EPHESIANS 3:1

“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—”

Consider this: You wake up behind bars with your best friend. What are the first four words you say? Mine would be “What did you do?” Most of the time when someone is put behind bars, they proclaim their innocence to anyone who will listen. And that is true sometimes. But it’s been said that everyone who is behind bars thinks they are innocent. There are also A LOT of guilty people behind bars today.

Paul proclaims his guilt. He is a prisoner because he preached Jesus. Those in authority in the religious world did not like that, so they screamed his guilt. Now, it is true that what they accused him of was not true. But Paul was definitely guilty of going against the laws they held. Paul preached Jesus as the only way of salvation, not the Mosaic law. And why did he do this? He says so – “for the sake of you Gentiles.”

APPLICATION

If sharing Jesus with someone was a crime (and it is in some parts of the world), would you obey that law or share anyway? Would you risk imprisonment for the cause of Christ? In John 15:18-19, we read these words of Christ. “‘18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.’”

We can’t expect the world to like it when we expose their darkness. Have you ever gone into a dark room, flipped on the light and see cockroaches scurry into the nearest crack? They don’t like to be exposed. They prefer the darkness. So, when you let your “little light” shine, the world will probably respond back with force, maybe even threats.

In times like these, I am reminded of Joshua 1:9. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Christ is with you whether you are free or behind bars. Don’t let anyone cause you to tremble. The God of all ages is your strength.

Father, give me the courage to face down any giants that may threaten me.