Reminiscing

 May 17, 2023

Sometimes the well is a bit dry. Today is one of those times, so here is a blast from the past, from May 17, 2020.

The Gospel is not given to us to hoard for ourselves so we can bask in its wonder and grace. It was given for the purpose of passing it on to others. In doing so, we often forget its scope. If we only tell other people what God has done for them through the sacrifice and ultimate glorification of Jesus Christ, we fall short—far short of completing the job. Ephesians 3:2, 8-10, Paul expands our understanding of what God is up to. In v. 2, he lays out the part we usually understand: “to me, for you.” Those four words are our marching orders. But in v. 10, he says the ultimate goal is that God’s wisdom and power be proclaimed by the Church “to the principalities and powers;” those spiritual entities lying behind the rulers of this world (6:12), putting them on notice that their authority is broken. 

This is tough and dangerous warfare, requiring that we be well-armed (6:10-18), and ready to fight the battle on our knees. Prayer is where the fighting is hottest. Preaching to people is powerless unless we have first spoken truth to the (spiritual) power behind the people. A prisoner cannot be set free until the warden is compelled to do so by the pardon of the governor. Any other attempt to free the prisoner will result in the prisoner remaining jailed and the erstwhile liberator being frustrated at best, and imprisoned himself at the least.

So when we preach, we first pray. And when we pray, we not only seek God, but we also proclaim to the spiritual powers of this world their doom. This is why Jesus sweat blood in the Garden of Gethsemane; prayer was not a casual and pleasant stroll in verdant pastures with sweet breezes gently blowing and the fragrance of flowers in the air. No, his prayer was a strenuous, agonizing confrontation with Satan and all his demonic powers, stripping them of their authority, tricking them into nailing him to a cross. When our prayer is less than this, it falls far short of its purpose and potential, and our preaching lacks the power needed to break the spiritual bonds blinding minds and binding souls to their sins. 

By all means, speak to people of their need of a Savior (“to me, for you”), but not before reminding the powers of darkness that their power is broken and their protection is gone. The “strong man” is bound, and his kingdom spoiled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have the privilege and responsibility of taking this message to all creation!