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Am I Confident That The Gospel is Indomitable?

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. 
Philippians 1:12

My sister loves the burger at McDonalds. When we were in Baroda once in a while we went out to have a Burger. Once I was standing in the line to give our order. A college going student gave his order and the guy at the counter set the ordered food items in two trays. This student asked the person to put all in one tray. He was confident that he could balance the burgers stacked one over the other and the shakes and drinks he had ordered. We were all looking whether he would reach the table. He balanced it pretty well but for an instance he looked down thinking there was something and the straw ended up in his nose. Friends as we all know are always on the look out for a moment  to laugh upon. And what better moment when the student tried to lift up his head from the straw but the shake went into his nose and his face became gloomy. I noticed his face and the confidence he showed before taking the tray was not seen now. We can all be confident about certain things in our life but simple interruptions can evaporated our confidence.

When I read out the verse for today's meditation you might have been surprised as to why I have yet again chosen the same verse. When I read it again I felt it can be looked at from another perspective too. Day before yesterday we looked at the passion that Paul had and today this same verse we look at the confidence Paul has.

Despite the difficult circumstances Paul was undergoing, he remained confident in the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Since we dealt in detail with his circumstance yesterday am not going into the details yet again. But one thing is sure that his circumstances could not have been any more difficult, but, his confidence could not have been any greater.

And this is what he says, "that my circumstances have turned our for the greater progress of the gospel." When he says, "what has happened to me/my circumstances" he is talking about his imprisonment.

He talks about his imprisonment in verse 13,14 and 17. There is no denial on Paul's part here about his imprisonment. And as he looks at his imprisonment, these circumstances are dire. They are dreadful. They are desperate. And yet, from eternal perspective, he says, "(these) circumstances have turned out for the greater progress."

Not just "a little progress," but "for the greater progress of the gospel." From Paul's perspective the most important thing in his life is the advancement of the gospel. It is not his personal safety or comfort that he is concerned about. What is most important in Paul's life is for the gospel to progress and to move forward. We dealt in detail the previous day when we meditated on the same verse.

In 2 Timothy 2:8-9 we find Paul saying, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!"

Paul says, "I am in prison, but the word of God is not in prison. I am in chains, but you cannot chain the gospel and hold it back." The gospel is indomitable. And the more the messenger or the servant of the gospel is persecuted, the further the gospel will go. It rises on the wings of opposition. Church historian Tertullian coined it beautifully in the famous phrase which is commonly used "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church."

This is the reason why Paul is so confident. He knows as he preaches the gospel, whether he is in prison, out of prison, whatever the circumstances as he preaches the gospel, there are those who have been appointed unto eternal life, and they shall believe them. We need to understand that Paul does not share this because he wants personal sympathy from the Philippians. He does not do it to manipulate other Christians to come in now around him and give him their attention. Paul does it for the very opposite reason. He does it so that the Philippians will be encouraged, so that they will be confident, so that they live in Philippi and as they are facing opposition for the gospel, they will stand up and speak up and testify for the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why Paul shares this personal experience with them, so that they will step out by faith and emulate him.

Dear Friends there will be pullbacks and oppositions in our life. Like Paul is it possible for us to say, "Let it come. It is for the progress of the gospel." This is Paul's confidence. This must be our confidence as well, that we truly believe that every difficulty, and every setback, and every opposition cannot stop the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that God will use it to further the cause of His kingdom in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God Bless you.
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Location: Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

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