WHAT THEN?
Philippians 1:15-18
Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.
Encouraging Words
In Paul's day, he encountered people that were preaching Christ for one reason...personal gain. This new Jewish sect, as they saw it was the latest and greatest thing to latch on to and use for personal gain. Here we are over 2,000 years later and this is still happening with name-it-and-claim-it preachers, men and women, who have built empires on the backs of other believers, and many people that see Christianity as fire insurance. How did Paul deal with this? He praised God because He knew that ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ was still being spread, even if for nefarious reasons. He knew that God will always use the seeds of truth that are planted to grow His church and that He would burn the lies of personal gain in the fires of eternity. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!
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