PAUL
- STUDENT OF GOD'S GRACE
Of
all of the prominent characters presented in the New Testament, Paul
is second only to Jesus Christ. When we read the Acts of the
apostles, Paul comes to the forefront beginning in the ninth chapter.
The remainder of that treatise is an historical account of much of
Paul's life, from persecutor of Christians to bold proclaimer of the
gospel. Of the twenty one epistles, Paul is found to be the writer
of at least thirteen of them (and if he is the writer of the Hebrew
letter, fourteen).
Unlike
Peter, whose impetuousness often resulted in the need for rebuking,
Paul comes on the scene with relentless faith in the face of
incomprehensible persecution and trial. Admittedly, I come much
closer to relating to Peter than I do Paul. And while I am thankful
for Peter's real-life experiences in which I find hope for myself in
my own struggles, I am also thankful for Paul, who demonstrated a
level of commitment toward which I can aim.
We
are introduced to Paul under his Hebrew name, Saul. His namesake had
been the first king of Israel (1 Sam. 9-10) whose name meant "asked
of God." Later, after the Holy Spirit chose him and Barnabas
from among those of the church at Antioch "for the work to which
I have called them" (Acts 13:2), Luke referred to "Saul,
who also is called Paul..." (vs. 9) This marked the inception
of the first of Paul's several missionary journeys. Whether that
occasion marked any significance to the fact that Saul is thereafter
always referred to as Paul I do not know. However, it is interesting
to note that the name Paul was of Latin origin, meaning "little."
Perhaps there is some significance that he should thereafter
willingly refer to himself by this name after the humbling experience
on the road to Damascus. After the events that followed that day,
Paul became "little" in his own eyes. The remainder of
his life was one of humility.
On
that fateful day, as Saul bore down upon the city of Damascus with
official documents from the chief priests in hand authorizing him to
arrest and seize anyone professing allegiance to "the Way",
his life changed forever. "As he journeyed he came near
Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. The he
fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting Me?'" (Acts 9:3-4) Those words must surely
have rung in his ears from that day on. "And he said, 'Who are
You, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'"
(vs. 5)
The
preaching of Jesus and His claim to be the Son of God had repulsed
the Jewish leaders of His day. And now, the multitudes of His
followers, as they grew in number, had become a target of the Jewish
hierarchy's wrath. As one of prominence among the strictest sect of
the Jews (Acts 26:5), this "Pharisee of the Pharisees" had
been caught up in the fervor of their cause to eradicate this
"movement" and their message. In so doing, Saul had been
like a stubborn ox that kicks against the prodding of its master with
the sharp end of his ox goad.
How
well does that describe us when we try to resist the pleadings of
God's word that are intended for our good? Not unlike Saul, many in
our day, in their rejection of Christ, direct their wrath at those
who follow Him. Jesus forewarned His disciples saying, "If the
world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."
(Jn. 15:18) Therefore, we find Saul confessing that, "...I
punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to
blaspheme; and being
exceedingly enraged against them,
I persecuted them even to foreign cities." (Acts 26:11) For
Paul, all that would change.
While
waiting in the city of Damascus, having been led there by the hands
of those who had been accompanying him, Saul spent his next three
days in the total darkness of his blindness, praying and fasting -
anticipating and wondering what it was that he was to be told to do.
That answer came by the words of Ananias; "And now why are you
waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins. calling on
the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
Paul's
thankfulness to God for what He had done for him and for the work
that he had been given is evident. He said, "...I became a
minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the
effective working of His power." (Eph. 3:7) Notice that Paul
never took credit for any good thing that he received or
accomplished. In fact, he wondered at the grace of God in choosing
him for such a ministry; "To me, who am less than the least of
all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." (vs. 8)
His
thankfulness and the humility that he continually expressed was
seated in the knowledge of his past rebellion to Christ; "For I
am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an
apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of
God I am what I am, and His grace toward me
was
not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I,
but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Cor. 15:9-10) Even
in the zeal which set him apart from the rest of the apostles in his
work as a servant of Christ, notice that Paul gave glory to God, not
taking any credit to himself.
