The Key to Growing Old to God’s Glory
Therefore, perseverance is necessary for final salvation, and perseverance is certain for all those who are in Christ. The works we do on the path of love do not win God’s favor. They result from God’s favor. Christ won God’s favor. And we receive him by faith alone. And love is the overflow and demonstration of this faith.
This is the key to growing old to the glory of God. If we are going to make God look glorious in the last years of our lives, we must be satisfied in him. He must be our Treasure. And the life that we live must flow from this all-satisfying Christ. And the life that flows from the soul that lives on Jesus is a life of love and service. This is what will make Christ look great. When our hearts find their rest in Christ, we stop using other people to meet our needs, and instead we make ourselves servants to meet their needs. This is so contrary to the unregenerate human heart that it stands out as something beautiful to be followed or something convicting to be crucified.
It works both ways. Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna illustrates both and what it may mean for us to grow old to the glory of God.
The Perseverance of Polycarp
Polycarp was the Bishop of Smyrna in Asian Minor. He lived from about AD 70 to 155. He is famous for his martyrdom which is recounted in The Martyrdom of Polycarp and found in Henry Bettenson’s Documents of the Christian Church (Oxford, 1967, pp. 9-12). Tensions had risen between the Christians and those who venerated Caesar. The Christians were called atheists because they refused to worship any of the Roman gods and had no images or shrines of their own. At one point, a mob cried out, “Away with the atheists; let search be made of Polycarp.”
At a cottage outside the city, he remained in prayer and did not flee. He had a vision of a burning pillow and said to his companion, “I must needs be burned alive.” The authorities sought him, and he was betrayed to them by one of his servants under torture. He came down from an upper room and talked with his accusers. “All that were present marveled at his age and constancy, and that there was so much ado about the arrest of such an old man” (p. 9). He asked for permission to pray before being taken away. They allowed it and “being so filled with the grace of God that for two hours he could not hold his peace” (p. 10).
In the town, the sheriff met him and took him into his carriage and tried to persuade him to deny Christ, “Now what harm is there in saying ‘Lord Caesar,’ and in offering incense . . . and thus saving thyself?” He answered, “I do not intend to do what you advise.” Angered, they hastened him to the stadium where there was a great tumult.
“How Can I Blaspheme My King Who Saved Me?”
The proconsul tried again to persuade him to save himself, “Have respect to thine age . . . Swear by the genius of Caesar . . . Repent . . . Say, ‘Away with the atheists! [that is, Christians].” Polycarp turned to the “mob of lawless heathen in the stadium, and he waved his hand at them, and looking up to heaven he groaned and said, ‘Away with the atheists.’” Again the proconsul said, “Swear, and I will release thee; curse the Christ.” To this Polycarp gave his most famous response, “Eighty and six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”
The proconsul said again, “Swear by the genius of Caesar.” And Polycarp answered, “If thou dost vainly imagine that I would swear by the genius of Caesar, as thou sayest, pretending not to know what I am, hear plainly that I am a Christian.” The proconsul replied, “I have wild beasts; if thou repent not, I will throw thee to them.” To which Polycarp replied, “Send for them. For repentance from better to worse is not a change permitted to us; but to change from cruelty to righteousness is a noble thing” (p. 11).
The proconsul said, “If thou doest despise the wild beasts I will make thee to be consumed by fire, if thou repent not.” Polycarp answered, “Thou threatenest the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of the eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou? Bring what thou wilt.”
The proconsul sent word that it should be proclaimed aloud to the crowd three times, “Polycarp hath confessed himself to be a Christian.” After the crowd found out that there were no beasts available for the task, they cried out for him to be burned alive. The wood was gathered, and as they were about to nail his hands to the timber he said, “Let me be as I am. He that granted me to endure the fire will grant me also to remain at the pyre unmoved, without being secured with nails.” The fire did not consume him, but an executioner drove a dagger into his body. “And all the multitude marveled at the great difference between the unbelievers and the elect.” (p. 12).
When we are so satisfied in Christ that we are enabled to willingly die for him, we are freed to love the lost as never before, and Christ is shown to be a great Treasure.
FRIENDS:
Father, We know that those who serve You most joyfully are the ones who know you most personally. That those who are quickest to speak about Jesus are those who realize how great has been their own redemption. Help us, Dear Lord, if we are lacking, to become that type of person. Help us, Teach us to be more aware of you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
DAILY BIBLE CHALLENGE
APRIL 18
Mark 7:1-23; 1 Cor 12:1-13; Psalms 88; Judges 13-15
APRIL 19
Mark 7:24-37; 1 Cor 12:14-31; Psalms 89:1-18; Judges 16
10 Things To Be Thankful For
1. Sharing something from your Childhood
2. The smell of the ocean
3. When someone does something that makes you laugh
4. Daffodils in a fruit jar
5. When someone goes out of their way to be kind
6. The smell of home made soap
7. Building a scrapbook
8. Looking out the window on a sunny day
9. Being able to share with someone
10. Finding a note that someone planted for you to find
FOOD:
Aunt Pajama's* Pancake Mix
*Copycat Mixes
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy creamer powder
-----to use the mix-----
1 egg
8 ounces 7-up
1 3/4 cups prepared pancake mix
In an 8-cup container, stir together flour, Bisquick, sugar and creamer. Cover tightly. Refrigerate mix to use within 3 months. Makes 7 cups of mix.
TO USE-Into blender, put egg, 7-up and prepared pancake mix. Blend at high speed until smooth, 1 minute. Allow 1/3 c batter for each 6" pancakes.
Makes 8 pancakes.
FUN:
No comments:
Post a Comment