David Bahn - Reflections

We live in a very individualistic society and time. Everyone wants to define for themselves what is good or evil; what is praiseworthy or abhorrent. We climb on the latest scandal (and, Lord have mercy, there are many many lamentable things happening in the world today!). We beat up on the latest villain - too often of our own personal reasons. Somehow we've lost the more complete understanding of the Body of Christ, the community of believers, the communion of saints.

God loves the whole church. His desire is for us to flourish as his community of the redeemed. Paul suffered greatly for the name of Jesus and for the sake of the Body of Christ - of which we are a part.

Paul here is predating Newtonian and Einsteinian thinking. Newtonian: I'm hard pressed, suffering, and agonizing for you because I want you to realize just how important this message is. Einsteinian: This message is important because only in Christ is true hope, life, salvation, knowledge, and wisdom.

OK...I realize this may not be the best analogy for understanding this passage. But it is good to know both: the message of Jesus is of vital importance because he is the only source of life, hope, wisdom, knowledge, and salvation.

We might want to make a hero of Paul. Surely he would serve well as a hero of the faith. His life and complete dedication to spreading the gospel are heroic and emulatable. Sometimes Paul does seem to dance on the fine line of showing how important the message is and of showing how dedicated he is to delivering that message. But these words here point me toward believing that Paul is making the point of how far he has gone not so that they would trust him. He's doing this to point them to the One whose message he is carrying. He's doing it to encourage hearts, to knit people together, and to point them toward all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge centered in Jesus. What more can any hero do?

When you hear someone preaching Jesus, urging faith in him, pointing people to God's promises anchored in Jesus' death, resurrection and final return, lean in. Listen well. Maybe that pastor isn't a rock star. Maybe he doesn't have his name on the side of a megachurch. Maybe he isn't all that great. But if he is pointing you to Jesus, listen well. And rejoice whenever anyone points beyond himself to the One in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Jesus, after all, is the true hope of glory.

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace! We do have a past. But we also have a Savior by whom we have been reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to be presented holy and blameless and above reproach before him. I don't believe we never sin after our conversion. But I do believe we must not take any sin lightly, and by so doing cheapen the grace of God. A sober reminder for me. Maybe for you, too, dear reader.

I note that God was pleased to do this. Reconciling us and all things to himself. Doing it through the cross. Coming to earth and dwelling in bodily form. Making all this happen through the cross - the death of His own son. God was pleased to do this. The Greek word, εὐδόκησεν, is an expression of God's pleasure and indicates that God was not begrudging in this act of reconciliation and salvation. The word has the same root as is used at Jesus' baptism, "This is my Son, with him I am well pleased." It enlarges God's heart to see us redeemed, reconciled, restored, and rescued.

God is all in for us, and pleased to be so. Where do we need to reflect that today?

A missionary working in east Asia spoke of the many people there who do not know Jesus and are not giving him the honor he deserves. That phrase caught my attention. I want Jesus to be honored. He is my Savior and Lord. He is pure and good. My friend identified her place of missionary activity as east Asia because she is actually potentially in danger if the wrong people get wind of her work where she is. But her desire to honor Jesus has moved her to this. I hope that I can honor Jesus similarly wherever I serve him - not just in my sermons or blog posts, but in all I think, say, or do. He is surely worthy of it.

Praying for other believers to know God's will, to have wisdom and understanding, and to live a life worthy of our Lord Jesus is an important prayer. We pray these things over those who have been saved, not in order that they may be saved. Once saved, however, the temptations and challenges to our faith do not magically stop. That's why we must also pray the we who bear the name Jesus will bear fruit, increase in our knowledge of God, and endure in our walk of faith.

God has delivered us. We have been redeemed. Our sins have been forgiven. From that foundation of God's grace and salvation we pray, giving thanks to the Father for those who walk with us in the light of God's love.

Paul is urging us to look to God. He's pointing us toward our heavenly hope. He's reminding us that God's plans are for blessing, good, and eternal joy. He invites us into that hope.

That doesn't mean we don't mourn for the lost. It doesn't mean we don't seek to bring the message of Jesus to more and more people. Quite the contrary. We rejoice in God's work in the lives of more and more people, and do whatever we can to help make the world come alive around us. His message of Good News enlivens that hope and sustains us in that effort.

This is the good news: Jesus Christ came to save sinners. I am one of them. And he is my Savior and Lord. That word needs to be spread to the whole world. The signs on our church marquees should read, "Sinners Welcome."

This is no excuse for sinning further. This is a call to praise God for his glorious grace, and live in that grace day by day.