Month: March 2021

2 Corinthians 4.1-6

There are many Christians who wince at the word evangelism and feel awkward. This is often because past experiences have been difficult. There are frequently strong emotions associated with the term. The proclaiming of the gospel in whatever form is opposed by the dominant cultural view in many countries including much of the West. This should not surprise us as Paul states, ‘the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers.’ ^V4 What is role of the Christian? It is to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. ^v5 For Paul this took many forms. At times he addressed large crowds, he met with women by a river during a time of prayer and talked with them. He visited people’s homes, he addressed small gatherings in homes, he spoke in court and he spoke to his jailers in prison. There is no one model and undoubtedly if ministering today he would use whatever modern means he could to proclaim Jesus. What the NIV translates, ‘preach’ the ESV translates ‘proclaim’ but the meaning is to herald. That is to go before and announce or introduce and to tell of the good things of Jesus.

Paul in this passage strongly qualifies his role in preaching the gospel with his attitude and approach as he proclaims. There is no room for self-promotion, he is not about creating a personal following. He terms himself a servant or slave for Jesus’ sake. ^v5 Underlying this is his awareness that the only difference between a Christian and an un-believer is that God in his mercy has opened the Christian’s blind eyes. It is the Spirit of God who does that not the preacher. The Christian then is to continue proclaiming Jesus and praying that God will open blind eyes by shining the light of the gospel into the hearts of unbelievers. ^v6

There are three basic heart attitudes the Christian should adopt when sharing the good news of Jesus.

Integrity – Open honesty that is genuine and sincere. ‘We have renounced disgraceful, underhand ways. We refuse to practise cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but in the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.’ ^v2

Faithful adherence – As the NIV translates we do not “distort” the word of God. This means we do not avoid the aspects that might be more uncomfortable to speak about. This includes sin, the need for repentance and the judgement of God. All of which Jesus was very clear about in his teaching.  We need to trust the Holy Spirit to attract people to Christ.

Humility – We are not to manipulate people or play on people’s vulnerabilities. It is Jesus we proclaim and we want people to make their own mind up as to whether to follow Jesus becoming convinced of the truth and led by the Holy Spirit.

(The content of this reflection draws on the Christianity Explored Leaders Handbook)

When we share the good news of Jesus do we pray that we will have the right attitude ourselves in how we relate to others?

Do we remain honest and humbly brave to speak about the whole gospel as the Spirit causes situations to arise?

Lord, I need you – Matt Maher

2 Corinthians 4.1-6

When Jesus gave his disciples the instruction to go into the whole world and ‘make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,’ he did not intend them to achieve this alone or purely by their personal powers of persuasion. He added, ‘And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ^{Matthew 28.19-20} Paul was deeply aware of the Spirit of Christ accompanying him as he preached and taught and therefore did not lose heart, ^v1 he was aware of the mercy of God in his ministry.

God’s role whenever the good news of Jesus is shared is to shine, ‘the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ^v6 He makes his light shine in our hearts. This is fundamental to anyone coming to faith in Jesus. That role cannot be replicated by a human. God enables us to see who Jesus is. It is a matter of the Holy Spirit revealing Christ to us. That is the moment when someone becomes a Christian, when they recognise Jesus for who he is. When Paul became a Christian on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, he saw miraculously a dazzling light. He asked, ‘Who are you Lord?’ Then Jesus replied, ‘I am Jesus.’ ^{Acts 9.5} Not only physical light but the light of revelation had shone into Paul’s heart and he grasped who Jesus really was and called him Lord.

When Jesus healed the man blind from birth he said, ‘I am the light of the world.’ ^{John 9.5} Jesus is the same God who brought light into the world at creation. Every time a person recognizes that Jesus is God and has come to save them from the consequences of their life of sin, God performs another miracle in their heart. It is no coincidence that the man who Jesus healed of blindness had been blind since birth ^{John 9.1} we all have been blinded by sin and the devil until God reveals himself to us.  The sharing of the gospel alone is not sufficient for an individual to become a Christian.

There is spiritual conflict over the hearts of people, the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. ^v3 The reason it is veiled is, ‘the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.’ ^v4  The devil causes people to pursue and desire the things of this world above a relationship with God. Whether that is popularity, possessions, relationships, sensual gratification, power and prestige or immediate temporary gratifications. People are blinded to anything that will open their eyes to see Jesus for who he is.

