“I do it all for the sake of the gospel…”
- Tenderly considering the consciences of weak brethren (1 Cor 8:7-13)
- Forfeiting personal rights (9:1-11)
- Enduring anything rather than being an obstacle (9:12)
- Making self a servant to all (9:19-22)
“I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings” (9:23).
The gospel is bigger than any one of us and all of us put together, the door to every spiritual blessing in Christ. The gospel is weightier than my preferences, opinions, or politics. The gospel is more precious than any personal right. As God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, we dare not put any obstacle in its way. If the Lord tarries, the gospel will endure long after our time on this earth is complete. As nations rise and fall, the gospel will continue to stand as the bridge to eternal life until our Savior and King returns.
No one who serves a handful of decades for the sake of the gospel will look back 1,000 years from now with regret over the cost. But how amazing that 5,000 years from now? Someone you know could still be enjoying the blessings of the gospel due in some small part to the sacrifices you were willing to make and the way you allowed your light to selflessly shine. How incredible that someone you’ll never meet in this life could still be enjoying the outcome of the gospel 10,000 years from now because the God of providence somehow wove the money you contributed, the time you volunteered, the energy you expended into a ripple effect that touched the heart of another image-bearer on the other side of the planet? How immeasurably precious will it be at that point, and for eternity, to share with them in the gospel’s blessings?
“I do it all for the sake of the gospel…” Eternity-shaping words to remember and adopt this week.