Faithful to the Finish: The Fight, the Race, and the Crown

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to reach the end of your life and look back with complete peace? In 2nd Timothy 4:7-8, the Apostle Paul gives us a powerful testimony. He says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith".

Writing from a Roman prison, Paul was facing the end of his earthly journey. Yet instead of despair, his heart was full of comfort. Matthew Henry points out that looking back on a life of faithful service brings unspeakable comfort as we approach eternity. Let us walk through Paul's three powerful reflections and see what they mean for our daily walk with Christ.

Fight the Good Fight

"I have fought the good fight".

The Christian life is not a playground; it is a battleground. It is spiritual warfare that requires courage and steady perseverance. But notice why it is called a "good" fight. The cause belongs to our Lord, and the victory is already assured if we stay faithful.

In the original Greek, the word used for fight is agonizomai, where we get our English word "agony." It paints a picture of an athlete straining every muscle or a soldier standing firm in the heat of battle. Matthew Henry explains that Paul had done the exact service Christ called him to do, enduring the hardships of spiritual warfare and helping advance Christ's victories against the powers of darkness.

The takeaway: Do not throw in the towel just because things get hard. Stand your ground, lean on His strength, and keep serving Him with a courageous heart.

Finish the Race

"I have finished the race".

Next, Paul compares our journey to a footrace set before us by God. Every single believer has a unique course to run, and our goal is simple: we must not give up before our course is finished.

Faithfulness isn't just about starting out with a burst of enthusiasm on day one. True obedience means continuing down the path day after day until the finish line. Whether you are a pastor, a parent, a worker, or a retiree, God has given you a specific calling. Persevere in it, trusting the Lord to make you more than a conqueror.

The takeaway: Persevere in the calling God has given you, trusting the Lord to make you more than a conqueror.

Keep the Faith

"I have kept the faith".

What does it mean to keep the faith? Matthew Henry tells us it involves two vital things. First, it means keeping the doctrine of faith—holding firmly to the pure truth of the gospel without compromising or wandering away. Second, it means keeping the grace of faith—continuously living out our daily trust in Jesus Christ.

Paul never betrayed the sacred trust given to him. He held fast to the truth, and by God's grace, he remained steadfast from beginning to end. We are called to do the exact same thing in our generation.

The takeaway: Hold firmly to biblical truth, remain steadfast in your trust in Christ, and faithfully carry out the responsibilities God has given you.

Receive the Crown of Righteousness

"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day..."

Because Paul fought, finished, and kept the faith, he looked forward with absolute confidence to what was waiting for him. A crown of righteousness was laid up and secured for him.

This reward isn't something we earn through our own human perfection; it is graciously bestowed by Christ, our righteous Judge. And the most wonderful part of this promise is that it is not reserved for Paul alone. It is waiting for all who love His appearing and eagerly await His return. Our hope goes far beyond the struggles of this present life.

The takeaway: Look forward to the eternal reward Christ has promised to those who love His appearing.

Worship Song

I wrote a worship song on this same theme with assistance from artificial intelligence, which I'd like to share with you. You can watch the video on Youtube or view it below:

Closing Words

When we put it all together, the message of these verses is wonderfully clear and encouraging. The Christian journey does not end in defeat or darkness; it ends in the joy of being with Christ.

Let us fight faithfully for our Savior, run our race with patience, and hold fast to the truth of His word until our very last breath. Fix your eyes ahead, knowing that a glorious eternal reward is waiting for all who love His appearing.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. The author wrote this article with assistance from artificial intelligence tools.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Aim for Perfection, Christian Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven, Wesley and Henry on Gospel Law, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith in Action, Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Was Paul Speaking of His Past or Present Life in Romans 7?

In the seventh chapter of Paul the apostle's epistle to the Romans, he speaks in the first person singular in the present tense regarding an intense inner struggle. It was the struggle between wanting to do what was good and right, but not being able to carry it out, and between wanting to avoid doing what is wrong, yet doing that very thing anyway. 

For centuries, a controversy has existed between those who believe that Paul was speaking about his past life before Christ, and those who believe that he was speaking about his present life at that time, as a Spirit-filled disciple of Christ. This same controversy continues to this day.

In fact, recently I was visiting with a dear relative of mine, who also loves the Lord, as I do, and who is a born-again believer. He said that he believes Paul was speaking of his present life as a follower of Jesus in that chapter, and that the main point he was making was that he needed to stop trying to keep the law. But I respectfully disagreed, saying that I believe the context, including Romans chapters six and eight, does not allow for that interpretation, and that Paul could not have been speaking about his present life. I said that I believe Paul was speaking about his life before knowing Christ.