Part of the blindness can be that they think they have Jesus labelled, as a teacher, a dead prophet, a con merchant, a made up person to justify people’s beliefs, a myth. The devil wants and is happy when that is how Jesus is viewed. Anything to prevent people seeing Jesus as, ‘the light of the gospel for the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.’ ^v4

Who are you praying for that the Holy Spirit will open their blind eyes to see the glory of Christ?

Have you in your anxiety that someone should believe striven to do what only God can do?

Open our eyes Lord

John 17.6-12

Jesus continues his intercession for his disciples, ‘the ones given to him by the Father’, in this passage with a particular focus on them being sustained over the testing period ahead for them. Jesus continues to intercede for all disciples following his ascension to heaven. The High Priestly prayer we read here gives us an insight into how Jesus prays for all believers now. Hebrews 7.15 says, ‘he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.’ Paul emphasises this to Timothy, ‘For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ ^{1 Timothy 2.5} John confirms that Jesus carries on interceding for the church with specific reference to the continuing sanctification of believers as they struggle with sin in their lives. ‘My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ ^{1 John2.1}

Jesus’ prayer reminds us that does not negate the necessity for prayer. It is God’s chosen means of fellowship with people. Neither does God’s sovereignty make redundant the human responsibility to obey God’s word. ‘They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.’ ^v6  Believing in the sovereignty of God is an encouragement to pray because he has the power to answer prayer.

At this stage the disciples may not have fully understood that Jesus must die and be raised again. They also may have not understood how Jesus had fully fulfilled the motifs of the Messiah in the Old Testament: such as the lamb of God, the Temple, the High Priest and the Suffering Servant, but what they did know was Jesus came from God the Father. ^v8 Belief in the Trinity is essential for authentic Christian discipleship. All disciples have been given by God the Father to Jesus, who have faith in Jesus and obey the word of God.

The redeemed disciples bring glory to Jesus. ^v10 They have the security of belonging to God the Father and Jesus. Jesus knows he is about to leave them and this world and so he prays to the Father that he will protect them as he is about to be no longer physically present with them. ^v12 Now the disciples will have the protection that comes from the authority of God the Father. ^V11

Does the knowledge that Jesus prays for us help us to be obedient to his word?

How are you encouraged that Jesus prays for you?

Charlotte Church – The Lord’s Prayer (Live From Jerusalem 2001)

John 17.13-19

Sanctification is one of those technical words in the bible that can be difficult to apply to our lives in everyday terms. Jesus in these verses throws light on it in his prayer for his disciples to God the Father. The ESV global study bible sums up sanctification in this way, “The sanctification of Christians is a lifelong process. It involves separation from evil and growth in moral purity in attitudes, thoughts, and actions.” From this definition we can see that it remains an incomplete process this side of heaven. Jesus himself is the only person to have lived a life entirely free of sin, he therefore is our example. His prayer though shows an understanding of human frailty and now he seeks God the Father’s intervention to protect his disciples from the pressure of sin in the world and from Satan or the evil one. What is also clear is that Jesus expects his disciples to dedicate themselves to their personal sanctification and not use the inevitability of imperfection as an excuse for conforming to the pattern of the world.

Jesus emphasizes the joy of having Christ in their lives and sharing in his relationship with God the Father. The system of slavishly obeying rules is a failed system. God does not want grudging obedience, his desire is that we live the Christian life filled with the joy that Jesus had. ‘But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.’ ^v13 The world may try to convince us that God’s righteousness is dull, boring, limits our freedom, crushes our identity, whereas in truth the opposite applies. Living a life full of the Spirit, dedicated to love, peace, kindness, forgiveness and faithfulness is a joy filled life in close relationship with God the Father. The disciples have learnt this from words Jesus has spoken.

Jesus’ words caused a marked demarcation between those who were receptive to them and the wider world. Underlying this is the spiritual battle that was taking place. Jesus’ words caused extreme opposition about to culminate in his arrest, trial and crucifixion. Jesus was praying for his disciples because this battle was not going to end with his resurrection even though that struck the victory blow. When Jesus prayed, ‘that you keep them from the evil one,’ ^v15 he was praying for their continued sanctification despite temptation. He was also praying for their continuing mission in taking his word to the wider world.

The disciples were not to be miraculously taken out of the world and neither are we. We are to live in the world for the sake of others and the gospel. They were to be sanctified by his word and take the word to others. ‘Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. ^{vv 17-18} Jesus continues to be the High Priest before God praying for the church’s growth in holiness and effectiveness in taking the gospel to others making disciples.

Does it encourage you to pray that Jesus prayed for himself?

How might you pray in the light of this passage?

REVIVAL ANTHEM – Rend Collective