The apostle Paul faced danger in Ephesus when a riot was started by those who made silver shrines to the goddess Artemis because the effectiveness of the gospel Paul preached had impacted the demand for idolatrous merchandise (Acts 19:23-41). This seems to be what Paul referred to in his correspondence with the church at Corinth when he wrote:

“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,” (2 Cor. 1:8-10).

Paul was thankful that the Corinthians had helped him through their prayers (2 Cor. 1:11). Whenever we are in dire straits, we want our brothers and sister in Christ to pray for us that God would see us through the difficulty. However, Paul’s main emphasis was not merely his deliverance from trouble. Whenever God does deliver us in answering prayers, we should remember to thank Him. This thanksgiving was what the apostle delighted in more than merely his deliverance. He wrote, “you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many” (2 Cor. 1:11).

Throughout our lives, whether we are in good times or difficult times, we should imitate this chief concern of Paul: that God would be glorified. Paul wrote in his earlier letter to Corinth, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). This is how Paul could be content whether he was suffering or abounding (Phil. 4:12).

 This attitude did not originate with Paul; Jesus Christ is the ultimate example. Our Lord was the standard to which Paul endeavored to conform and to which we should as well. Jesus lived His entire life to glorify the Father. He prayed in John 17:4, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” In John 12:23, Jesus referred to the time that had come when He would voluntarily go to the cross, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.” When Judas went out to betray Jesus, our Lord then said to the rest of the apostles: “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately” (John 13:31). His death on the cross was to the glory of God. The Father is God; Jesus the Son is God. Sacrifice and suffering were to the glory of God.

When we do good to others with a pure heart instead of wanting the praise of men, God is glorified (Mt. 5:16; 6:1-4). When we pray, we should give thanks to God for His greatness, not to show our own greatness (Mt. 6:5-13; Lk. 18:10-14). When we live the authentically as Christians, the result is thanks given to God. Notice what Paul said of the Thessalonians: “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, (1 Thess. 1:2, 3). Let us live each day so that thanks and glory will be given to God.

A father brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus (Mk. 9:17). He told Jesus he had taken his son to the disciples, but they could not cast the demon out (Mk. 9:18). Thus, the father asked Jesus, “if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mk. 9:22). What was the response Jesus gave the man? ““If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mk. 9:23). Mark 9:24 says, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

We need help with our faith. We need deeper faith. The disciples later privately asked Jesus why they could not cast out the demon from the boy (Mk. 9:28). The twelve had been given the miraculous ability to do such in the limited commission (Mt. 10:8). Jesus highlighted the key on this occasion: “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mk. 9:29). Prayer and fasting, when done with the right motives, are practices that increase our faith (1 Cor. 7:5). Thus, even the disciples needed more faith; their failure to cast out this demon was evidence of such. Matthew’s account records these words of Jesus in response to their question: “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Mt. 17:20, 21).

Today, we do not have the miraculous abilities that the apostles had in the first century. However, in any age what matters to God is not our talents, knowledge, personality, or popularity. God uses people who live by faith. Hebrews 11 reiterates this truth time and again. “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain…” (v. 4). “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death…” (v. 5). “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household…” (Heb. 11:7). On and on the roll call of faith goes.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Substance means foundation. Faith is the foundation of our hopes in spiritual things. Evidence is from a Greek word which means conviction. Faith is conviction of the unseen. God is unseen (Jn. 1:18; 1 Jn. 4:12). Our home in heaven is unseen (Jn. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:1-5). None of us have ever seen Jesus with our physical eyes revealed in great glory from heaven (1 Pet. 1:7, 8). Yet, those of faith live with the conviction of these unseen realities (2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7). One comes to have faith in these things by hearing the word of God, as Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” God has told in His Word, the Bible, about Himself, His Son, and about heaven. Do you need help with your faith? We all do. Hear God’s word and meditate upon it with prayer and fasting and the Lord with increase your faith (Lk. 17:5).

The inspired apostle Paul noted at the beginning and the end of the great epistle of Romans that God’s purpose for the gospel is for obedience to the faith among all nations (Rom. 1:5; 16:26). The word for “nations” in the Greek New Testament is the same word rendered “Gentiles” — it refers to all the nations/peoples of the world. The Jews are a people. All the other ethnic groups or nations are Gentiles.

God is not only the God of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles (Rom. 3:29). God wants to save both the Jews and the Gentiles. The nations of the world are guilty of sin. Romans 1:18-32 shows the guilt of the Gentiles before God for their multitude of sins. Romans 2 explains the guilt of the Jews before God. The evil that people do to one another throughout history screams out to the Holy God (Gen. 4:10; Rev. 6:10). When people commit sins worthy of death (Rom. 1:32), God’s justice demands punishment—tribulation and anguish on every soul that does evil, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 2:10). Sadly, all are guilty of sin and worth of death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). God cannot look on wickedness (Hab. 1:13). Justice is demanded, and a judgment must be rendered.

The only way of hope is the gospel, the power of God to salvation for all nations (Rom. 1:16). Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and teaching them all He has commanded (Matt. 28:19). We are to go proclaim the gospel to all of creation (Mark 16:15). Jesus is the way that God can remain just while also justifying the sinner by the grace of the gospel (Rom. 3:26).

When Jesus was placed on the cross, the cruelty and injustice of humans was highlighted. Jesus endured the hostility of sinners (Heb. 12:3). In speaking of this shameful death, Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (Jn. 12:32). The unjust and inhumane treatment of the innocent at the hands of men is put on display at the cross. No matter what people group we identify with, there is something in the cross that all people of the world desperately need. With the blood of Christ, God redeems individuals from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9).

People in the world are willing to risk their lives to kill others. Wars and terrorism are rampant in our day. We have not outgrown them with civilization. As long as sin is in the world, the story will be the same. In contrast, the redeemed people in the church must be willing to risk their lives so that others can be saved eternally. In His Word, God provides multiple examples of members of the New Testament church being willing to go to prison and even death to spread the gospel. After being arrested and beaten, they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Lord’s name and did not stop teaching and preaching Jesus Christ (Acts 5:40-42). If we are to restore the New Testament church, we must have the evangelistic zeal of the church we read of in the New Testament.