Such
humility of spirit and such zeal for the cause of Christ to which he
gave himself, was likely the result of the debt of gratitude that he
felt for the mercy extended to him by God. This is the point of the
parable that Jesus spoke to the prideful Pharisee named Simon. To
him Jesus said, "'There was a certain creditor who had two
debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And
when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them
both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?' Simon
answered and said, 'I suppose the one whom he forgave more.' And He
said to him, 'You have rightly judged.'" Certainly, Paul
recognized that his past sins had been great, which made His
forgiveness even greater.
Paul
confessed himself to be "chief" of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15),
to which he prefaced that declaration with these words; "And the
grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which
are in Christ Jesus." (vs. 14) If Paul was "chief" of
sinners, then he considered himself "chief" of God's mercy
and grace.
Lesson learned - Humility
When
Paul (Saul) found himself trembling on his knees in the dust of the
Damascus road, under the heat of the noonday sun, surrounded by the
brilliance of the light of Jesus' presence, his purpose in life
changed. From the mission that had brought him to Damascus to
persecute Christians, he would become a defender of Christ and His
gospel, as well as a sympathetic encourager of those to whom he was
previously so adamantly opposed. At that moment, this staunch
Pharisee, whose zeal and leadership attracted the admiration of those
who accompanied him on this fateful trip, was suddenly brought to his
knees and humbled before his admirers. Now a blind man, he was
dependent upon these admiring associates to take him by the hand and
lead the stumbling, groping Saul on the remainder of his journey.
Isn't
it interesting how quickly the Lord can put us in our proper place?
Circumstances can change our lives in a moment. It should be a
lesson to us that there is no place for arrogant pride as we live
under God's watchful eye. Paul learned this lesson beginning on that
day just outside of Damascus. But he would continue to be a student
of humility throughout his life.
When
Paul wrote his second letter to the church at Corinth, he made this
point very clear as he related another experience that he suffered
and the lesson that he learned from it. At some time in his life,
Paul "...was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter." (2 Cor. 12:4)
Paul's humility would not allow him refer to himself as the one who
experienced this vision, but rather introduced his experience saying,
"I
know a man in Christ
who fourteen years ago - whether in the body I do not know, or
whether out of the body I do not know, God knows -
such a one
was caught up to the third heaven. And
I know such a man
- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows -"
(vss. 2-3) Then he said, "Of
such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my
infirmities."
(vs. 5) Paul's former arrogance was by now long-since gone as he
refrained from boasting or bringing upon himself any undue
recognition as he continued by saying, "...But I refrain, lest
anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from
me."
(vs.
6)
As Paul now identified himself as being the one having received such
an exalted vision, he proceeded to relate the humbling experience
that followed and the reason he was allowed to suffer it; "And
lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the
revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." (vs. 7)
Exactly what
this "thorn in the flesh" was we are not told. However, we
know that it was something unpleasant that plagued Paul because he
said, "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times
that it might depart from me." (vs. 8)
God's
mercy manifests itself in some unexpected ways. In Paul's case, it
was allowing the constantly annoying discomfort of a "thorn in
the flesh." The purpose of that malady was to keep him humble
lest he allow such privileged information to give him the "big
head." Such a reminder is described as "a messenger of
Satan" and for good reason. Satan stands at the threshold of
our stumbling to catch us in his grip, because, "Pride goes
before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov.
16:18) Then we read that it is "Better to be of a humble spirit
with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud." (vs.
