Si vous persévérez dans la foi fondée et établie, et ne pas s’éloigner de l’espérance de l’Évangile, ce que vous avez entendu, et qui a été prêché à toute créature qui est sous le ciel; dont moi, Paul, je suis fait ministre; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily (Colossiens 1:23-29)
Paul was a minister of Jesus Christ and the church and didn’t mind going through all the sufferings for Christ’s sake and for His body’s sake.
Paul knew the importance of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world and calling sinners to repentance and by faith and regeneration in Christ (the death of the vieil homme (chair) in Christ and the resurrection from the dead of the homme nouveau (esprit) dans le Christ) reconcile man to God. Because without the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ many people would be lost, which is not according to the will of God.
And so Paul preached the gospel among the Jews and the Gentiles, to whom he was called. Paul warned the people, visited the local churches and edified the saints in the wisdom of God, so that they would get to know the will of God and grow up into the image of Christ.
Le prix à payer pour accomplir la Parole de Dieu
Paul knew about the strive and hardships and was aware of the price to fulfill the Word of God among the saints. And so Paul experienced resistance, strive, and persecution while fulfilling his task as a minister of Jesus Christ and the church.
Because to fulfill the Word of God among the saints, meant to fully preach the truth of God, which was not always appreciated by everyone.
Paul not only spoke encouraging words, but also spoke hard words, which called the saints to live holy lives, the removal of sin and loyalty to God, and corrected and warned the saints.
Because without correction and warnings a person can’t grow or may grow in the wrong direction.
Paul instructed the saints in all wisdom and corrected and warned the saints in love, because Paul didn’t want anyone of them to be lost, but that all would be and remain saved (Lire aussi: ‘Une fois sauvegardé, Toujours économisé?’).
Many times hard words are necessary to awaken people spiritually and cause a change in the church, in the lives of the saints.
The preaching of the gospel
Car la grâce de Dieu qui apporte le salut est apparue à tous les hommes, Nous apprendre que, Nier l’impiété et les convoitises mondaines, Nous devons vivre sobrement, Justement, et pieux, dans le monde actuel; À la recherche de cette espérance bénie, et l’apparition glorieuse du grand Dieu et de notre Sauveur Jésus-Christ; Qui s’est donné lui-même pour nous, afin qu’il nous rachète de toute iniquité, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zèle pour les bonnes œuvres. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee (Tite 2:11-15)
Although the words and approach of Paul were according to the will of God, in our days, many believers consider Paul’s words and approach harsh, unloving, and inhuman.
This is mainly because many are not né de nouveau, but the flesh reigns and therefore people can’t bear the words and truth of God anymore, and receive correction and warnings.
Beaucoup de gens, who are warned and corrected often feel offended, indignant, hurt, and treated unfairly, and many times they walk away from the person or church, who corrected them. This only proves that the flesh of the person has not died in Christ, mais est toujours en vie.
In order to prevent, that their words cause unpleasant feelings and/or emotions in people, and people feel offended and leave the church, many preachers and elders of the church stay silent and don’t warn and correct the people, but leave them alone and have their way, under the cloak of love, respect, and forgiveness.
They not only leave them alone and allow them to stay the way they are, but they call the members of the church to do the same thing and follow their example. And so many things, qui ne sont pas selon la volonté de Dieu, are tolerated in the church.
Fear for the world
Si tu étais du monde, le monde aimerait les siens: mais parce que tu n'es pas du monde, mais je t'ai choisi hors du monde, donc le monde te déteste. Souviens-toi de la parole que je t'ai dite, Le serviteur n'est pas plus grand que son seigneur. S'ils m'ont persécuté, ils te persécuteront aussi; s'ils ont gardé ma parole, ils garderont le vôtre aussi. Mais ils vous feront toutes ces choses à cause de mon nom., parce qu'ils ne connaissent pas Celui qui m'a envoyé (John 15:19-21)
Out of fear for the world, opinions of people, rejet, and losing people, they adjust the words of the Bible and water the gospel down, and take into account the feelings, émotions, and opinions of people.
And so they prove, by their actions, that their fear (awe) of people is greater than their fear of God and that they walk in fausses lois and have become promoters of sin instead of promoters of righteousness. Because the love of God doesn’t compromise with the world and sin (Lire aussi: ‘The love and grace of God doesn’t compromise with...’ et ‘Is Jesus a Promoter of sin?')
Perfect love cast out fear
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; mais de pouvoir, and of love, et d’un esprit sain. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 Timothée 1:7-12)
God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son Jesus Christ, Jesus gave His life out of love, and if you love God above all, you will give your life to Him. Just like Paul, who loved God above all and had given his whole life to -and for Him and didn’t rely on himself, but relied wholeheartedly on Him.
Unlike many leaders today, who walk in fear for people and sympathize and compromise with the wickedness of the world and adjust and/or reject the words of God, Paul walked in the love for God, which cast out all fear; fear for the world, Peur pour les gens, fear for the devil and demons, fear to preach the gospel, fear to speak the truth of God, fear for rejection, fear for resistance, fear for persecution, fear for strive, fear for sufferings, etc..
Despite all the resistance, persécutions, imprisonments for the sake of the Name of Jesus Christ, Paul continued and endured all things, to complete his task and fulfill the Word of God, even the mystery which had been hidden from ages and from generations, but was revealed to His saints, and to warn and teach every man in all the wisdom of God to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
'Soyez le sel de la terre’
