“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24
When I graduated from seminary and entered the ministry of Christian education, I received a card from a dear friend with the above verse. I embraced these precious words of God and as I become older this verse guides my life more and more.
The Apostle Paul lived this verse and knew Jesus Christ was the source and foundation for everything. Jesus Christ called Paul to Himself on the road to Damascus and gave him eternal life and purpose for his life – to proclaim the gospel of the grace of God. Paul understood, as all Christians must understand, that while we are here on this earth we live for Christ and when we die we will be with Him in glory for eternity. Listen to Paul in Philippians 1:21-24:
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”
As Paul, I desire to have “fruitful labor” while I remain on this earth to glorify God and that I burn bright for Christ testifying to “the gospel of the grace of God” until God calls me home. As Christians, we have different vocational callings; however, our main calling is to live for Christ and share our testimony and God’s gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – with our families, friends, and people in our sphere of influence. Wherever and whoever God brings into our lives.
My sphere of influence is Headmaster of a Christian school, where God has graciously given me the wonderful privilege to live out and proclaim the gospel of God’s grace with our students and their families. It is my hope and prayer that “I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.”
One of my beloved professors at Knox Theological Seminary, Dr. Robert Reymond, who is now with the Lord, would many times quote these verses from Psalm 71:17-18:
“O God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim Your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come.”
The most powerful and precious thing we can do as we finish life’s course is pass the baton and proclaim God’s wondrous deeds to the next generation – the gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
May God bless you with His grace, love, and truth!