Enduring All for the Elect

"Remember Jesus Christ ..." Paul says to a timid Timothy. That's good counsel in any situation, but especially when we find ourselves tempted to fear and cowardice. We need to remember that the Leader we are following treads the path of suffering, and we must follow Him into it if we would be His disciples.

Paul was in prison, and was sufferings, but it was for the sake of the gospel and he rejoiced that the Word of God was not imprisoned. The Word cannot be imprisoned. All of church history is one attempt after another by religious and secular authorities to imprison and silence the Word of God. All such attempts have failed and all will fail. The Word can never be imprisoned.

Paul said he endured all his sufferings for the sake of the elect -- those God chose before the foundation of the world to be saved. This was Paul's "focus group." He knew nothing of demographic constituencies, so commonly talked about by church growth gurus. Paul wasn't trying to save anyone who would never be saved. He wasn't trying to convert the reprobate. He was preaching the gospel so that the lost sheep of God would hear it and believe. Notice how the doctrine of election goes hand in hand with missions. Paul endured all things for the elect, so that they might obtain the salvation that is in Christ. Paul didn't have the view that since election was true, no efforts or sacrifices were needed on his part. No, he endured all things so that the elect would obtain salvation. Election and evangelism are not enemies, but friends.