Philippians 1:12-14 "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; (13) So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; (14) And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."
Do you ever wonder why things happen in your life? I think we probably wonder
about that more when bad things happen; more so, than when we are in the good
times of our lives. As we read this book of Philippians, again
understanding that Paul is in prison, he doesn't ask "why" this has
happened to him. In verse 12, he tells us why this happened to him:
"the things which happened unto me have fallen out ... unto the furtherance
of the gospel." Can you imagine? Paul is saying, "I am in this
prison cell so I can preach the Gospel to people that I would have otherwise
never met." What a concept!
Can you see how selfless the Apostle Paul was concerning the preaching of the
Gospel? He said, "By my bonds (chains) in prison, my bonds (chains)
in Christ are manifest (openly seen) in all the palace, and in all other
places." Be certain, there is a great difference between being bound
by man and being bound to Christ. One tries to imprison and the other liberates
to a glorious freedom that is experienced by following Christ. Paul had been
made free, in Christ, to boldly preach the good news of redemption in Christ
Jesus to others who had been imprisoned - including the prison guard. As a
result, many others became bold in sharing their faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Because of Paul's boldness, others were freed from the prison of fear
to do what the Lord called them to do.
How is it with us today? Are we free in our thoughts, habits, and traditions in
order to follow the leadership of God? Is there something that is preventing us
from enjoying the complete freedom and joy that is found only in Jesus
Christ? If so, what is it? You don't have to answer to me, but if there
is something holding us back from the glorious freedom and peace of Jesus
Christ, is it not time to lay it down - give it to Jesus - that it might be
healed and we might be delivered into His joy, peace, and love?