Ephesians 6:19-20
“and pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
For over 23 years we at Christians In Crisis, Int’l, Inc., have been covering Christian Persecution, and whenever I come across an amazing story of how a saint endured such hardships, it encourages me.
I remember reading about the underground church in China and how so many of their members were jailed and tortured. The Chinese government would change the guards daily for fear that the believers would lead them to faith In CHRIST. Their fears were justified -- many of those guards did come to faith! It was a repeat of Paul’s days of imprisonment where he boldly proclaimed CHRIST to his captors.
In Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus, observe how he describes himself -- an ambassador in chains. Locked away in a prison, Paul adamantly refuses to allow his circumstances to dictate or alter his identity. He may be in chains, but he remains an ambassador for CHRIST.
Can you imagine Paul chained up in that dungeon, throwing up his hands saying, "That's it; it's over; I'm finished!?
Not on your life! Instead, the apostle grows bolder as an ambassador; not intimidated or ashamed, because Paul isn't chained in his Spirit, he's only bound in the flesh. Remember how he concludes his letter to the Philippian Church declaring, "I can do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me."
As modern day followers of CHRIST JESUS, we should not allow ourselves to be defined by our past, or "chained" by our current circumstances. The LORD has also called us to be an ambassador for Him.
With so much work to be done, we ought to be growing even bolder, right in the midst of our trials and tribulations!
Prayer:
Heavenly FATHER, I praise and thank You for calling me to Yourself and making me Your child through what JESUS did for me on the cross. In Him, I am now able to be called righteous, not for anything I have done, but because of His sacrifice. You have called us as believers to go into the world and make disciples of every nation. I ask that You give me a courage and boldness to share Your truth and Your Gospel with those around me, whether that is online or with another person face to face. -I pray that those you place in my path would see Your great love for them in the truth that I share. In JESUS’ Name, Amen.