A soldier for Jesus Christ
Paul gives us great insight on what it takes to be a solider for Christ
Verse of the Day: “Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendent of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach the Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.” - 2 Timothy 2:8-10
“Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendent of King David, was raised from the dead”.......This seems simple, but it is very profound. Let us ALWAYS remember that Jesus was raised from the dead. Jesus’ victory over death gives us eternal life. It gives us eternal victory. It gives us the assurance that we will rise again with God. Jesus being the descendent of King David is a big deal. 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (ESV) says “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” In order for Jesus to be the promised Messiah, He needed to come from David’s lineage. The fact that Jesus comes from David, helps us to know that He is the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
“This is the Good News I preach”.......as followers of Christ, we should preach this Good News every chance we get. The fulfillment of God’s plan through the life of Jesus gives us victory in a broken world. This Good News needs to be shared. This is not a secret to be kept. This is not something that should be considered private. Jesus died the most public death of all time to reconcile us to God. Let us be open and bold about our faith. Our world needs it. If Jesus could die a humiliating death on the cross, we can endure any backlash that comes from a public ministry.
“And because I preach the Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal”......Jesus warns us in Matthew 10:22 that “all nations will hate you because you are my followers.” When we align with Jesus, we make ourselves enemies of the world. We are enemies of the world because Satan is the god of the world. And Satan will do anything to try to distract and discourage those who belong to Jesus. We must not be afraid of suffering. It is to be expected. Paul understood this and rejoiced in his chains. He said in Romans 8:17 “But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Jesus’ victory could not have been possible without His suffering. The suffering had to happen in order for glory to come. Jesus died a criminal’s death on a cross, so don’t be surprised if the world treats you like a criminal when you are His follower. It happened to Paul. It can happen to us.
“But the word of God cannot be chained”.......You can throw me in prison, but you can’t take away my God. You can kill my Lord and Savior, but you can’t stop Him from rising from the dead. Everything on this earth will die one day, only God’s word will last forever. This light shines in the darkness and the darkness will never be able to extinguish it. We have major reason for celebration. God’s word is eternally undefeated.
“So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen”........Paul was a flat out gangster. I am in awe of his toughness, perseverance and overall love for Jesus. Paul understood that the prize of life is Jesus. It’s not in any amount of money, wealth, fame or possessions that we can acquire on earth. Jesus is the prize. And if it means we have to suffer in order to introduce others to Him, then so be it. You can take away all my worldliness. You can cancel me. You can try to silence me. I will not stop my mission to bring souls to Christ. Paul had this attitude and I aspire to have it as well. May my mind reach for Heaven before my feet hit the floor. I want to meet Jesus in the strength and suffering. He is here with me no matter what. I want to have the bravery that Paul did in preaching the Good News in enemy territory. When we live for Jesus, we have access to His eternal victory and the resurrection power that defeated death once and for all. How are you going to be a soldier for Christ today in order to bring salvation to someone who needs it?