Reading: Colossians 4:2-6
Imagine with me for a
moment that you are in prison for the Gospel. You were unjustly tried
and unjustly held because you weren't willing o pay a bribe (Acts
24:26). Your normal routine of traveling to churches and caring for
the saints and traveling to new cities where you would preach the
Gospel to unbelievers has been completely stopped. Now imagine
that you are writing a letter from prison and requesting prayer.
What do you think would be on the top of that list? Might it be,
“Pray that the Lord would open this prison door that I might be
able to travel about preaching and teaching...”?
Contrast that with Paul's request.
Devote
yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3And
pray for us, too, that
God may open a door for our message,
so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in
chains. 4Pray
that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5Be
wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity. 6Let
your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so
that you may know how to answer everyone.
(Colossians 4:2-6)
Paul was not
concerned with whether or not he was locked up; Paul was concerned
with whether or not the Gospel was locked up. And Paul knows
that the Gospel can be freely
preached by people locked up, and that the Gospel can be bound and
locked up in people who are free. Paul's prayer request seems to be
missing a request that the doors of the prison would open and he
would go free. Instead he requests prayer that doors for
the Gospel would open so that people might go free!
(See Acts 26:17-18 and Isaiah 49:6, 9.)
We see a beautiful
example of this when Paul and Silas were in Philippi (Acts 16:23-37).
They were severely flogged, thrown in jail, and fastened in stocks;
yet they were praying and singing to God at midnight. With an
earthquake, the doors of the prison flew open. Rather than running
out they waited, and when the jailer was about to kill
himself—thinking all the prisoners had left—they stopped him.
Now many would think their prayer was about to be answered as the
enemy of the Gospel (the jailer) killed himself. Paul knew his
prayer was about to be answered as he stopped him and preached the
Gospel to him. Paul was allowing the Gospel to take captive his
captors (Isaiah 14:2).
Amazingly, after going
to the jailers house and baptizing his household and eating a meal,
Paul and Silas returned to the prison by morning for the sake of this
man's life! Paul's concern was for open doors for the Gospel, not
his personal freedom. Paul knew that limits on his personal freedom
could result in advances for the Gospel (Philippians 1:12-14). So
Paul's prayer request is for the advance of the Gospel through his
life in prison and also for its advance through the church in their
lives of freedom. He instructs us, “Be wise in the way you
act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your
conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you
may know how to answer everyone.”
Are
you using your freedoms for Gospel advances?
Is the advance of the Gospel the highest purpose of your life? Are
you looking for those who are bound up in darkness and desiring that
they be free and come to the light? Do
you pray God would use your limitations for the advance of the
Gospel? What are your
limitations? How can they bring you before those in darkness? I
remember several years ago a lady who had just found out she had
cancer (after having already been through it before), rejoicing for
the opportunity to share Christ with those in the hospital! If you
don't have a car and you have to take the bus, think of how that
limitation opens up a door for the Gospel. Wherever you are,
whatever your freedoms or limitations, salt your conversation with
the Gospel and make the most of every opportunity!
Love the Gospel,
Live the Gospel, Advance the Gospel,
Jerry