This subject, in the context of the law vs. the spirit, is something I have been studying for decades, and the matter of whether Paul was referring to his life before Christ or his present life as a Christian is something I recall coming up in class in Bible school around thirty-four years ago,  That recent discussion over dinner with my relative led me to go and check to see what my two favorite Bible commentators thought about this matter. So I went and checked both Matthew Henry and John Wesley's commentaries, and although Wesley usually follows Matthew Henry, in this instance Wesley had a different point of view than Henry.

In this article, I am going to share with you an abridged version that summarizes their comments. For their complete, unabridged comments, please see the commentaries on Romans 7 written by Matthew Henry and John Wesley at the links I have just provided.

Matthew Henry's Perspective About Romans 7

Matthew Henry believed that Paul was writing either from the perspective of an unregenerate person, who is convinced they are a sinner, but who is still unsaved, or about the ongoing struggle with the remaining corruption in the life of a sanctified believer in Christ. He believed it was difficult to apply this passage to the regenerate, but even more difficult to apply it to the unregenerate. He also believed that Paul did not intend his remarks in this chapter to be understood to refer to the same state as his present state, and the condition he was now in. Henry explained in his comments that Romans seven: 

…is about the period “When we were in the flesh, that is, in a carnal state, under the reigning power of sin and corruption - in the flesh as in our element.”

…it is “a description of the conflict between grace and corruption in the heart, between the law of God and the law of sin.” 

…”it is applicable two ways: - 1. To the struggles that are in a convinced soul, but yet unregenerate, in the person of whom it is supposed, by some, that Paul speaks. 2. To the struggles that are in a renewed sanctified soul, but yet in a state of imperfection; as others apprehend. And a great controversy there is of which of these we are to understand the apostle here.”

…is “difficult to apply [this passage]…to the regenerate, who are described to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” But “it is more difficult to apply it to the unregenerate.” “Of [the unregenerate] there are many that will needs have all this understood, and contend earnestly for it: though it is very hard to imagine why, if the apostle intended this, he should speak all along in his own person; and not only so, but in the present tense…if here he speaks of the same state as his present state, and the condition he was now in, surely he did not intend to be so understood.”

…”seems rather to be understood of the struggles that are maintained between grace and corruption in sanctified souls. That there are remainders of indwelling corruption, even where there is a living principle of grace, is past dispute; that this corruption is daily breaking forth in sins of infirmity (such as are consistent with a state of grace) is no less certain.”

…teaches “That true grace strives against these sins and corruptions, does not allow of them, hates them, mourns over them, groans under them as a burden, is likewise certain (Gal_5:17): The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. These are the truths which, I think, are contained in this discourse of the apostle…his design is further to open the nature of sanctification, that it does not attain to a sinless perfection in this life; and therefore [his design is] to quicken us to, and encourage us in, our conflicts with remaining corruptions.”

…”complains of - the remainder of indwelling corruptions, which he here speaks of, to show that the law is insufficient to justify even a regenerate man, that the best man in the world hath enough in him to condemn him, if God should deal with him according to the law, which is not the fault of the law, but of our own corrupt nature, which cannot fulfil the law.”

…teaches us that “Such was the strength of corruptions, that [Paul] could not attain that perfection in holiness which he desired and breathed after. Thus, while he was pressing forward towards perfection, yet he acknowledges that he had not already attained, neither was already perfect.”

…shows us that “in his own account [Paul] was a wretched man, because of the corruption of nature, because he was not so good as he fain would be, had not yet attained, neither was already perfect. Thus miserably does he complain.”

…teaches us that “When we are under the sense of the remaining power of sin and corruption, we shall see reason to bless God through Christ…to bless God for Christ; it is he that stands between us and the wrath due to us for this sin. If it were not for Christ, this iniquity that dwells in us would certainly be our ruin.” 

…is “an argument why sin should not reign over us, and why we should walk in newness of life.”

...is to be understood as referring to the law here “as a covenant of works”…rather than “as a rule”, since “we are freed, by death, from our obligation to the law as a covenant,” [not as a rule]. 

…”shows from [Paul’s] own experience the great excellency and usefulness of the law, not as a covenant, but as a guide,” which is holy, just, and good. The law in general is so, and every particular commandment is so. Laws are as the law-makers are. God, the great lawgiver, is holy, just, and good, therefore his law must needs be so.”

