“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.” (Romans 1:14,15)
If there were one word to use in describing Paul after his conversion, it would be unstoppable. From that Damascus road he went out to the known roads of his world to tell others about Christ. The countries he visited, the mission congregations he founded, the souls he led to the Savior are a matter of divine record. All of this was for Christ and for those souls. “I am obligated,” Paul said, “to preach the gospel.” For him no hill was too high, no sea too wide, no suffering too severe to slow him down. He just had to tell others.
Wasn’t it the same with Martin Luther? Till he breathed his last, his zeal to tell others was unstoppable. He preached, wrote, taught, fought, went himself, sent others, with one concern in mind. He wanted people to know Christ as he did. “The very best of all works,” he wrote, “is that the heathen have been led from idolatry to the knowledge of God.”
It’s not enough for me to say, “I know him.” Not enough to say, “My spouse knows him.” Not even enough to say, “My children and grandchildren know him.” How about my neighbors, not just those who share my culture but also those who are different? How about those nameless, faceless people in cities that are distant and countries far away? By God’s incredible grace the impossible has happened to me. I know Christ in the truest sense of the word. Now let my efforts to tell others be unstoppable too.
Prayer:
Lord, let Paul’s words fit me too: “I am so eager to preach the gospel.” Amen.
From Beside Quiet Waters by Richard E. Lauersdorf. All rights reserved.
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