Temporary Scars, Eternal Gain – Ephesians 3:12-13 (NIV)

Temporary Scars, Eternal Gain – Ephesians 3:12-13 (NIV)

12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

Because of who He is and what He has done in Jesus, we have direct access to Him. Not only are we free to approach the king without fear of punishment, but we can have confidence in our stance in Him. He loves and accepts us now and forever.

Their stance in the eternal king is forgiven and accepted. It’s hard and rare enough to have that stance with a worldly king. For the eternal king of the universe, it’s impossible for me. But in Him and through faith in Him we stand as righteous.

Why? Because of Christ’s payment of our sin. How did they accept that? Paul’s preaching the gospel in Ephesus. What happened due to Paul’s preaching Christ? He suffered in a variety of ways and times. These sufferings have a direct relationship with their salvation.

We tend so often to be short-sighted. We see the now only. We forget the things from the past that led to how we got here. We don’t accept the present costs for the long-term gains.

Paul, and others, can remember that his sufferings are due to his service. His preaching led to where he winds up in prison, beaten, rioted against, stoned, etc. His sufferings are a direct result of his obedience to God and his administration of the gospel to the Gentiles.

His scars are a temporary reminder of their eternal gain.