SHARING YOUR FAITH

Phm. 1:6
“I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

I guess it has always been there in my Bible, but I don’t recall ever seeing it before this morning.  And I have read Philemon before several times . . . honest.  And I know this isn’t really very interesting to you either, but preachers always feel the need to give a little background.

Anyway, it points to something that I immediately found interesting.  Think about this: if I were to ask you, “What is the purpose for sharing your faith?” wouldn’t you say something like, “so those who don’t know Christ can come to know Him?”  After all, if people don’t hear anything about Jesus, how can they possibly trust Him?  And how are they going to hear unless Christians like you and me are willing to share our faith?  OK, I know I just put words in your mouth.  Well, let's just say that that's the way I would answer my own question.  So at least I was giving you credit for what I consider a good answer.  But that is not what this passage says!    

The “purpose” is always found after the “so that;” and this verse says: “so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”   The word that caught my attention is “you.”  It isn’t so “they” will have full understanding, it’s so “you” will have full understanding!  Have you ever considered the possibility that you won’t really understand the greatness of what you have in Christ until you begin to actively share it?  I think that is profound.  Let’s all prayerfully ponder that for awhile, OK? . . . .

--- Pastor Keith Andrews