Free of Charge
In the midst of the most holy of weeks, grace and peace be yours!
Hear the words of Paul;
But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one! For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:15-18
We are only a day away from our great Easter celebration. We shall all stand, and through our eyes of faith, join our voices with the great chorus of the saints who shout and proclaim He Is Risen, Alleluia! The victory won on that first Easter morning is ours to celebrate as our very own victory. Through the death of Jesus, we have received forgiveness and through His resurrection we have received eternal life. His victory is our victory by the grace of God.
I am not going to veer away from our study of First Corinthians on this Easter week, but rather seek to reveal Paul’s heart and his passionate love for Christ and all for whom Christ died! Paul has been addressing the fact that every servant of Christ who has been called to go forth into the world and devote their entire life to the Gospel ministry is to have their physical needs met by the very same Gospel ministry. Each congregation which is served by a servant of Christ placed in its midst to be their shepherd is to provide for this same servant the financial resources needed to live in this world without being placed in a position of hardship.
Paul has gone to great lengths to state that all the apostles of the Lord are provided for through the Gospel ministry, just as he also has the right to have his needs provided. Paul has the right, but Paul has chosen to forgo that right and be a “worker priest” in service to God. This means that Paul sought to work and provide his own financial resources for his daily expenses so as not to be a burden on the young congregations he was establishing. It was out of love for Christ and in response to the Gospel which had saved him that Paul sought to serve the people of God freely, without burden.
Notice, Paul had the right! He has made that clear. He has chosen to set aside his own rights and give himself for the sake of others. He gives of himself in such a way that others might be blessed even though it cost him. This is Paul’s way of living out the Gospel in a tangible way for the new converts who are gathered together to establish each new church he founds.
Paul is seeking to live as an example of Jesus for the people around him to see. He says, That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. What is the Gospel if it is not a gift given to us free of charge?
We stand exactly where those first disciples stood as the reality of the Gospel was unfolding before them. They will hear, as we do, “This is My body given for you. This is My blood shed for your forgiveness.” They, as we, are witnesses of the agony in the garden, the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus. They saw Jesus after He was beaten and abused through the night, only to stand in horror as the crowds shouted, “Crucify Him!” A murderer was set free, and Jesus was sent to the cross.
I find it hard to believe that there were any of the apostles who did not see Jesus on the cross. While we know John was at the foot of the cross with Mary and the other women, I am confident the others witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus from a distance. They needed to know what was happening. They may have even looked for Jesus to take Himself off the cross and obtain victory by force and power, which He could have done. All their hopes and dreams crumbled as they watched Him yield His spirit and die. When His head slumped in death, their hearts broke in agony and despair!
This agony and despair led them to hide themselves away behind locked doors through the long hours Friday night through Sunday morning. They lived each moment in fear that there would be a knock at the door and their lives would change forever. They feared whips, nails, and a cross just like that of Jesus. When that knock came, which they feared would come, it was a knock which did indeed change their lives forever, but not as they had expected. The voice on the other side of the door was not that of a soldier searching for the followers of Jesus. It was a voice they recognized with a message which was too good to be true! A message which was unbelievable. The women proclaimed what the angel had spoken, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen!” -- Luke 24:5-6 (CSB)
The disciples came to understand that Jesus had done everything that they might be forgiven of all their sins and restored as the children of God. This forgiveness and life was given to them freely by the grace of God. This Gospel touched and changed the life of Paul and he was committed to ensuring every person possible would know this free grace of God in Jesus. This was Paul’s motivation for serving without cost or burden on the church. Though he had the right, Paul chose to give freely his entire life to the cause of Christ for the salvation of the world.
As we journey through the next few days, the agony of Good Friday, the somberness of Holy Saturday, and the celebration of Easter Sunday, may we all cherish anew the free gift God has given to us. It is not by any merit or worthiness in us, but totally the love of God in Christ that we are saved by His grace.
Yes, may we lift our voices and sing! May we celebrate with joy the victory of our God which He has won for us. May we proclaim the ancient song of victory for all the world to know, “He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!” Amen!
