Prisoner of Christ

Phm 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer


A prisoner of Jesus Christ.


We know that Paul was jailed several times over his life because of his belief in Jesus Christ, a belief that was contrary to many. Today there sits in MANY prisons around the world people who are jailed for their belief in Jesus Christ.


To say Paul was a PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST- seems to imply that He is held captive by Jesus Himself. Can we be captive willingly? We hear love songs about it all the time, our hearts being held captive by another. If we are to be a prisoner, held captive by our Savior it would be a willing captivity. The truth is our Savior doesn't use force for anything and He certainly does not hold us to Him against our will. Being held captive because we love our Savior and believe in Him is something that happens ALL the time and has since the time of Christ.


Phm 1:9 Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.


Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles


Eph 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called


Eph 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.


2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God


Read this again- 'Be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…nor of me his prisoner…' We can't be ashamed to be held captive for our beliefs. The rest of that verse- '…be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.'


Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel.


Afflictions of the gospel.


2Ti 2:9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.


Suffering trouble as an evil doer- jailed- all because of a love for Jesus Christ, a belief in Jesus Christ.


Jailed for beliefs.


Living here in the United States we aren't jailed for our beliefs. Our prisons aren't filled with people who hold a belief contrary to the government's- at least that's the way it's supposed to be. As long as the beliefs we hold are harmless- not terrorist related- we aren't imprisoned. This is the society I live in. If I lived in say- Pakistan, China, or any number of the many countries that don't allow people to have beliefs contrary to theirs- I could be jailed for my belief in my Savior. It seems surreal to me because I've never lived under such circumstances. I have the knowledge of the factual information given to me, but no real sense of what it must be like to be imprisoned for my beliefs, no idea what it's like to persecuted for my faith.


2Ti 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God


We can't be ashamed of our belief in our Savior.
We have to be active in living for our Savior.
We must understand that NO matter what- we have to be partakers of the afflictions of the gospel as the power of God would have us.


Is it easy for me to say when I don't live where I suffer for my beliefs.


Being a prisoner of Christ, suffering for our beliefs. We might not be called to suffer in the way Paul was called- the way many are called to suffer, put into prisons, beaten, abused, but we are accountable for the freedom we possess to witness for our Savior.


By the grace of God may we live as Christians boldly, bravely, free to believe openly, unafraid to be believers in our life giving Savior and unhesitant to share that belief- a belief many have died for, a belief many are suffering in prisons for.


By the mercy of our LORD! By His will! Through His power!


Guide us, help us, please Lord, we long to be all you would have us be for YOU.


Please.