19)
The
Lord's answer was obviously not that which Paul had hoped for; "My
grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in
weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) It should be noticed that the "grace"
which the Lord described as being "sufficient" would have
reference to the very thing Paul had asked to have removed - the
"thorn in the flesh." What we may often view as an
annoyance may just be what we need for our own good. Paul learned
that lesson as you hear him reply, "Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I
am weak, then I am strong." (vss. 9-10)
Many
people have a tendency to "look down" on others when they
know more about something than their counterparts. Preachers often
distinguish themselves from others by wearing special clothing and
allowing themselves to be referred to in elevated terms such as
"reverend" or "father." Jesus described the
motives of such self-esteeming people as being for the purpose of
being "seen by men." (Mt. 23:2-10) But He warned that
"...whoever exalts himself will be humbled." Sooner or
later, all such high-minded people will be humbled, "For it is
written: 'As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and
every tongue shall confess to God.' " (Rom. 14:11)
Greatness
is not achieved by deliberate effort, but rather is conferred on one
deemed worthy by another who is higher in order. Jesus said, "When
you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the
best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and
he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this
man.' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But
when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that
when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up
higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit
at the table with you. For whoever exalts
himself will
be humbled,
and he who humbles
himself will
be exalted." (Lk. 14:8-11)
At
the final judgment and for eternity thereafter, "...the
righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father"
(Mt. 13:43) and "...those who sleep in the dust of the earth
shall awake,..." and "...shall shine like the brightness of
the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the
stars forever and ever." (Dan. 12:2-3) God will see to it that
His children are appropriately recognized in due time and with great
fanfare - and He doesn't need our help to accomplish that.
Lesson learned - Properly directed zeal
There
was one attribute that Paul possessed that he didn't have to learn
after his conversion, and that was zeal. Prior to his encounter with
the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul had shown himself to
be a leader among men. He was known by his Jewish brethren for his
fervor even as he pointed out to king Agrippa; "My manner of
life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own
nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first,
if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect
of our religion I lived a Pharisee." (Acts 26:4-5) To the
Jewish mob that tried to kill him, Paul said, "I am indeed a
Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the
feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers'
law, and
was zealous toward God as you all are today."
(Acts 22:3)
Paul's
diplomacy before an enraged crowd bent on killing him is seen in his
effort to reason with them by using their own zeal as a positive
foundation upon which to build his defense. The same zeal that
motivated them to want to kill Paul because of his allegiance to
Christ, is that which had previously driven him to persecute
Christians; "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women." (vs. 4)
Paul's
zeal had been part of his "confidence in the flesh" and a
point of boasting along with his past heritage as is seen in his
remarks to the church at Philippi; "circumcised the eighth day,
of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the
Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning
zeal, persecuting the church;
concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
(Phil. 3:5-6) But his confidence in the flesh had given way to
Christ; "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted
loss for Christ." (vs. 7)
Paul's
zeal had been something that he had once included as part of his
identity, but upon his conversion he had resigned all of these things
to Christ. He said, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is
no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) This does not mean
however, that Paul lost his zeal. On the contrary, he became more
resolute in his zeal as he even surpassed the twelve apostles who
preceded him. Paul said, "For I am the least of the apostles,
who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace
toward me was not in vain; but
I labored more abundantly than they all,
yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Cor.
15:9-10)
Paul merely redirected his zeal, and thus he went from persecutor of
Christians to defender of the gospel of Christ. Thereafter, he
bemoaned the plight of his Hebrew brethren who yet remained opposed
to Christ and His gospel. We especially see this in his comments to
those at Rome when he wrote, "Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them
witness that
they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the
righteousness of God." (Rom. 10:1-3) Having once had "a
zeal for God," (Acts 22:3) "but not according to
knowledge," Paul's awareness of those who still remained where
he had once been was a deep concern to him.
Lesson
learned - Patience
In
Paul's zeal, it would be easy for him to become impatient with others
who did not share his level of zeal and commitment. We see this
happen on one occasion after Paul and Barnabas had gone on their
first missionary journey. In the early days of that first expedition
they set sail for the island of Cyprus with "...John as their
assistant." (Acts 13:5) They preached the gospel there from
the town of Salamis to the town of Paphos. "Now when Paul and
his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and
John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem." (Acts 13:13)
We are not told John's reason for leaving so soon into their mission
as he did. But we later see that it became a point of contention
when plans began to be made for Paul and Barnabas to go on a second
missionary journey.
"Then
after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit
our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the
Lord, and see how they are doing.' Now Barnabas was determined to
take with them John called Mark. But
Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had
departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the
work.
Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one
another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul
chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the
grace of God."(Acts 15:36-40)
It
seems that Paul's zeal got ahead of his patience on this occasion and
it resulted in ill feelings between brethren. So Barnabas, which
means "son of encouragement" (Acts 4:36), took John under
his wing, obviously seeing more value in him as a servant of the Lord
than did Paul. Perhaps Barnabas' patience exceeded Paul's zeal at
this point in time, however, Paul would come to learn how to bring
both zeal and patience together in harmony with his maturity in the
faith.
Peter taught about the course of spiritual maturity when he wrote,
"...giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to
brotherly kindness love."
(2 Pet. 1:5-7) But Paul taught about the pinnacle of our spiritual
growth when he began to define love
in this way; "Love
suffers
long
and is kind." (1 Cor. 13:4) In short, patience that is born out
of love
is one of the greatest marks of spiritual maturity.
Paul
learned patience in the multitude of his trials as a servant of God's
grace. And regarding John Mark - listen to Paul's plea to Timothy
years later from his prison cell; "Only Luke is with me. Get
Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry."
(2 Tim. 4:11)
Lesson
learned - Love and compassion for his brethren
As
Paul reminisced about his past misbehaviors, it was not with pride
but disdain. He said, "...although I was formerly
a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy
because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." (1 Tim. 1:13) Paul
makes no excuses for his past by claiming ignorance. Rather, he
identifies ignorance and unbelief as being the cause
of such sinful behavior. His claim that these things were
characteristic of his former
behavior is not a boast, but are stated in contrast
to the mercy of God from which he had learned its value.
Paul
identified himself as having been a "persecutor."
Those who were the target of his misguided zeal became the victims
of his ignorance and unbelief. He said, "I punished them often
in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted
them even to foreign cities." (Acts 26:11) These were
Christians - God's people against whom Paul had marshaled all his
energy to punish, humiliate and eliminate. He said, "...many of
the saints I shut up in prison...and when they were put to death, I
cast my vote against them." (vs. 10)
After
Paul's conversion "Immediately he preached the Christ in the
synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were
amazed, and said, 'Is this not he who destroyed those who called on
this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that
he might bring them bound to the chief priests?' But Saul increased
all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in
Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ." (Acts 9:20-22)
Among his own Jewish countrymen his drastic change in allegiance
had become too obvious to ignore. Therefore, "...after many
days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became
known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill
him. Then the disciples
took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large
basket." (vss. 23-25)
These
who rescued Paul from certain death were Christians
who also had previously been on his "laundry list" as those
marked for imprisonment and perhaps death. Their act of kindness was
an extension of compassion and brotherly love for one who had, only
days before, hated them. Instead of vengeance, love prevailed in
their selfless act of mercy, and an object lesson on love was being
learned by Paul.
The
compassion of these Christians in their helping him to escape was
accomplishing two things. Paul was learning the humility that had
begun on the road to Damascus when he was blinded, and he was also
learning the meaning behind Jesus' words to him; "I will deliver
you from the Jewish
people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you"
(Acts 26:17) It was by their hands that he was being rescued
according to the protection that the Lord was providing him. We are
not told if Ananias ever related to Paul what Jesus said to him in
his vision (Acts 9:10-16), but if he did, Paul was also learning
those words of Jesus now; "...I will show him how many things he
must suffer
for My name's sake." (vs. 16)
Suffering
has an humbling effect which allows ones eyes to be opened to the
compassion extended to them by the hands of others who care. Paul
was now hated by many of his own countrymen and the help of his newly
acquired brethren was an eye-opening experience for him. But his
experiences after
this initial indoctrination to suffering would also serve as part of
his continuing education.
Sometime
after having escaped from Damascus, Paul came to Jerusalem, the city
from which he had initially gone "Christian hunting" with
papers in hand from the high priest who resided there. His reception
was not an easy one. "And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he
tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid
of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple." (vs. 26)
Paul had previously taken great pride in striking such fear in those
whom he persecuted, but now he must look at these same people as his
brethren
in Christ. Their fear was legitimate because this same Paul had hurt
them and their families deeply. As he came to these Christians in an
attempt to join himself to them, he was looking into the eyes of
people whose relatives he had likely imprisoned or cast his vote
against for their execution. How humiliating could that have been?
