Christ did not send me to
baptize, but to preach the gospel… —1 Corinthians 1:17
“Paul states here that the
call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by “the
gospel,” namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. […] we are commissioned to lift up Jesus
Christ (see John 12:32). […] Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the
whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of
God. […] The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He
welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason—
these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.” CHAMBERS
(Note) Many of the devotions
published by Oswald Chamber’s wife were from sermons that he had given at his
Bible college. His focus was on encouraging
the students as they received biblical training in their quest of “full-time”
vocational ministry. I often edit out
portions that address their pursuit in an attempt to focus on the parts that
apply to everyone. That is what the […]
mean.
The proclamation of the
Gospel is not limited to the hearty few.
It is a more general command to everyone who claims Jesus as Lord and
Savior. It is so very important to keep
things in their proper perspective and order.
To be an effective witness, I must be first be a faithful follower. To be a faithful follower, I must be an
obedient child. To be an obedient child,
I must be submitted to the authority of the Spirit and the Word of God. Since we cannot save anyone .. only God can …
I must be right before God before I can be used by Him in the process of
salvation of someone else, for His glory.
Telling people about Jesus when our hearts are far from Him is
ineffectual. There is no Spiritual power
behind them.
(Ephesians 1:11-14) “In him
we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who
works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that
we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of
his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of
truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him
with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the
praise of his glory.” That is the new
life we have been born into. As we live
that life, we show the
world Jesus, not just through our words but through our
works. And all of that through the power
that God put in us, not our own effort.
How cool is that! ELGIN
Charley Elgin
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