”For unto this we are toiling and agonizing, because we have hoped upon [the] living God, Who is Savior of all men especially of believers.”
-And so here Paul describes his response to Coach Jesus, his all-in full out pursuit of godliness, of becoming more like Him in this life as he prepares to enter the life which is to come - bringing a bunch of others with him, of course! Toiling, agonizing “unto this”, he says - towards completeness in Christ for both himself and others (cf Colossians 1.29). He is all in, making every conceivable effort, strenuous and even painful effort - to the point where he completely runs out of strength (at least some of the time). It is a battle royale, a fight to the finish. It is a race to be won, a marathon, uphill both ways.
-And it is all - all this all-in-ness - predicated on the Who, the object of our faith, He on Whom we have set our hope. Jesus. The Savior of all men. Resurrected, glorified King of kings and Lord of lords. The living God. Don’t miss that - the living God. Not some idol. Not some knockoff deity who could never hear or see or speak, much less save. Not one of the countless other things we constantly put in His rightful place in our hearts and lives (cf Romans 1.22-23). Not something or anything other than the one true God. He is alive. He is real. He is the One Who made us (along with every thing else in the entire universe), formed us with wondrous splendor and burdened us with glorious purpose. He is the One Who died to save us, and He is the One with Whom we have to do. All things are from Him, and through Him, and to Him, FOR Him (Romans 11.36). Our response, all our toiling and agonizing, should be commensurate with His worth and His sacrifice. Precious, priceless blood. Unbounded glory. Words fail to capture the depth of His wisdom and majesty, and depth of His everlasting love for us. No sacrifice is too great. In the words of CT Studd, “If Jesus Christ be God, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him... What is all the fame and flattery worth ...... when a man comes to face eternity?" CT came from wealth, and found fame as a cricketeer on the English national team, yet once he went all in, he gave away his family inheritance to missions and spent the remainder of his life serving the Lord in China, India, and Africa. I’m not saying that the Lord calls everyone to give away their family inheritance and become a foreign missionary, but are you and I even willing to do so? Are we all in with all our might unto the end of ourselves and the end of this wispy short vapor of a life? Are our hearts so gripped by the Lord and by the weighty implications of eternity that we are all in for whatever? Bud Light tried to convince us to be up for whatever - how about Jesus?
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