Paul Fought for This

Here is a verse we often reference, John 13:34-35 (CEB):

“I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.”

Jesus knows we can love as He loves, when we trust in His work.

How many times do we try to talk Jesus out of this? We think we can never be like Jesus. We focus on our sin and all the reasons for this not to be true. If we’re being honest, we often are guilty of spending more energy trying to say this isn’t possible, than persuading others it’s true.    

Now consider where the Apostle Paul spends his energy.

28 This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ. 29 I work hard and struggle for this goal with his energy, which works in me powerfully. (Colossians 1, CEB)

Do you see it?  Paul’s goal that he works hard and struggles for is to “present each one mature in Christ.” He tells the Christians in Ephesus the church is to be organized around this goal.

11 He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. 12 His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ 13 until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4, CEB)

We are to be working together, focusing our energy on helping one another love as Jesus loves!  

Paul suffered greatly for this purpose. He gave everything. Here he gives a brief account of what he went through,

23 Are they ministers of Christ? I’m speaking like a crazy person. What I’ve done goes well beyond what they’ve done. I’ve worked much harder. I’ve been imprisoned much more often. I’ve been beaten more times than I can count. I’ve faced death many times. 24 I received the “forty lashes minus one” from the Jews five times. 25 I was beaten with rods three times. I was stoned once. I was shipwrecked three times. I spent a day and a night on the open sea. 26 I’ve been on many journeys. I faced dangers from rivers, robbers, my people, and Gentiles. I faced dangers in the city, in the desert, on the sea, and from false brothers and sisters. 27 I faced these dangers with hard work and heavy labor, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, and in the cold without enough clothes.

28 Besides all the other things I could mention, there’s my daily stress because I’m concerned about all the churches. 29 Who is weak without me being weak? Who is led astray without me being furious about it? (2 Corinthians 11, CEB)

Why did he go through all this? Remember the goal we mentioned, to “present each one mature in Christ.” 

When you read Paul’s other letters, it is clear he believed the work of Jesus Christ changes us. Through this work, we are made new and we live our lives just as He said we would, loving as He loves.

Paul gave so much for others to hear this message, praying they would hear and live their lives loving as Jesus loves.  

May we continue to hear this message today!

Blessings,

Pastor Matt