While we owe our salvation to Jesus, the Apostle Paul is responsible for spreading the fire of the gospel in a way that breathed life into the early church and continues to win hearts and minds for Jesus even today. His passion, compassion, humility, honesty, intelligence and simplicity, combined to make him trustworthy and compelling in his apology of the Christian faith. Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1.
In order to follow his example, it is incumbent to know what he wrote and taught. Paul is the author of nearly half of the New Testament, including 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 and 2 Corinthians and Romans were written by him and another seven were written by his disciple and carry his name. Additionally, the book of Acts contains many of Paul’s experiences.
Paul taught that The Law of Moses was never intended for application to the Gentiles, so they were not required to be circumcised, observe dietary laws or Sabbath rules. He illustrates the Gentile relationship with Christ using Abraham’s faith being credited to him as righteousness, just as faith in Christ is credited as righteousness to those who believe in him. Being filled with the Holy Spirit then leads believers to fulfill the requirements of the law voluntarily which is substantially different from observing the law in order to attain righteousness. The difference is the Spirit living in the hearts and minds of Christians drawing them close to God and compelling them to imitate Christ in the way they live. The difference is the humble attitude and love that is displayed in contrast to piety and religious entitlement.
The Pharisees and religious leaders at the time of Christ enjoyed considerable respect and power and placed a high importance on obeying laws emphasizing traditions and religious ceremony, similarly many churches today emphasize religious ritual and traditions. Jesus said. “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.” Mathew 15:8-9.
Paul was never timid in sharing the gospel. His confidence in his own understanding of the law through formal teaching combined with his intense encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, left no doubt in his mind that he had a mission to proclaim the truth about Jesus and gave him boldness to do so without fear in an environment that was hostile towards Christianity. Even when in captivity, he never ceased preaching the good news to those who would listen.
Two thousand years later, Paul’s writings stand out as applicable and meaningful in an educated and literate western society. His rationality and conceptual reasoning are able to persevere in the face of philosophical challenges from theologians and secular intellectuals alike, yet his language is understandable for those who are less learned. Just as Jesus was able to debate with the religious leaders and teachers of the law in his day and point out their hypocrisy, Paul’s letters help to highlight truth in scripture today. Humanity has grossly underestimated the intelligence of God. We cannot even begin to fathom it. In choosing Paul to bring the gospel to the Gentile masses, Christ in his holistic foreknowledge and perspective, established a voice that would transcend the generations and cultures of the world.
As we peel back the layers of Paul’s ministry, we see what has made his writings persist throughout the ages. The first paragraph of the book of Romans, lays the foundation to convey Paul’s understanding of evangelism. “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and through who the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 1:1-6. Paul wastes no time getting to the heart of the message and in verse 17 he clearly states, “For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed – a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.”’
The simplicity of this statement sums up the complexity of Christ’s total and complete fulfillment of every messianic prophecy and every letter of the Mosaic laws. John 3:16, the often-quoted verse, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”, says essentially the same thing. When you contemplate how everything in creation is neatly intertwined and culminated in Christ, it is truly amazing, as the song Amazing Grace so passionately conveys. Armed with this realization along with his training and education, Paul dedicated his life to serving Jesus after the encounter on the road to Damascus that surely shook him to the very core of his being.
No matter who you are, God has a plan for you to glorify him and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Fight the good fight. Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” Mathew 10:8. We are not to keep God’s grace to ourselves but to share it. As Christians we should be of the mindset to aspire to spend eternity in heaven with Christ and to bring as many souls with us as we possibly can. Whether we are rich or poor, weak or strong, through Christ we have become blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3).
God does not want us to grumble or complain about our lot in life as the Israelites did, nor are we to become arrogant and brag about our standing as Christians. Paul understood this and said, “Even if I choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:6-9.
Paul fully understood salvation in Christ. He was acutely aware of his former life of sin and that if Jesus could save him, he could save anyone. He had absolute confidence that God was in control and he gave all honor and glory to him. Even when he knew his death was imminent, he never stopped praising God. “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
If only we could all have the faith of Paul. Many have thought that thought. The truth is, you can, and you should. It is so important to fully surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit and give your life to Christ. Jesus never held anything back when he died for us. Paul never held anything back as he was faithful until death. We are called to imitate them by going all in. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mathew 16:24.
Paul’s writings have impacted many great people throughout the ages. Augustine, after reading Romans, gave his life to Christ. Martin Luther said that, Romans was his gateway to heaven. “Samuel Coleridge, called Romans, ‘The most profound work in existence.’ And John Calvin insisted that, ‘when anyone understands this epistle, he has passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole scripture.”
Each of us is created with a purpose. When we hear the call of the Lord and heed to it, amazing things happen, and our lives can realize potential we would never attain on our own. Living with purpose can make all the difference in the world, providing energy, hope, happiness and conviction to go the extra mile, put in that extra hour or climb to the next level. What is God calling you to do? Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone to answer God’s call? Where is your road to Damascus?
Listen for God’s calling upon your life. He has a mission for you. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who is greater than me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30.
Once you tune yourself into God’s channel, you will get better at recognizing his voice. As you learn to walk with the Lord, you will be amazed how things will just seem to fall into place one after another in what can only be attributed to divine intervention. God laid out the perfect path for you long before you were ever formed in your mother’s womb. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to finally arrive in heaven and have Jesus say, “well done my good and faithful servant”?
