People's motives in serving Christ vary from pure to sinful. However, other men’s motives should not rob us of the joy of Jesus Christ being preached.
God looks for opportunities to show Himself strong in the lives of His saints. This is true both historically and in the lives of His people living today.
Life is full of suffering that occurs for various reasons. Yet, the Christian is admonished never to suffer as a result of his wrongdoing.
Most men place their greatest emphases upon the here and now. Paul knew that life truly began at the moment man leaves his body to be present with the Lord.
Men tend to fret over the motives behind others’ actions. Instead, men should trust the Lord to deal with the motives at the judgment seat of Christ.
It was said that Peter’s death would “glorify God.” Obviously, it is not only necessary to glorify God in one’s life but also possible to glorify God in death.
Biblically speaking, a man’s name is equal to his character (Proverbs 22:1). This is why God’s character is often defined by His name. Faithful and true are two words that describe the very nature of God, but they are also names by which the Son of God will be called at His second advent (Revelation 19:11). Even the name Jesus was associated with the person and work of our Lord (Matthew 1:21). These names, and many more like them, are well known to believers, but few know that the Lord’s name is also said to be Jealous. Why? Because that is who He is! He is the One true and living God who demands man’s sole attention. Just as He is Faithful and True, God is also Jealous.
The apostle Paul knew the importance of having believers pray for him. Among the things for which he requested prayers, Paul specifically asked for prayer that he might maintain a good conscience, living honestly in all things. He did not trust the condition of his conscience to his own efforts but depended upon the Lord’s willingness to hear and answer the prayers of the saints. Unfortunately, far too many Christians have become entirely self-reliant and self-trusting. As such, fewer believers request or take part in prayer for another man’s conscience. Instead, prayer has generally been reduced to one’s needs whether they are physical, material, or financial. Scriptural Christianity places a greater concern for the conscience.
In the presence of others, Paul carefully behaved himself in such a way to bring glory to God. For example, when Paul was in the presence of the believers at Thessalonica, he was gentle, “even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” He laboured “night and day” because he “would not be chargeable” to the believers. Paul conducted himself in such a godly way that he had no problem suggesting that the believers themselves were witnesses of “how holily and justly and unblameably” he had behaved among them. Paul thought his testimony was so important that he would rather personally suffer than bring any reproach or blame upon himself or the work of God.
God often allows problems to enter people’s lives in order to facilitate His initial plans. For example, God had already expressed His desire to Abram for him to separate from his kindred. For various reasons, Abram had not obeyed God up until this point. In order to bring about God’s desired will, He allowed conflict to enter between the herdmen of Abram and those of Lot. The solution to this unnecessary conflict was quite simple. Abram suggested that they part ways (God’s initial plan) and Abram turned toward the land of Canaan (God’s initial plan). The Lord used the same tactic in the early church to get them to spread out and to preach His word outside of Jerusalem (see Acts 1:8 and Acts 8:1).
