How might you allow someone else’s sin to affect your own
efforts to live as a disciple of Jesus?
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy
and rivalry, but others out of good will.
The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of
the gospel. The former preach Christ out
of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for
me while I am in chains. But what does
it matter? The important thing is that in
every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice (Philippians
1:15-18).
Paul
was secure in his position before God—a saved servant of Jesus Christ. He was not concerned that he would lose
importance in God’s sight as others clamored for the spotlight. He did not fear that he would miss out on a
spiritual “promotion” because he was out of the mainstream of the church’s
activity. His Lord had taught him to
trust the working of the Father. He knew
that these men would either become convicted of their sinful motives and
repent, or God would judge them and deal with their sin. Whatever his reasons, he did not, in this
case, condemn or mark them as heretics to be avoided by the church. If they taught truth and people were
believing and accepting truth, then the mission for which he was in chains was
being carried out. Bottom line for Paul: “What does it matter?...Christ is
preached.”
Paul was like these wrongly
motivated teachers in one way—he too was driven. But his drive was not for self-glory or
self-advancement. It was for the glory
of the One who had turned his life upside down, who had given him hope instead
of hate, and love instead of legalism.
He was driven to love and to forgive.
Paul must have been tempted to feel and respond in a natural, sinful
way—even Jesus was tempted in every way.
But, sitting in a damp, cold-to-the-bone Roman prison, he chose daily to
take up the cross of Jesus and to take on the heart of God. More than anything he wanted people to come
to know the Jesus he had come to know, and he was determined not to allow any
person or any sin to impede the progress of this good news.
Thanks for the encouragement, Tom. I am surrounded by false teaching, but this "hits the nail on the head". So does Luke 9:49-50.
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49 “Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”
50 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”
Where did all the disciples go??
What an insightful and articulate reminder that it is our motives that will shape our view of others and of ourselves. Happy optimism is available to us if we trust God with sorting things out while we just serve Him out of pure hearts.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. This chapter was one written by Sheila, as this was a book we did together. Not that she is looking for credit, but I did want all to appreciate her insight.
ReplyDeletehi Tom. Amen Sheila, what a Godly woman she is and a great example.I am encouraged and challenged to keep preaching, sharing, inviting people to hear the truth and challenge to speak the truth out of love and a desire to have people know Jesus and go to heaven.
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