When I was kid, I used to love comic book superheroes. Batman, Superman, Spider-Man...you name it, I loved everything about them. The comics, the toys, the games, the movies; I couldn't get enough. Actually, not much has changed today. I still enjoy a good superhero flick on the big screen as much as my own children do!
One of the most intriguing aspects of a superhero story is that most of them live a double life. One of my first superhero memories is watching Christopher Reeves toss off his glasses and tear open his button down shirt to reveal the hidden truth that no one knew; that mild mannered, unassuming, nerdy Clark Kent was actually the nearly invincible Superman!!! In fact, one of the most important plot lines in most superhero stories is the struggle to keep their identities a secret, so that their "personal" lives and their superhero lives don't collide with disastrous results.
In the same way, I can't help but wonder how many of us live out that daily struggle in our own lives. In many ways, we live two completely separate lives. Six days a week, we assume the role of business man, teacher, contractor, homemaker, etc. Whatever the responsibilities may be, to anyone and everyone we see, we look, sound, and act just like everyone else. Then, on Sunday morning we change into our other costume to spend an hour or so in our secret lives as a Christian. We go to great lengths to make sure we keep our two identities separate.
Let's be honest...haven't we all spent time in that place at some point in our lives? Being a Christian is more of a thing that we do, rather than who we are. It's an activity, not an identity. I know there were years of my life where that was my story. Even still today I sometimes struggle, as a person who lives and works in the world, to not be of the world. It can be harder than we often care to admit.
The Apostle Paul spent a lot of time and effort encouraging and instructing Christians who were themselves struggling in this way. Here at the end of his letter to the church as Colossae, we find him doing it again. There is one thing that stuck out to me in reflecting on this passage and has been nagging me ever since. Let's look at Paul's prayer request in verses 3-4.
In these verses, after spending much time addressing the concerns of the Colossians, Paul himself shares a concern of his own, so that they might be faithful in praying for him as well. At first, this doesn't seem like anything special, especially to anyone who has spent any significant time in church. At almost any gathering of a group of Christians, some amount of time is devoted to sharing prayer requests with one another. It is a staple of church culture.
What is interesting (at least to me) is the last statement that he makes in verse 4, "which is how I ought to speak." At first, I glanced right past that, but the more I thought about it, I wondered why Paul, writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, might have included that last little tidbit. One way to read it would be that it is emphasizing the previous statement and that Paul is simply saying that he should speak clearly (as in a manner that is coherent and understandable). Of course, we should all strive to speak that way, especially in sharing something as important as the gospel. And Paul was clearly concerned that his hearers would understand. However, I don't think that was exactly what he had in mind, considering what we know of Paul and his education, intellect, and ability to reason with and articulate truth to anyone from a common person on the street to classically trained philosophers, influential religious leaders, and powerful government officials. We don't ever find evidence of Paul being intellectually intimidated or out-matched.
What I imagine is actually behind that prayer request is that Paul is counting the cost of living out his faith in the context in which he finds himself. Remember, at this point in his life, he is imprisoned in Rome awaiting a decision from Caesar on what will become of him. Talk about finding yourself in the jaws of the lion! Paul understands that it is his boldness and passion for the gospel of Christ that has landed him in this predicament, and it is this same boldness and passion that, if continued, could cost him his very life. How many of us, if we are staring down the barrel like that, would have the faith and courage to be bold? Especially in light of how often we shrink back when the stakes aren't nearly as high (I'm talking to myself here!).
The truth is, Paul, like any Christian, wasn't a superhero. He was a broken, fallen, needy sinner saved by grace. He didn't run to a secluded place so he could peel off his robe to reveal a brightly colored spandex outfit, bulging muscles, and a cape! Every time he opened his mouth to proclaim the gospel, he had to count the cost. How would his hearers respond? And what might happen to him if that response was not favorable? For most of us, counting the cost is pretty easy. In our context, we have been richly blessed. Most of the time, the worst outcome is an awkward conversation and a polite dismissal. If things got really bad, someone might get angry at us. Maybe even we lose a relationship.
This isn't the case in other contexts. For our brothers and sisters around the world, living in closed countries and in constant danger, sharing your faith could at best cost you a beating, prison time, or the loss of your home, livelihood, or possessions. At worst, it may very well cost you your life and/or the lives of your family members. That's when counting the cost really adds up fast! Paul, like our persecuted brothers and sisters today, knew well what it might cost to live out his faith in his context. So, he asked his fellow Christians to pray that he would continue to be bold. Then, he closed out his instructions with one more piece of helpful guidance in verses 5-6.
You see, Paul knew the difference between boldness and arrogance. Sometimes that can be a fine line. We all have seen boldness done poorly. Bible thumping, bullhorns, and tactless signs and banners aren't boldness for the sake of the gospel, they are graceless, prideful, and worst of all, not just ineffective, but downright off-putting. Paul, like the Lord he served, recognized that there are many ways to be bold...and boldness done well, always achieves its desired outcome. It engages and challenges in ways that encourage the audience to at least consider what is being said, rather than immediately dismissing it. Boldness done well produces conviction that forces a response. One might respond with contrition, while another might respond with indifference, but in either case something takes root. One root may bear the fruit of faith and repentance, while the other the justice and condemnation of a holy God.
As Cody pointed out in his sermon, Jesus' boldness only manifested itself in a rebuke when that was what the audience needed to hear. In other words, Jesus expected the so-called religious elite of his day to live in a manner that was consistent with what they claimed to believe. And when they weren't doing so, he boldly and aggressively rebuked them. But for most of his hearers, Jesus' boldness was a mixture of truth (even often times, difficult truths) that were seasoned thoroughly with grace. I can't help but think of the line from Mary Poppins, "just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down," when I think of the way Jesus challenged his hearers with hard truths, but loved them enough to do so from a posture of inviting grace, regardless of how the rest of the world may have looked at them.
There are many ways to live out our faith boldly and many possible outcomes for doing so. Paul's instructions to the Colossians were, like Jesus before him, simple and to the point. When it comes to living out your faith, it needs to be who you are, not what you do. In other words, our boldness comes from the inside out. When you are living out your faith, when your very identity is a Christian identity, it is a natural expression of who you are. In many ways, sharing your faith isn't even a choice you consciously make...it's just an expression of who you are. Likewise, as a sinner who has been radically transformed through the power of grace, everything we say and do, especially to those who haven't experienced the power of knowing the Lord and Savior we know, is seasoned with that same grace, because we naturally exude it. Again, because it is simply an expression of who we are in Christ.
In Grace,
Chris Morris
If you missed this week's sermon (or just want to listen again), follow the link below to listen. Or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.
Part 9 - A Christian Life
Questions discussed in this sermon:
1. What does it mean when a person persists in prayer?
2. How does a thankful heart alter your prayer time?
3. Why should Christians be overly gracious to outsiders?
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