sake, which is the church, Whereof I am made a minister. . . .” You see, Paul was an evangelist, but he also had a ministry to the church — to instruct, to correct, and to reprove (cf. II Tim. 3:16, 17). In fulfilling this ministry, Paul was obliged to suffer. Elsewhere we read of that suffering. He was beaten with stripes; he was stoned, ship wrecked, persecuted, wearied and hungered (II Cor. 11:24-28). In the Epistle to the Galatians Paul de clares that he bore in his body the THE DAY I D ID N 'T READ M Y BIBLE The day I failed to read my Bible Everything went wrong; Unkind thoughts rose up within me Took away my song; Small cares burdened and beset me. Even God seemed to forget me, All through the day long. Because I didn't read my Bible God seemed far away; Could not feel His blessed presence Bright'ning all my way. Couldn't feel Him there beside me. By His Word to help and guide me. In His loving arms to hide me, Could not even pray. Now each day my open Bible On the table lies; Telling forth God's loving greatness; Love that never dies; Now I feel His presence near me, By His Word to bless and cheer me, When I pray I know He'll hear me He in love replies. — '"Grandma" Clifton marks, the brands, of the Lord Jesus (6:17). Did Paul complain about this? Was he downhearted or dis couraged? No! He rejoiced in his suffering because it was suffering for Christ’s sake. It was a partial and present fulfillment of that for which he longed, his desire, as ex pressed to believers at Philippi, that he m i g h t know by experience Christ’s sufferings (Phil. 3:10). Verse twenty-six tells us: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but 33
paid? No, indeed! We who were alienated and enemies in mind in wicked works, now hath He recon ciled — how? Verse twenty-two tells us: “In the body of his flesh through death.” God does the reconciling; not we! He hath reconciled us, through the blood of His Son. And now, note why God had re conciled us to Himself. Is it to make us happy? It does not say so. Is it simply to deliver us from the penalty of sin? This is not what the Spirit of God tells us through the Apostle Paul. No! “He hath reconciled [us] in the body of His flesh through death, [Listen!] . . . to present you holy and unblameable and unreprove- able in his sight.” First, we have been reconciled, that we may be presented holy. Holi ness, it seems clear, is that inward purity and devotion to God which marks us as His own. To be holy is to be right in our relationship God-ward. Second, we have been re conciled that we may be presented unblameable, or better, without blem ish. The walk of the believer is pre paratory to this. Our bodies are to be presented as living sacrifices, without blemish, as the sacrifices of old had to be. Our conduct and our character are to be worthy of the Lord. To be without blemish is to be right in our relationship before all men as well as before God. Third, we have been reconciled that we may be presented unreproveable. One day we shall stand before God, and no charge will be brought against us, but we shall stand in glorious purity, every sin, every accusation gone. All of this is by grace; all is through the blood of the Cross of Christ. It is all future, but it should begin to show forth today. In verse twenty-four, the Apostle writes: “Who now rejoice in my suf ferings” (the word who is not found in some MSS) so it reads: “I now rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s
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