…teaches that “the commandment, which was ordained to life, was intended as a guide in the way to comfort and happiness.”

…is “an argument why we should be holy” and an “encouragement in [our] endeavors” to do so through “grace, which promises strength to do what [the law] commands, and pardon upon repentance when we do amiss,” since “…we are under a covenant of grace, and not under a covenant of works - under the gospel of Christ, and not under the law of Moses.”

…”distinguishes the good works of believers from the good works of hypocrites and self-justifiers”, since those of believers “…are brought forth in marriage, done in union with Christ, in the name of the Lord Jesus.” For “The only fruit which turns to a good account is that which is brought forth in Christ,” which is “one of the great mysteries of godliness.”

…teaches is that as believers, “we must now serve in newness of spirit, by new spiritual rules, from new spiritual principles, in spirit and in truth. There must be a renovation of our spirits wrought by the spirit of God, and in that we must serve. Not in the oldness of the letter; that is, we must not rest in mere external services, as the carnal Jews did, who gloried in their adherence to the letter of the law, and minded not the spiritual part of worship…We are under the dispensation of the Spirit, and therefore must be spiritual, and serve in the spirit.” For “Wherever there is true grace there is an experimental knowledge of the spirituality of the law of God….Wherever there is grace there is not only a dread of the severity of the law, but a consent to the goodness of the law…This is a sign that the law is written in the heart, that the soul is delivered into the mould of it. To consent to the law is so far to approve of it as not to wish it otherwise constituted than it is. The sanctified judgment not only concurs to the equity of the law, but to the excellency of it, as convinced that a conformity to the law is the highest perfection of human nature, and the greatest honour and happiness we are capable of…All that are savingly regenerate or born again do truly delight in the law of God, delight to know it, to do it - cheerfully submit to the authority of it, and take a complacency in that submission, never better pleased than when heart and life are in the strictest conformity to the law and will of God.”

…teaches that “It is not enough to consent to the law, and to delight in the law, but we must serve the law; our souls must be entirely delivered up into the obedience of it. Thus it was with Paul's mind; thus it is with every sanctified renewed mind; this is the ordinary course and way; thitherward goes the bent of the soul. I myself - autos egō, plainly intimating that he speaks in his own person, and not in the person of another.”

…teaches us that “there is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin which is necessary to repentance, and consequently to peace and pardon, but by comparing our hearts and lives with the law.” For “There is nothing about which the natural man is more blind than about original corruption, concerning which the understanding is altogether in the dark till the Spirit by the law reveal it, and make it known.”

…teaches us “to bow our souls to the commanding authority of the word and law of God, not striving against, but submitting to it.”

John Wesley's Perspective About Romans 7

Now let's look at what John Wesley believed about that same passage. Based on the following key statements that Wesley made, we can clearly see that he made a perfectly sound argument from Scripture to support his belief that Paul was impersonating an unsaved man in order to illustrate the utter bondage of trying to please God by obedience to Him in the flesh without the Spirit before becoming united with Christ in his death, raise with Him to new life, born again of the Spirit, and controlled by the Spirit. Wesley states that Romans seven:

…is “the comparison between the former and the present state of a believer”

…is a comparison between “the past and present state of believers -- that ‘in the flesh,’ Rom 7:5, and that ‘in the spirit’."

…speaks of the period “When ye were in the flesh - Carnally minded, in a state of nature; before we believed in Christ.”

…demonstrates the futility of trying to serve and obey God “in the oldness of the letter…in a bare literal, external way, as we did before,” rather than “in newness of spirit…in a new, spiritual manner.”

…“is a kind of a digression, to the beginning of the next chapter, wherein the apostle, in order to show in the most lively manner the weakness and inefficacy of the law, changes the person and speaks as of himself, concerning the misery of one under the law. This St. Paul frequently does, when he is not speaking of his own person, but only assuming another character, Rom 3:5, 1Co 10:30, 1Co 4:6. The character here assumed is that of a man, first ignorant of the law, then under it and sincerely, but ineffectually, striving to serve God. To have spoken this of himself, or any true believer, would have been foreign to the whole scope of his discourse; nay, utterly contrary thereto, as well as to what is expressly asserted, Rom 8:2…”

…depicts the unsaved “man, finding there is no help in himself, [who] begins almost unawares to pray, Who shall deliver me? He then seeks and looks for deliverance, till God in Christ appears to answer his question.” However, “the deliverance is not wrought yet.”

