What will you do for the gospel?

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Scripture

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
(1 Corinthians 9:19 NASB)
I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
(1 Corinthians 9:23 NASB)

 

Observation

Paul was consumed with loving service to the Lord. This was his passion, day in and day out. The result was that he was constantly looking for those who did not know Jesus Christ. He was willing to change his plans, he was willing to be flexible, he was willing to lay down his own rights so that he might be able to bring someone to the Lord. There was nothing selfish about his actions. Instead, his goal was to be a partaker of the gospel, which meant that ultimately he wanted to participate in Christ. Christ was in him, but he was also in-Christ and this co-mingling with the Gospel so penetrated his very being that Paul couldn't help but be like Christ. Christ's passion for the lost consumed him and there was nothing he could do, but reach out to a hurting and dying world. He did everything for the sake of the gospel.

 

Application


I'm afraid that these days I see very little passion for the lost. Somehow I think we've fooled ourselves into thinking that somehow everyone is going to be okay. They're not all going to be okay! We need to pray that God will again pour out on us his passion for the lost world around us so that we would do whatever it takes to bring people to Christ. But at the root of it all is how Paul ended this section. He did all things for the gospel so that he could be a fellow partaker of it. Our passion for winning the lost does not come from simply a desire to win the lost -- but from our passion for Christ. Ultimately what may be wrong with us today is that we don't have a passion to be partakers of the Gospel, who is Jesus Christ! Jesus is the good news, and when we unite ourselves with him, his passions become our passions. But have we truly united ourselves with him? Or have we simply enjoyed fellowship with him that has been beneficial for us, but we have been unwilling to take the plunge and truly allow ourselves to become partakers together with him?

May we allow ourselves to become so consumed with the gospel, may we become partakers of him to the extent that we want nothing but what Jesus wants. Jesus gave his life for the lost. The passion of Christ should so consume us that we would be willing to do whatever it takes for the lost to come to him.

 

Prayer


Lord, may you place a fiery consuming burden in my heart for the lost. Amen.

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