They could kill us and then we would go to be with Jesus.
Do We Care?
If it really burdens our hearts that people in this world, and even people in our families, are dying and going to hell, shouldn’t we be telling them about Jesus and of his gift of grace? Shouldn’t we be telling them that he is God (the Son of God), but that he left heaven to come to earth to take on human form and then to suffer and die for us on a cross? And, that in his death he became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God?
Shouldn’t we be telling them that when he died on that cross that he died in order that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness? Shouldn’t we be telling them that he didn’t stay dead, but that he rose from the dead as conqueror over death, hell, Satan and sin? And, he lives that we might now live with him and in him, and that he might live in us? And, that the life we now live in him we live for the glory of God and not for ourselves?
Shouldn’t we be telling them that there is a remedy, an answer, and help for what ails them, for what burdens their hearts, and for the bondage they are living under to sin? And, that answer is found in Jesus? For, he died to set them free from their slavery to sin and to purify their hearts and to give them new lives in him which are created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And, he lives to give us all life in him with purpose, meaning and direction. And, in him we can know true peace, joy, and fulfillment, too.
Shouldn’t we be telling all this to people? So, that they, too, can find life in Jesus Christ, our Lord, be delivered from their bondage to sin, have a vital and personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and have the hope of eternal life with God, too? Yes! So, we need to ask the Lord to show us where we are to share this GOOD NEWS, and how he would have us to share it with others.
In Your Inner Being
Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Not only should we be concerned about getting the gospel out so that other people can know Jesus, be delivered from their slavery to sin, and have the hope of eternal life with God, but we should be concerned about our brothers and sisters in Christ, too. We should care about their lives and what they are going through and what their needs are, and we should minister to them and to their needs with the love and grace of God.
And, we should be concerned, too, for their spiritual growth and development, and that they walk in holiness, and that they not fall back into living for the flesh. So, we need to be praying for one another, and we need to be encouraging one another in our walks of faith so that we don’t fall back into sin, and so that we don’t get discouraged and lose heart when trials and troubles come our way.
We need to pray for one another this type of prayer, but we also need to be sharing with one another all that God has for us who believe in him, and what he requires of us, too, so that we can all reach maturity in Christ. We need to also warn against false teaching, and about liars and deceivers who might lead them astray. And, we need to be proclaiming the truth in opposition to the lies so that our brothers and sisters in Christ do not fall prey to being deceived by clever enchanters who say what their flesh wants to hear.
And, too, it is necessary that we pray for those who are being persecuted, especially for those who are out on the front lines sharing the truth of the gospel and refuting the lies of the enemy. For, they are coming under enemy attack, I guarantee you, if truly they are saying what God wants them to say without fear of what will happen to them. They are definitely in spiritual warfare and so we need to uphold them in prayer that the Lord would strengthen them and give them courage, and that they would say what needs to be said without fear of reprisal.
Far More Abundantly
Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
And, this is awesome news! Sometimes, because we are human, and we live in flesh bodies, and we have finite minds, and we can’t see as God sees, we might not have the faith or the confidence to believe God for the impossible. But, our God is not limited except by his own divine character and will. He can’t sin or do what is against his own character and purposes. But, nothing is impossible for him which is within his divine character, will and purposes.
So, we don’t ever have to be afraid of anyone or anything. We should definitely not be foolish or not use good and sound judgment, for we should have a reverential fear and respect of danger. But, we don’t need to fear what other humans might do to us if we tell them the truth of the gospel of our salvation. For, our God is absolutely sovereign over all he has made, and nothing is impossible for him to do for us, according to his will and purpose.
So, we need to believe God for miracles, and for him to change our human hearts, too. And, then we need to obey him, and do what he says.
Have Thine Own Way, Lord
Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907
Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