…depicts a man before knowing Christ, who “is now utterly weary of his bondage, and upon the brink of liberty,” who finally realizes how wretched he really is in himself, and who realizes that “God will deliver me through Christ.”

…is summed up and concluded “as he began, Rom 7:7. I myself - Or rather that I, the person whom I am [im]personating, till this deliverance is wrought.”

My Own Key Points

I believe that Romans seven could not have been about Paul's present life, since he said, "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin" (Rom 7:14), which is completely inconsistent with what he wrote in chapters six and eight. 

In chapter six, he said that once you are saved, you are united with Christ through water baptism in his death and burial, and you are united with him in His resurrection to a new life (Rom 6:3-6). 

He said that our old self was crucified with Christ, so that we should no longer be slaves to sin (Rom 6:7). He also said you are now a slave to righteousness and no longer a slave to sin (Rom 6:17-18,22). Therefore, as a true believer, it was impossible for Paul to still be a slave to sin as he stated in Romans 7:14, so he could not have been speaking of his present state.

Likewise, in chapter eight, he said that through Christ the law of the Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). He said the mind governed by the flesh is death, while the mind by the Spirit is life and peace (Rom 8:6). He also said that the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God and cannot submit to God's law, and that those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8:7-8). All of these statements in Romans eight about the Spirit-controlled life that Paul was living as a believer are completely inconsistent with the kind of struggle he described in Romans seven.

I do believe, however, that the Holy Spirit was illustrating through Paul the ongoing struggle between the flesh and the spirit that exists in the life of a sanctified believer, and emphasizing the points made in Romans six and eight about the old self being crucified with Christ and the need to now be controlled by the Spirit.

Lastly, it's important to always remember that we cannot interpret the teachings of the apostles, except through the teachings of Christ, and not the other way around. The Lord Jesus always upheld the law, and commanded obedience to it (eg., Matt 5:17-19; Luk 16:16-18), as I've written about here. In fact, the Gospels, and especially the Sermon on the Mount, prove this point (Matt 5:48; Matt 5 - 7).

Conclusion

As you can see, Wesley and Henry each had their own different opinions about the meaning of Romans seven, and both were able to support their views in a doctrinally sound way from Scripture. Henry said that Paul speaks in his own person, and not in the person of another, while Wesley said Paul was impersonating an unsaved man. They both made many excellent points which, even to this day, continue to edify, instruct, and encourage the Body of Christ. Neither of these men used their viewpoint as an opportunity to teach grace as a license for sin, but both taught the need to live a holy life in obedience to God. Both of them taught that we must obey the gospel law (see here). 

Therefore, whichever way you choose to view Romans seven, just be sure that it is consistent with sound doctrine that conforms to Scripture, especially the teachings of Jesus, and that it is consistent in its context with the rest of Paul's discourse.

Attributes: Most Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, all rights reserved, used by permission. Image may be subject to copyright, used per the Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Aim for Perfection, Christian Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Living on Earth as They Do in Heaven, Wesley and Henry on Gospel Law, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Faith in Action, Bearing Fruit in Every Good Work, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe. 

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Overcoming the Fear of Death

When Jesus sent out his Twelve disciples, one of the things He told them was not to fear death. He said:

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." (Mat 10:28-31)

The devil uses the fear of death to hold people in slavery. Scripture says:

"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Heb 2:14-15)

It's natural for people to fear death before they come to know Christ. When John Wesley was on a ship traveling across the Atlantic to America, he feared for his life during the harrowing storms that lashed the vessel. However, he noticed that there were Moravians on the ship from Germany, who were not afraid to die. They knew that if they died, they would not perish but go to be with the Lord in heaven, because they had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Lord taught us not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. He taught us to fear God who can kill both the soul and the body in hell. Notice that he said that God can destroy both the soul and body in hell. This proves that He has the power to do more than anyone can do to you here on earth, since nobody else can destroy a soul but Him; and it proves that in hell He can destroy not only the soul but also the body at the same time.

Jesus also warned His disciples not to fear what men fear, since they were worth more than many sparrows. This is also the same warning He gives to us, too. We are more valuable to our heavenly Father than many sparrows.

The things that men fear are not having proper food, clothing, or shelter, because then they might die. But that is due to their fear of death. Once the Lord, who is the Resurrection and the Life, comes to live inside our hearts by faith, then we know that we will not die but live, and if we die, yet shall we live (Jn 11:25). As the apostle Paul said, "To live is Christ, to die is gain" (Phil 1:21), and "To be present in the body is to be absent from the Lord." He said he preferred to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8).

