Paul the apostle has been
sharing his testimony with the churches of Galatia in the first
verses of his letter to them. We have been privileged to come along
side his words and consider their value. His persuasions toward them
have been because false teachers have infiltrated the churches and
taught them that they must obey the law as well as believe in Jesus.
Paul is declaring the gospel of grace according to Jesus Christ, and
as proof of it's accuracy, he has noted that the churches in Judea
had never before seen his face but knew of God's work in his life. He
continues this thought in chapter one and verse twenty-three where he
wrote:
But they had heard
only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preaches the
faith which once he destroyed.
News
travels fast. In a day when there was no telephones, no wires, no
radios, and emails, members of the church in Judea, “had heard
only.” Imagine the conversations between people for a moment:
“Have you heard about the one they call Saul of Tarsus? He's become
a believer. No, not him. He was persecuting the church. Yes, him. I
suppose Jesus can save anyone then, can't he?...” It must have been
quite the dialog. No matter how it was, we know this, Paul's
testimony is that they heard about him. But what did they hear?
They
heard, “That he which persecuted us in times past now preaches
the faith which once he destroyed.” What a marvelous conversion
this was! The people must have wondered greatly at the fact that
Saul, (Paul as he was now being called) had converted to the very
Christianity that he was trying to destroy, and not only that, he was
now a preacher who was promoting Christian ways. He persecuted them.
He tried to destroy them, but Jesus Christ prevailed in his life to
the point that He made him a preacher of the gospel. Such is the
marvelous grace of Jesus Christ, and as an example of the extent to
which the grace of God may reach, Paul considered himself one of the
most far reaching adversaries to the gospel and yet he was changed.
What
have others heard about us? Do they know of our wonderful conversion
to Jesus Christ? Perhaps we have not been called in a former manner
to “preach the gospel” as a preacher, but our testimony has a
preaching affect upon others as we live our lives before them. Maybe
some are reading these words today who might believe that the grace
of Jesus Christ could not extend to the place they are in the world.
If so, consider Paul. His vile conduct against the church did not
inhibit the gospel of the grace of God from reaching him, and its
impact was so great that he became a preacher of the very ideas he
was trying to destroy. If God can change Paul, he can change us too.
May we all consider having him alter us in such a powerful manner
that others will hear about us and know the marvelous work of God
that has been done within us.
Next
time will look at the people's reaction to Paul after they heard
about him, so read ahead, and let us join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look for
the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to
Generation” in all major
bookstore
sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to
e-books, and find it
locally
at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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