From: August 1, 2024
‘I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”’ (Romans 15:20-21 ESV).
The apostle Paul had a gospel ambition. His great desire was to preach Christ to people who had never heard the good news. Quoting Isaiah 52:15 as his biblical basis, he sought to tell those who have never been told to “see” and to “understand” the gospel.
The dictionary defines “ambition” as “a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.” That certainly describes Paul’s life. Indeed, he gave his life for the sake of the gospel.
What’s your ambition? What do you have a strong desire to do or to achieve? What are you willing and determined to work hard for, to sacrifice for, to even lay your life down for? What’s your life’s ambition?
As followers of Christ Jesus, let us examine our hearts in this. Let us decide with Paul to make it our life’s ambition to proclaim the gospel to everyone until they all see and understand the good news that Jesus saves.
PRAYER: Dear Father you have asked in Your Word, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?” (Isa. 55:2). And we must confess that we are often distracted by worldly ambitions. We pursue things that have no eternal value. Forgive us. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit. Give us a gospel ambition. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: August 1, 2023
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13 NLT).
The apostle Paul prayed that the Romans would overflow with confident hope. What is this hope and how can we obtain it? It is Christian hope. This is different from the hope we express as a wish. When we say, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow,” we are expressing a wish without any promise of fulfillment. But Christian hope is like a rope anchored on both ends. One end is anchored in the historical fact of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, while the other end passes through the veil and is anchored to the throne of God where Jesus sits at the Father’s right hand. This confident hope is anchored to God’s fulfilled promise in Christ’s first coming on one end and anchored on the other by God’s future promise in Christ’s return. So we can take hold of this hope like a rope anchored on both ends.
Yet, even more this hope is from God who abides in us when we believe and “overflows” in us through His Spirit. This confident hope is marked by joy and peace because we are confident that God has kept His promises and will always keep His promises.
How can we obtain this hope? Take hold of Christ who is our hope. Christ is God’s promise to us both fulfilled and future. We can have this overflowing and confident hope because it is anchored in God through Jesus Christ.
PRAYER: Father, thank You for the hope we have today in Christ Jesus. We take hold of this hope afresh today. Help us to cling to You rather than depending on any other in this world. As we abide in Your Holy Spirit today cause us to be filled with joy and peace, overflowing with confident hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: August 1, 2022
THE OLD TESTAMENT IS FOR OUR INSTRUCTION AND HOPE
The apostle Paul declared that the Old Testament was written for our instruction and hope. Although as Christians we live under the New Covenant of grace and are not under the authority of the Old Covenant law, we are still encouraged to learn and be encouraged by it. For all Scripture is of spiritual benefit.
New believers who begin reading the Old Testament for the first time are often disturbed by its graphic portrayal of human sin and God’s holiness and wrath towards sin. But it’s important to recognize the two streams contained in the Old Covenant, one for our instruction and one to encourage hope.
The stream for our instruction flows tortuous and muddy as through a valley, filled with real stories of human sin, violence and judgment. Seeing its filthy flow, we are overwhelmed and often disgusted. We wonder why a loving God would allow for such. Why would this stream of stories even be in the Bible?
The second stream rushes down from the mountain, cool and clean, it sparkles in the sun as it gushes down rocky heights with revelations of God’s righteousness, forgiveness and love. Observing this awesome torrent and hearing its mighty roar, we are filled with longing and hope. We have a deep desire to dive into its crystal clear depths, yet one inward glance at our fragile fallen selves reminds us that we would be destroyed beneath its crashing flow.
Yet as we follow the two streams passing from the Old Testament to the New, we see them converge. The two streams of Scripture crash together at the cross of Christ. We finally understand. Seen through the lens of the cross it all makes sense. Our sin and God’s righteousness collide in Christ. He took our sin, separation and death, that we might have His righteousness, sonship and life.
The two streams were included in the Scriptures to teach us, that we might have hope and encouragement in Christ. For the Old finds its fulfillment in Christ. We read and understand the Old through the lens of the New, through Christ Jesus!
PRAYER: Dear Father, as we study Your Word teach us by Your Spirit to apply it rightly to ourselves. We give thanks for Your Word. May it strengthen our endurance and encourage our souls. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: August 1, 2016
Scripture contains two streams. One stream flows tortuous and muddy through a valley, filled with real stories of human sin, violence and judgment. Seeing its filthy flow, we are overwhelmed and often disgusted. We wonder why a loving God would allow for such. Why would this stream of stories even be in the Bible? The second stream falls down from the mountains cool and clean, it sparkles in the sun as it gushes down rocky heights with revelations of God’s righteousness, forgiveness and love. Observing this dangerous torrent and hearing its mighty roar, we are filled with a fearful longing. We have a deep desire to dive into its crystal clear depths, yet one inward glance at our fragile fallen selves reminds us that we would be destroyed beneath its crashing flow. Then, as we follow the two streams passing from the Old Testament to the New, we see them converge. The two streams of Scripture crash together at the cross of Christ. We finally understand. Seen through the lens of the cross it all makes sense. Our sin and God’s righteousness collide in Christ. He took our sin, separation and death, that we might have His righteousness, sonship and life. The two streams of Scripture were written for our “instruction,” both for our endurance and encouragement, that we might have hope in Christ.
From: August 1, 2015
Today’s constant prayer: Show me, teach me, lead me… I’m waiting. Not passively, but actively. Not without moving, but as I move today, being fully present looking for You, O Lord.
From: August 1, 2012
The apostle Paul described his church-planting strategy: Go where no one has yet heard. This strategy informs our approach at WCC. We want to be a church that grows by preaching the gospel in a clear and relevant way to a generation that is far from God. Do you know someone who has “never heard of Him?” Invite them to join you at WCC this Sunday!
From: August 1, 2011
Paul’s ambition should be ours. Do we have zeal to see the gospel preached to those who haven’t heard? Christ wants us to crucify our old ambitions and have them replaced with Christ’s. Christ came to seek and to save them which are lost. What’s your ambition?