"18What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (Philippians 1: 18)
Paul was in prison, yet even there, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was preached without end. Reports indicate that Paul was even influencing people in Caesar's own home:
"21Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. 22All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household." (Philippians 4: 21-22)
Now, what greater revelation can we draw from this passage?
Paul had written something every powerful in another Epistle:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)
Let us not read law into this gracious passage.
Things do not work for us because we love God, but rather we are defined by our love for God.
And why do we love Him? "Because we are called according to his purpose."
He called on us to save us!
"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2: 39)
and also
"We love Him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 19)
So, whatever bad things may be happening in our lives, we can recognize that He is making all things work together for good. In the case of Paul's imprisonment and the challenges he faced from temporal adversaries, he could declare without reserve that they were furthering the Gospel.
We can attest today that in all these things, we are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8: 37)
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