Paul was able to rejoice in his suffering because he knew it had a purpose. This daily devotional looks at Paul’s commission to be a minister to help others understand the mystery of the gospel.
Nuggets
- Paul knew Jesus voluntarily suffered, so he would too for Christ’s cause.
- Paul took his ministry very seriously.
- What may start out as a mystery of the gospel is revealed to us as we grow in the faith.
Devotions in the Joy in the Gospel series
Paul was the consummate preacher. He rejoiced in his suffering because he knew God would use it to proclaim the gospel to those who needed to hear it.
Let's Put It into Context
“Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him — if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it” (Col. 1: 21-23 CSB)
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Suffering for Others
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1: 24 CSB)
Paul knew Jesus voluntarily suffered, so he would too for Christ’s cause.
Paul had just acknowledged the change the Colossians had experienced after ABCDing. They were changed because of the gospel of which Paul was a minister.
Now, Paul acknowledges the suffering to which ministers are sometimes subjected. We know from II Corinthians 11: 24-28 all that Paul has suffered.
Person of Interest
But wait a second. Paul not only acknowledged the sufferings, but he also rejoiced in them. Why?
Does Paul have a screw loose?
Simon wrote, “The vast region of human sorrow is to most a dark and dreary desert. But if we saw truly we should find many streams of refreshment, many sunny spots, and on all sides evidences of the Divine tenderness. … We infer, then, that the purest joy of heaven is sacrifice, and since Christ is the firstborn among many brethren, that He should furnish the ideal of all true living; which throws light upon the text.”
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Paul’s attitude was, “Hey. We haven’t seen suffering until we look at what Jesus had to endure. This is pittance compared to that.”
Crucifixion had to have hurt. Bearing all our sins had to have been difficult when Jesus knew He didn’t deserve to die for things He didn’t do.
But that is what happened. Jesus voluntarily died for us because of His love for us.
It wasn’t just that. “For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up” (Heb. 12: 3 CSB). Holier than thou people tried to build themselves up by tearing Jesus down.
They weren’t. He was.
Jesus did all that he did to show His love for us. Paul did, too,
Simon reminded us that we need not run out and sign up for the suffering van to come pick us up. I think he is talking more about our attitude when the sufferings come — and they will.
I don’t remember reading anything by Simon before, but I am sure liking what he is saying. He wrote, “Sympathy is the secret of true blessedness and usefulness.”
Right now, my church is going through a huge trial. It blindsided us. Satan is working overtime.
I am so proud of my church. Sunday, we showed sympathy and empathy to the family that had their lives torn apart. Hopefully, God used us to bless the family and give a smidgeon of healing.
We have to make sure our relationships are right with God. But we can’t stop there. We have to show God’s love to others while they are in their sufferings.
We can’t think that we are done at conversion. We have a lot of growing to do as we navigate the Sanctification Road.
- Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul, which begins with regeneration, gradually changes our nature and morals through the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and ends with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Regeneration is being changed from spiritually dead to spiritually alive and the internal requickening in us that God brings about through the work of the Holy Spirit to give us new character.
- Spiritual death is the separation from God that occurred as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s original sin. The spiritually alive are those who have ABCDed, so they are no longer separated from God.
- The perfected state indicates the combination of the spiritual graces which, when all are present, form spiritual wholeness or completeness.
- Spiritual graces are worldly morals that have been submitted to God to further His kingdom instead of enhancing this world.
Glossary
Serving because of God’s Commission
“I have become its servant, according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known” (Col. 1: 25 CSB)
Paul took his ministry very seriously.
Sometimes, servant is translated as slave. That wasn’t a derogatory term in biblical times.
We talked about this not long ago, and of course, I can’t find the devotion. Pastor Joey said the servants/slaves usually voluntarily entered servanthood. The main reason was they wanted to find a way to live.
True, some were captured in war. However, most made a conscious decision to better their circumstances by working for someone else.
