An Imperial Guard: Speaking the Gospel with Greater Boldness
"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the progress of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ, and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear." Philippians 1:12-14 NRSV
Series: Philippians: Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation
Devotional: 5 of 5
Despite being imprisoned for proclaiming Christ, Paul remains focused, fearless, and full of love for his fellow man. (See Philippians 1:12-14 NRSV) As each new guard assumed their post, literally chained to the Apostle with nowhere else to go, Paul wasted no opportunity, sharing the hope he had found in Jesus with anyone within earshot (See Acts 28:16 NRSV). Some respond to Paul's testimony, and the Gospel begins to spread, reaching the highest levels of Roman society.
Paul's defense of the Gospel in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation inspires other believers to "speak the word with greater boldness." Like Paul, God is calling each of us as His apprentices today to boldly proclaim the hope of the Gospel in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Sometimes the person that God has called you and me to share the hope of the Gospel with is much closer than we realize. But for a multitude of reasons, when the moment finally arrives to testify to the hope we have found in Jesus, we shrink back, choosing instead to be silent. Why is this?
With some people, we choose to make the decision for them, never sharing the love of God with them for fear of being rejected for our faith in Jesus.
With other people, we can't find it in our hearts to forgive them for how deeply they have wounded us; because of this, we find it hard to believe that God could forgive them either.
And for a multitude of others, when we observe their lives from the outside looking in, they appear to have it all together. After years of building their own little kingdom here on earth, we wrongfully assume that they would be unwilling to allow Anyone else to sit on the throne of their life.
Regardless of the reason for our silence, the Apostle Paul's compassion for the lost shows us that every soul matters to God. No one is unworthy or outside of the reach of God's unconditional love. Whether we believe it to be true or not, the hope of the Gospel is available to anyone and everyone, anywhere and anytime.
The question then becomes, where has the Lord strategically placed you and me today for the advancement of the Gospel?
OnThe3rdDay Devotionals
Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.
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