“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18)
Proclamation; this is how the Christmas incarnation of Jesus still remains gifted to the world!
Do you marvel at those with seemingly unmovable faith and focus? Paul seems to be an example of this.
Paul seems to have arrived at a point of experience of God and faith where the dreadful hardships of imprisonment and the behaviour of rivalrous and envious people could be looked past. He writes how the proclamation of Christ continued regardless of the hearts of those who proclaimed it. Whether this proclamation is from hearts of selfish ambition or goodwill, the gospel of Christ was still made known. How remarkable! Paul seems resolved to see the good of how the gospel rings out and to be confident it continues to do so despite the crookedness of the human condition of some who proclaimed it.
As I reflect on this reading, I appreciate how Paul’s words call forward through time to me. Sometimes, I am discouraged as I perceive the sharing of the gospel to be tricky in its presentation. And then I read the Bible and see experiences recorded from 2,000 years ago that could have been concerning, too. Paul comments on being imprisoned for the defence of the gospel, but he reassures us that the gospel of Christ goes forth regardless of the motivation of the ones sharing it. He says the proclamation of Christ continued to happen from those of diverse hearts but also from many who grew in confidence in Christ and in goodwill. I’m encouraged that despite the challenges of the “human condition” in delivering the gospel, it still went forth, and the good news of Jesus spread.
Between then and now, the perfection of the gospel of Christ has continued to be shared by imperfect people — as Paul shared, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretence or truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice”. How grateful one can be for this.
Prayer
Lord, I sing praises to Your Name for the Word going out around the world! I pray that the Word provides the hope and blessings to those who hear it, and that the Word is shared among those who need it.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