The difference here was God was the one doing the commissioning. He calls people to their ministry.
Barlow connected commissioning to stewardship. A steward is a person in a subordinate position to God who has been given the responsibility to manage a skill or possession for the purpose of expanding His kingdom.
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Think about that a second. We get so hung up about God wanting to use us when it is outside of our comfort zone.
- God has given us the responsibility.
- God has given us the skill or possession.
- God’s purpose is to expand His kingdom.
God has given us everything we need to do — everything He wants us to do.
As inadequate as I feel, sometimes, about writing these devotions, God has given me everything I need to do it.
The same goes with you.
The purpose of every disciple — every believer — is “… to make the word of God fully known” (Col. 1: 25 CSB). We can’t pass this off to the Pastor John-types.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
The Mystery of the Gospel
“the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1: 26-27 CSB)
What may start out as a mystery of the gospel is revealed to us as we grow in the faith.
I see you jumping up and down over there. How can we be ministers when we don’t understand the Scriptures? Yes, Scriptures, at times, are a mystery.
Thomas defined mystery for us. He wrote, “The term ‘mystery,’ as here used twice, and often in this epistle, does not describe what is essentially incomprehensible, but rather what was hidden and is now revealed.”
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God reveals it to us. Okay, maybe it might be years down the road. But God reveals it to us when we are mature enough to know.
Barlow said that we have to be morally fit. He wrote, “Like all the Divine procedures, the development was gradual, increasing in clearness and completeness as the fulness of time approached. It is an axiom in optics that the eye only sees what it brings with it the power to see: and in spiritual things the soul comprehends the revelation of God only as it is fitted by [the] Spirit.
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Paul kept talking about the gospel being a mystery in Verse 27. Spurgeon expanded on what Thomas was saying about it being a revelation.
Spurgeon wrote, “The gospel is the grand secret. To the mass of mankind it was utterly unknown, and the chosen people only perceived dimly through the smoke of sacrifices anal the veil of types. It must ever have been a mystery out for revelation, and must be so still unless Christ comes to dwell within. Then all is clear.”
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The mass of mankind is talking about the Gentiles. The Gentiles were anyone who weren’t Jews – us.
Okay, I have to try to process this. Spurgeon wrote, “If it be mystery, then Christ is ‘the mystery of godliness’; if glory, Christ is the brightness of His Father’s glory; if riches, there are ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ.’
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I don’t know about you, but – even after almost the full year of study – I feel like there is some mystery still in godliness.
But let’s combine.
- If it be what was hidden and is now revealed, then Christ has now revealed godliness.
- If worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving, Christ is the brightness of His Father’s worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving.
Okay, we have talked about the unsearchable riches of Christ before. It was back in Ephesians.
“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” (Eph. 3: 8-9 ESV).
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Making the Connections
Simon wrote, “Christ meets us where Love’s grandest revelations are possible.” Doesn’t that make us feel so happy inside?
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Jesus is going to meet us. He is going to come running when we call to Him.
Jesus isn’t going to let us stay in the condition we are in. Yes, Jesus ate with sinners.
But they were changed after encountering Jesus. He told them to “… ‘Go, and from now on do not sin anymore’” (Jn. 8: 11 CSB).
Brother Delbert was talking about this last night at Bible Study. Jesus didn’t tell us that so we would go and never, ever commit another sin. He knows there is no way we could do that.
Jesus was saying go and mature in our faith. We are to go from the milk baby to the steak adult. We are to switch from doing to being.
How Do We Apply This?
- Accept and perform the responsibilities of our ministry.
- Listen for the divine revelation of the mysteries of Christ.
- Examine our personal experiences to augment the revelations.
Resource
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Father God. There are mysteries associated with the gospel. Your children do suffer in Your name. Yet, we can rejoice in the suffering and have revelations that will eliminate those mysteries. We have these as we are seeking You to grow in Your grace and knowledge. Help us to do just that. Amen.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
What do you think?
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