Description
As we meditate on Philippians 1:29, perhaps we should ask ourselves: are we willing to suffer for the gospel?
Philippia… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Listen to this in Philippians chapter 1 verse 29. 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.
So it was well known that Paul has been persecuted for the gospel, that he’s been thrown in prison, he’s been beaten, he’s been tortured, he’s been abused. He’s saying, Hey, Philippians, this has been granted to you also. And this is a kind of gift. It’s been granted.
I wonder if in the Western Church, where I am, whether one of my problems, one of our problems is that we are not suffering as much as the early church did for the sake of the gospel. Yes, our views generally aren’t so popular these days and we may be shunned if we attempt to talk about what we believe and the truth that’s in the Bible.
But we’re not being tortured. We’re not going to the stake anymore for our beliefs. And maybe it’s the case that in this fallen world, the way in which the gospel has to be spread, most successfully is in times of trial because in the times of trial, that’s when we’re most likely to call out to God. When everything’s going well, we kind of forget, don’t we?
No, it’s more like when someone that we know is in pain, or ill, or on the point of death, then we cry out to God. Or if we’re personally being persecuted, we ask God for help. If only we learnt to call out to God at all times.
So we pray God that if that is what you have for us, if it is suffering and persecution, that is our destiny in your hands, Lord, help us to trust you for that. But also when we’re not suffering, when we’re not going through trial and hardship, please help us to remember that you are still God and we still need you as much as ever.
And may your gospel be spread in our land. Amen.
