The Cross | and What It Means for Fallen HumanitySample

God could certainly accomplish this work without us, but He chooses to involve us, His children, in His mission. While the work is ultimately His, the privilege and joy in participating in it is ours.

. . . of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

Colossians 1:25–26

Read also:

Luke 24:13–27

R E F L E C T

There aren’t many stories as radical as that of Paul’s conversion. From being a zealous persecutor of the church to being one of the most powerful preachers of the gospel, Paul’s life was completely transformed by the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The story didn’t stop at Paul’s conversion. He made it his life’s work to become a minister of the gospel, to make the word of God fully known. While our stories may not be as radical, we are who we are today because the gospel has been made known to us.

From the very beginning, God’s heart is for people to be saved. He entrusted the message of reconciliation to us so that more people will be restored to a loving relationship with Him. Following His resurrection, Jesus Himself set out to meet two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and there He explained what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself. Jesus wanted His disciples to have the right lens through which they would view all that the Messiah had suffered (Luke 24:26).

God is intentional in orchestrating encounters to open people’s eyes to the truth. When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his physical eyes became blind. But in that moment, his spiritual eyes were opened and he saw Jesus for who He truly is. From then on, Paul’s life was radically changed. He became willing to forsake everything for the sake of knowing Christ and proclaiming His gospel at all costs.

God is calling us to do the same. He has placed us in our homes, campuses, workplaces, and communities, equipping us with skills, talents, and abilities—that we too may proclaim who Jesus is. We may have been given different tools and resources, but we share this in common: We all have encountered Jesus. And through our lives that are continually being shaped and transformed by the gospel, God is proclaiming His message.

God could certainly accomplish this work without us, but He chooses to involve us, His children, in His mission. While the work is ultimately His, the privilege and joy in participating in it is ours.

This work will undoubtedly come with challenges and difficulties. Yet we can remain stable and steadfast, knowing that our suffering is nothing compared to what Jesus had to endure on the cross. The message we carry is far too beautiful for us to abandon for lesser pursuits. In light of the gospel, of eternity, and of the Great Commission, we can be faithful stewards of this calling to be salt and light in our own little corners of the world.

R E S P O N D

• What was your life like before you encountered Christ? How has your life changed since then?

• The lives we live are the very message we declare to the world. How can you remain steadfast in your relationship with God, knowing Him more and making Him known?

• Who are the people in your community that do not know God yet? How can you journey with them and help them grow in God?

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Christ’s finished work on the cross and its many implications for our lives as believers. May everything we do proclaim the gospel. We pray that You would strengthen us and cause people to turn to You. May people see Christ in us and declare that He is Lord of all.

In Jesus’ name, amen.