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
Hear the words of Paul;
But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one! For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 1 Corinthians 9:15-18
We are only a day away from our great Easter celebration. We shall all stand, and through our eyes of faith, join our voices with the great chorus of the saints who shout and proclaim He Is Risen, Alleluia! The victory won on that first Easter morning is ours to celebrate as our very own victory. Through the death of Jesus, we have received forgiveness and through His resurrection we have received eternal life. His victory is our victory by the grace of God.
I am not going to veer away from our study of First Corinthians on this Easter week, but rather seek to reveal Paul’s heart and his passionate love for Christ and all for whom Christ died! Paul has been addressing the fact that every servant of Christ who has been called to go forth into the world and devote their entire life to the Gospel ministry is to have their physical needs met by the very same Gospel ministry. Each congregation which is served by a servant of Christ placed in its midst to be their shepherd is to provide for this same servant the financial resources needed to live in this world without being placed in a position of hardship.
Paul has gone to great lengths to state that all the apostles of the Lord are provided for through the Gospel ministry, just as he also has the right to have his needs provided. Paul has the right, but Paul has chosen to forgo that right and be a “worker priest” in service to God. This means that Paul sought to work and provide his own financial resources for his daily expenses so as not to be a burden on the young congregations he was establishing. It was out of love for Christ and in response to the Gospel which had saved him that Paul sought to serve the people of God freely, without burden.
Notice, Paul had the right! He has made that clear. He has chosen to set aside his own rights and give himself for the sake of others. He gives of himself in such a way that others might be blessed even though it cost him. This is Paul’s way of living out the Gospel in a tangible way for the new converts who are gathered together to establish each new church he founds.
Paul is seeking to live as an example of Jesus for the people around him to see. He says, That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. What is the Gospel if it is not a gift given to us free of charge?
We stand exactly where those first disciples stood as the reality of the Gospel was unfolding before them. They will hear, as we do, “This is My body given for you. This is My blood shed for your forgiveness.” They, as we, are witnesses of the agony in the garden, the betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus. They saw Jesus after He was beaten and abused through the night, only to stand in horror as the crowds shouted, “Crucify Him!” A murderer was set free, and Jesus was sent to the cross.
I find it hard to believe that there were any of the apostles who did not see Jesus on the cross. While we know John was at the foot of the cross with Mary and the other women, I am confident the others witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus from a distance. They needed to know what was happening. They may have even looked for Jesus to take Himself off the cross and obtain victory by force and power, which He could have done. All their hopes and dreams crumbled as they watched Him yield His spirit and die. When His head slumped in death, their hearts broke in agony and despair!
This agony and despair led them to hide themselves away behind locked doors through the long hours Friday night through Sunday morning. They lived each moment in fear that there would be a knock at the door and their lives would change forever. They feared whips, nails, and a cross just like that of Jesus. When that knock came, which they feared would come, it was a knock which did indeed change their lives forever, but not as they had expected. The voice on the other side of the door was not that of a soldier searching for the followers of Jesus. It was a voice they recognized with a message which was too good to be true! A message which was unbelievable. The women proclaimed what the angel had spoken, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen!” -- Luke 24:5-6 (CSB)
The disciples came to understand that Jesus had done everything that they might be forgiven of all their sins and restored as the children of God. This forgiveness and life was given to them freely by the grace of God. This Gospel touched and changed the life of Paul and he was committed to ensuring every person possible would know this free grace of God in Jesus. This was Paul’s motivation for serving without cost or burden on the church. Though he had the right, Paul chose to give freely his entire life to the cause of Christ for the salvation of the world.
As we journey through the next few days, the agony of Good Friday, the somberness of Holy Saturday, and the celebration of Easter Sunday, may we all cherish anew the free gift God has given to us. It is not by any merit or worthiness in us, but totally the love of God in Christ that we are saved by His grace.
Yes, may we lift our voices and sing! May we celebrate with joy the victory of our God which He has won for us. May we proclaim the ancient song of victory for all the world to know, “He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!” Amen!
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ
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Happy Resurrection Sunday! He is risen indeed!