The privilege of being in Christ is nothing like the kind of privilege the world argues about. Salvation is open to every person, no matter race, status, money, past sin, prison record, or anything else. Christ freely shed His blood so sinners can be forgiven, covered in His righteousness, and welcomed into the presence of a holy God. The Holy Spirit living in a believer is a whole lot bigger than any little privilege the world can hand out.
Paul’s words in Romans 1 show what this privilege looks like in real life: “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” Paul was not some perfect man who had it all together. Paul had hunted down believers and called himself the worst of sinners, yet Christ changed him and sent him out. The gospel gives salvation to everyone who believes, and the righteous live by faith, so shame has no place in the life of somebody covered by the blood of Jesus.
Christ sends every believer into the world. John 20 says, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you,” and Matthew 28 says that all authority belongs to Jesus. The King of kings does not leave anybody picked last on the kickball field. Christ chooses His people, sends them to love folks, share the gospel, live different from the world, and let the power of God do what only God can do.
The gospel remains the only message that saves anybody from eternal separation from God. Christ suffered, died, rose on the third day, and calls people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The urgency of that truth comes from the fact that people leave this world every day, while nobody is promised the next minute. The church carries this truth not by forcing anybody to believe, but by faithfully offering Jesus and being ready to say plainly what it believes.
Discipleship goes beyond getting somebody baptized and then leaving them alone in a hard world. Paul tells Timothy to entrust truth to faithful people who will teach others also. The church helps new believers learn how to walk with Christ, stand against Satan’s lies, move from spiritual milk to spiritual meat, and make disciples who make disciples. This privilege becomes a life that outlasts a person, like ripples moving out across a pond until Jesus comes back.
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Key Takeaways
- 1. Salvation is the greatest privilege Salvation brings sinners into relationship with the holy God who could not look upon sin apart from Christ’s blood. The privilege is not earned through background, behavior, or social standing. Christ makes this gift available to every person, and faith receives what grace has freely provided. [39:21]
- 2. The King personally sends believers Christ sends His people with all the authority of heaven and earth behind that call. The assignment may happen at work, at home, in a hard conversation, or around a meal. God does the life-changing work, but He honors believers by making them available in somebody else’s life. [43:13]
- 3. The gospel alone brings salvation Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and call to repentance are not one spiritual option among many. The gospel is the only message that deals with sin and eternal separation from God. That truth makes Christian witness urgent, humble, and full of real hope. [50:13]
- 4. Disciples make disciples for generations Discipleship does not stop when somebody comes up out of the water. Christ’s people are called to help others learn obedience, endure discouragement, and grow into mature faith. Faithful witness can keep multiplying long after a believer is gone from this planet. [62:10]
- 5. Joy keeps witness from becoming burden Privilege in Christ changes gospel witness from a scary duty into an honor. The world may pressure believers to stay quiet, but the King’s commission gives courage. A life genuinely overjoyed by Jesus makes the invitation believable to people watching.
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