Rom 9:1 I say
the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the
Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great
heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Paul's passion
for his Jewish brethren was evidenced by his constant misery that they were
blinded from the light of the glorious gospel and that they would perish. His
sorrow for them was so intense that he wished he could somehow be accursed from
God in their stead.
This is what
drove him to enter first into the synagogue of whatever town he entered to give
the Jews first crack at the gospel message of Christ's atonement and
resurrection.
Eternity was
real to Paul. See, he had personally stepped outside of time and possibly even
his body and experienced the glories of the third heaven of God. (II Cor
12:1-5) He had an inkling of what it meant to walk the streets of gold and be
in the presence of God almighty.
That is what
Paul desired for his people when their mortal lives ended and eternity began.
But he knew what awaited them if they rejected or never heard the message of
the gospel.
I don't suppose
anyone in all of history, outside of Jesus Himself, went to greater lengths to
spread the Word than this heavy hearted evangelist, church planter and martyr.
What about you?
Do you care that your brethren are under the curse of sin and will be eternally
separated from the Lord of glory unless they are washed in Christ's blood. No
one is asking you to die for Christ at this time, just that you live for Him.
You don't have to suffer ship wreck, be beaten with whips, stoned with rocks or
imprisoned for preaching, just be a witness, give a tract, and say a word for
Jesus as His Spirit prompts you. Be sensitive to the plight of lost sinners.
Most of all, act like you really do care that people are perishing without
Christ.
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