It is no wonder that they were reluctant to accept him into their
number.
"But
Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared
to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that He had spoken
to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of
Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out."
(vss. 27-28) Paul was learning a lesson on grace
as Barnabas took him under his wing and vouched for him. He was also
learning this lesson from the acceptance of people who had suffered
at his own hand, yet took him into their number as "one of
them." In overlooking Paul's past and embracing him as one of
their own, they were demonstrating the essence of love as Paul would
later write about - a love that "thinks no evil [keeps
no accounts of evil]
(but)...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things." (1 Cor. 13:6-7)
While
writing of Christ's love for them, Paul was condemning his own past
behavior; "Who
shall bring a charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies. Who
is he who condemns?
It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword ?...Yet
in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved
us." (Rom. 8:33-37) Paul, the one who had tried to separate
them from Christ, had learned to love them. From persecutor to
Christian, his love extended now to the lost; "...I have great
sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I
myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen
according to the flesh." (Rom. 9:2-3)
Lesson learned - Sacrifice
Paul
came a long way from the heritage and birthright of his Pharisee
background. His circle of admirers along with their respect and
approval of his zeal had been part of the influence of his past. As
one who could boast of having been "... brought up...at the feet
of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers'
law..." (Acts 22:3), he eventually came to the realization that
in spite of his education, he had acted "...ignorantly
in unbelief." (1 Tim. 1:13)
There
was much in Paul's past for which he could boast. In writing to the
church at Philippi, he noted that "If anyone else thinks he may
have confidence in the flesh, I more so; circumcised the eighth day,
of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the
Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting
the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law,
blameless" (Phil. 3:4-6) All of these things for which he could
once boast were part of who
he had been
and were part of his identity. But Paul learned that these fleshly
benchmarks of life were only superficial, that in spite of such
credentials that set him in the limelight among men, Paul had been
lacking something.
We
can all certainly relate to the dissatisfaction of earthly standards
by which we are judged or by which we measure ourselves. The problem
in such an imperfect standard of measure is that it falls short of
that in which we can become complete. If our standard of measure is
the world and the accomplishments of the flesh, we will always be
less than what we could otherwise be in Christ. Paul warned that
"...we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those
who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by
themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."
(2 Cor. 10:12) Therefore, Paul's critics were not an influence on his
character. He could confidently say that "...with me it is a
very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court
...but He who judges me is the Lord." (1 Cor. 4:3-4)
All
that had once meant something to Paul as important and worth boasting
about soon lost their luster. After having pointed out some of the
things that had once meant so much to him, Paul said, "But what
things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet
indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
(Phil. 3:7-8) Paul had learned the lesson of sacrifice.
Sacrifice
is the giving up of something of value in exchange for something
else. Paul did this, viewing it as an excellent exchange. It is what
all
must
do who wish to gain Christ. Jesus illustrated this point when He
taught that "...the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in
a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and
sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had
found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and
bought it." (Mt. 13:44-46) We, as Paul, must learn that fame
and fortune do not measure up to that which the Lord offers. Paul
said that, "God...has blessed us with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3)
The
life that Paul lived after his conversion was one that was
characterized by much suffering. (2 Cor. 11:22-28) Yet in spite of
such things, he viewed his former life of relative ease and
prominence as "rubbish." He had learned the lesson taught
by Jesus that so many never learn; "If anyone desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a
man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what
will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mt. 16:24-26)
Paul's
exchange of all that he had once been and which he had counted of
value was forever behind him. There is never any indication that
Paul ever longingly looked back with any hint of regret or desire for
what he had walked away from. He was truly converted from his past
and devoted to Him in whom he had put his trust. Paul wrote to
Timothy of his sufferings for the sake of the gospel saying, "...I
also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know
whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I
have committed to Him until that Day." (2 Tim. 1:12)
Such
commitment focused its attention on that for which he had sacrificed
all things with no consideration or regret for that which he had
given up. This becomes obvious in these profound words of Paul;
"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one
thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind
and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
(Phil. 3:12-13)
Paul
learned the lesson that many fail to learn. Where there is no
sacrifice, there is no real
commitment.
