All For Christ (Main Course-XLM)

1 Corinthians 4

In verses 9-13, Paul gave weight to the sacrifices of an apostle…It’s no joke.  Though we can’t really sacrifice enough to give back to our unconditionally loving Savior, we share with his suffering and endure every pain in life, ALL FOR HIM.

⁹ For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.¹⁰ For Christ’s sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honored!¹¹ To this very moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are clothed in rags; we are beaten; we wander from place to place;¹² we wear ourselves out with hard work. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;¹³ when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. We are no more than this world’s garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment! - 1 Cor.4:9-13

What a sacrifice! But while I was reading this passage, I discerned that it is a divine and noble living for Christ.  After all, we are truly called to share in His suffering.  It is all from Christ’s mouth:

¹⁸ If the world hates you, just remember that it has hated me first.¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you as its own. But I chose you from this world, and you do not belong to it; that is why the world hates you.²⁰ Remember what I told you: 
         Slaves are not greater than their master. If people persecuted me, they will persecute you too; if they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours too. - John 15:18-20

It is our living.  And we should not be fearful about it because we know God is with us through all our endurance in this world.  He also gave us implied way of doing it (and it also boils down to following Christ’s example):

¹⁹ God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will.²⁰ For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.²¹ It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps.²² He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.²³ When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge.²⁴ Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. - 1 Peter 2:19-24

This is GRACE.  It’s by God’s grace that He chose to sacrifice His Son for us, and it’s also by grace that we can endure the sufferings we share in Christ till the end, because it is to this that God called us.  We can’t imagine the great suffering of Christ (every whip, every wound, every stripe…) “for every sin, on him was laid”…It should have been us.  But he took and embraced the cross.  What an indescribable GRACE!

In this world, we know we would be wounded.  It may be a wound of loss, of denial, or persecution, of false accusation, among others.  But we should not lose heart.

A great encouragement from apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:13)

¹³ Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed.

Xtremely Loaded Meal (1 Corinthians 4)

Soli Deo Gloria!

—————-

Pray that

• our lives will be pleasing to God by sharing in Christ’s suffering in this world
• that God would continue to strengthen us to endure every pain this world may bring

Related source: http://www.edwardfudge.com/written/ulcers57.html

I’m currently enjoying sharing God’s Words through social networking and blog sites.  I should have done this before.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit who guides me in every decision and realization in life. He convicts me and tells me to stop wasting my time by posting ideas and things which won’t have anything to do with eternity.  

“This life is not all there is” our Pastor would always tell us.  And yes, it’s true.  There’s life beyond.  We should be investing on it.  Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, to name a few, are but channels of connecting with and reaching out people.  Why not maximize and utilize it for heavenly purposes?

Here are my accounts (if you’d care to add/follow me):

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/moon.danipog

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/twitfrommoon

LiveJournal:  lunadanipog.livejournal.com (Christian blogs, all about God, and devotionals)

God bless everyone! =)

?