|
|
Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
October 31
Click on verses for Full Scripture
|
previous - - - - - - - - - -
next
|
Today's Pathway:
|
In today's passage Paul continues to explain why he served the Lord in spite of the difficulties he faced. He opens by referring back to Psalm 116:10 where the psalmist writes,
"I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted".
The context there is that the writer was going through a very difficult time; so difficult that he says,
"the sorrows of death compassed me" (verse 3).
But his response was,
"Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful...Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling" (verses 4-8).
Paul writes that he has the same faith that the psalmist did. Notwithstanding his troubles, Paul believed the Lord, continued to trust Him, and carried out his ministry of preaching the Word of God.
Paul gives a reason for his ability to endure in verse 14-18. The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead ensures that we too will be raised from the dead by God. As we saw back in I Corinthians 15, the reality of the resurrection of Christ proves the reality of the future resurrection of Christians, and is a great motivator for believers to be steadfast and abounding in the work of the Lord ( I Corinthians 15:58). At the end of verse 14 he reminds the Corinthian believers that they will be raised as well, and will be presented before God. Paul wants to endure so that he can give them all the teaching that he can, so that at the judgment they will hear,
"Well done, good and faithful servant" ( Matthew 25:23).
He wants to be able to give a good account of what he has done (Romans 14:12), as well as of what they have done (Hebrews 13:7) Also, since the Corinthians will someday be presented to God, they need to be standing firm for the Gospel themselves. This is why Paul writes in verse 15,
"for all things are for your sakes".
Everything that happened to Paul, and now happens to any believer, is for his spiritual good, and also for the spiritual good of other Christians. When Romans 8:28 states,
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God",
that promise includes both the person who is experiencing the situation as well as those believers who have some connection to the one who is directly impacted. If I have an illness, God is at work for my own good, but also for the good of my family and my fellow church members. We may not understand how this can all harmonize together, but God certainly does, and He promises that it will.
In the second half of verse 15 Paul teaches that the goal of his ministry was that many people would choose to receive the grace of God that would save their souls. This would result in their thankfulness to the Lord for His grace, which would in turn bring glory to God. This is why he did what he did, and why he placed his life at risk every day. He had already told the Corinthians,
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Corinthians 10:31),
and Paul was living that out on a daily basis. John MacArthur summarized it this way:
"The goal of Paul’s sacrificial service was that more voices would be added to the chorus of praise and worship to God. The Lord’s servants bathe their hearts in the light of God’s glory reflected in Jesus Christ. They then selflessly reflect that majestic glory to others so that they too can be saved and worship God. God’s astounding plan is to use common clay pots to carry the priceless treasure of the glorious gospel to needy sinners. As they humbly, faithfully serve Him, His power flows through them to others. The final result is that more and more people will worship and glorify God."
How are you doing in carrying out God's plan?
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
|
|
You Are Here: 
