Hope

For Christ’s Sake

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. – Philippians 1:12-13

Life rarely goes as we have planned it. No matter how prescient we may be, or how fortuitous our lot, still things happen that we did not anticipate. When these unexpected road bumps are good, we rarely complain. When they are bad, our cries of foul play are readily heard.

Paul seemed to have a different view. As indicated above, he spent some time in prison. In fact, Paul was in prison on numerous occasions, not for some treacherous deed but for saying things that the religious and political leaders rather he didn’t. Many of the letters that we have from Paul were written while he was in jail. It’s not too far a stretch to say that Paul may have had the very first prison ministry – and that his stocks and chains were his primary pulpit.

Paul’s concern, however, wasn’t for the injustice of his imprisonment. When he viewed his time in jail, he was able to count it as a success for it “served to advance the Gospel.” All that happened to Paul was put through this filter. And it wasn’t just believers that noticed. As he states in the passage above “it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ.” Even those that did not serve God, knew it was for His sake that Paul suffered, and by this testimony Christ was revealed.

Let the same be true in our lives. Let others look at us and say everything that happens to them, every hurdle, every obstacle, every slight, every perceived injury, is for the sake of Christ. And through this testimony, through lives sacrificed to the One who sacrificed His life, may the Gospel be made known, that they too may give it all, for Christ’s sake.

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Growth

Accepting Sainthood


The movie Julie and Julia is about one woman’s quest to find meaning and significance in her life by cooking her way through Julia child’s cookbook on French cuisine, and blogging about the experience. In doing so, the character, Julie Powell, and presumably the real-life version of her, learns about what’s truly important and meaningful to her.

Throughout her blogging journey, Julie includes tales of her husband’s help in producing the fine cuisine. Repeatedly she calls him “a saint.” Later, in a burst of anger, he rejects this title and in fact emphatically asks that she stops using it. He contends that it represents an inaccurate portrayal and puts him up on a pedestal off which he is bound to fall.

Now, without dissecting Eric Powell’s line of reasoning, its easy to understand what prompted him to deny his own sainthood. After all, while we all want people to think well of us, we also want them to have realistic expectations. Perhaps the fear of failure is a tad bit stronger then fear of personal rejection.

Upon watching this movie unfold, I was reminded of the fact that Christians also want to refute the title of saint. Perhaps this is because some religious traditions teach that sainthood is reserved for a select few who have been formally canonized. Or perhaps, just like the character of Eric Powell, we are concerned about what that title will do to our reputation. However, Scripture doesn’t seem to share our concerns. Throughout God’s Word, His people are identified as saints (See Psalm 30:4; Psalm 31:23 and Romans 1:7 among others). If God Himself identifies His children as being saints, why should we reject it?

Instead, we should consider this holy title as a call to live our lives according to the ways of saints. Will we be able to do it perfectly? No. Will we be able to do so in increasing degrees? Yes – through God’s own work. And perhaps, just perhaps, accepting this designation will spur us on to live a live worthy of the title He’s bestowed.

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