We can sacrifice things,
yet fail to let go of them with our heart.
The Israelites are a case in point. As they departed from Mt. Sinai
to make their way into the wilderness en route to the promised land,
they became discontent with God's daily provision of manna.
Therefore they began to look back with regret at what they had left
behind. "We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the
cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now
our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this
manna before our eyes!" (Num. 11:5-6) Jesus said of this
attitude, "...No one, having put his hand to the plow, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:62)
In
Paul's learning to let go of his past, he threw off the encumbrances
that can shackle our hearts to this
world. In so doing he learned yet another lesson.
Lesson learned - Contentment
In
Luke's historical account of the early years of the church, his
biography of Paul ends at Rome, where we learn that "...Paul
dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who
came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one
forbidding him." (Acts 28:30-31) This was Paul's first
imprisonment and the place from which he wrote the letter to his
brethren at Philippi. (Phil. 1:7-14; 4:22) This letter was partly in
reply to a gift (or a "care package"), which they had sent
to him by way of Epaphroditus. (4:10, 18) And while Paul experienced
the privileges of house arrest as opposed to confinement in a cold
dungeon, he was none-the-less bound by a chain to "...the
soldier who guarded him." (Acts 28:16)
The
inconvenience of Paul's two-year confinement was but one of many
things he suffered for the cause of Christ. He said that "From
the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times
I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was
shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys
often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own
countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city , in
perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger
and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness - besides the
other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for all the
churches." (2 Cor. 11:24-28) Yet in the midst of such
suffering, and while chained to a soldier, Paul could write to these
brethren and say, "...I have learned in whatever state I am, to
be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." (Phil. 4:11-12)
Having
learned the lesson of contentment, Paul could encourage Timothy
saying, "Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we
brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be
content." (1 Tim. 6:6-8) All those things that we may
accumulate between birth and death have little significance compared
to a life lived where Christ is its center and heaven is its goal.
Paul expressed this sentiment when he said, "Yet indeed I also
count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." (Phil. 3:8) And
again, he said, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus." (vss. 13-14)
Paul
learned that contentment does not come from "having it all,"
but rather from knowing where all of it comes from with the
assurance that God will provide what we need. Listen to what Paul
said about this; "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus." (Phil. 4:6-7) The money-hungry world whose concept of
contentment and security is a big bank account, have their trust
misplaced in that which they must leave behind at the grave. There
is no peace to be found in such an empty false security.
Paul's
life is a testimony to the fact that peace and contentment are not
realized by virtue of a life that is free from challenges,
inconveniences or even some discomforts. The "thorn in the
flesh" that the Lord saw fit to allow Paul to suffer was
intended for his good. God's reply to Paul's request for its removal
was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9) Once Paul recognized that
fact, he could reply, "Therefore, I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses,
for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (vs.
10) The key to contentment is in our perspective. When we view such
things as part of God's grace, such burdens become blessings for
which we can give thanks. Without thankfulness there is no
contentment.
Never
do we hear Paul complain of his lot as a suffering servant of the
Lord. God's grace toward Paul, even in the form of a thorn in the
flesh, was viewed by him as a matter of abundant mercy in light of
his past sins. He told Timothy that "...the grace of our Lord
was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ
Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief." (1 Tim. 1:14-15)
Paul's
summation of God's grace in those words is an answer to every person
who looks upon their life as being too sinful for God to forgive
them. Paul was saying that, if God could forgive me, He can forgive
anybody. And indeed, that was the idea behind God's great mercy for
one who had once been such an enemy of Christ. Paul continued,
"However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that
in me first, Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern
to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life."
(vs. 16) Christ's abundant mercy toward Paul was a demonstration
of His great patience that stands as the benchmark toward which all
mankind can look with hope and assurance toward eternal life.
In
view of heaven's promise, Peter said, "Therefore, beloved,
looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in
peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - as also our beloved brother
Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you."
(2 Pet. 3:14-15) Therefore we can sing, "When peace like a
river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever
my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my
soul.'"
-
Gary V. Womack - March / April 2005