That's why he was able to follow the Lord obediently, regardless of the personal danger it posed to him. He was not afraid to die, and in fact the Lord kept him alive through many hardships including being stoned, beaten with rods, flogged, shipwrecked, and spending a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor 11:25).

After encountering the Moravians on that ship, John Wesley eventually came to know the Lord personally the same way they did, so that he was no longer afraid to die. If you read his journals as I am doing, you will see that his life was like a continuation of the book of Acts. It's like reading about Paul's missionary journeys. Wesley encountered many dangerous situations and yet the Lord protected him through them all. Mobs tried to attack him, and yet he would come away with only some skin lost from his hand and part of his coat tail ripped off. Or they would throw stones and he might only end up with some dirt on him. Or they would push him off a high wall and he would land safely on his feet. Or they would burst into a building through the front door to attack him and he would walk right out the back door unharmed as they were coming in. He would walk right across a room where stones were coming through the windows, but as he passed in front of the window, no stones were being thrown until he had finished passing by. Or as a mob assembled outside a building that he was in, and someone suggested he flee, he would walk outside right into the crowd and begin talking with them. He fell backwards off his horse, and yet he felt as though someone had gently laid him on the ground. The leader of a mob would come up to him apparently with the intention to harm him, and yet after he took the man's hand and began to speak to him, the man would become docile and lose his desire to hurt Wesley. I admire Wesley for his courage in the face of great danger. Praise the Lord for the amazing way He protected him as he went about preaching the gospel.

May the Lord help us to be strong and courageous. May He help us to trust Him fully. May He help us not to fear man or to fear death, which always leads to slavery. May He help us to only fear God and do His will, knowing that He will take care of us as we do so.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright Lockman Foundation, all rights reserved, used by permission. 

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Salvation with Fear and Trembling, Overcomers in this Life, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Faith Works, Ezekiel Moses' Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Pleasing the Lord, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Obedient to the Heavenly Vision

We've all heard of the vision that the apostle Paul had on the road to Damascus, before he knew the Lord. At that time he was still a staunch Jewish Pharisee, known as Saul of Tarsus, who was persecuting the followers of Jesus Christ, imprisoning them and putting them to death. It was then that the Lord Himself appeared to Saul in a vision, which is recorded in Acts 9, 22, and 26.

When Paul testified before King Agrippa, he recounted the incident like this:

"While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' And I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 'But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'" (Act 26:12-18)

The Vision
First of all the vision included the light from heaven that Saul saw, which was brighter than the midday sun, shining all around him and his traveling companions. Secondly, the vision also included the message that the Lord spoke to Saul. The light he saw was Christ Himself appearing to him in glory right there on the road, so it was a heavenly vision. The Lord's glory that emanates from His presence is extremely bright and heavenly!

The Lord answered Saul's question, "Who are You, Lord?" by saying, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." In saying so, the Lord was telling Saul that when he was persecuting those Christians, he was persecuting Jesus. Whatever Saul had done to one of the least of these brethren of Christ, he had done it unto Jesus Himself. That's how closely the Lord identifies Himself with His people.

The Lord explained the purpose for which He was appearing to Saul: "For this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you." The Lord appeared to Saul to appoint him as both a minister and a witness to both the things he had seen that day and even more things the Lord would yet reveal to Saul in future appearances.

The Lord promised to rescue Saul from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom He was sending him. And here is the reason the Lord was sending him to the Gentiles: to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Jesus. Saul's testimony and ministry would open the spiritual eyes of the Gentiles for a specific reason. Their eyes would be opened so that they would turn from darkness to light, from satan to God, and so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Christ.

That's just what the Lord did through Paul's life and He is still using Paul's life and teachings to do that. In fact, it is still the Lord's desire to do the same thing through His people today. When people's eyes are opened, and they turn from darkness to light and from satan to God, then they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance.

Obedience to the Vision
Now that we have established what the vision was, which was Christ and the things He spoke to Saul, let's consider what he did with that vision. Paul told the king, "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Act 26:19-20)

These famous words are a testament to the life of Paul the apostle. He could honestly say before the king and all those present, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." (Ac 26:19). Paul had done just what the Lord commanded him to do way back when He first appeared to him. He had been obedient since that time, and continuing on throughout the course of his life. Can we say the same thing Paul did that we have not been disobedient to the heavenly vision?

Listen to the way Paul obeyed the vision: he "kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Ac 26:20) His message was the same everywhere he went, that the people he was speaking to should "repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." That's a very simple practice, isn't it? He did not fail to tell his hearers that they must repent (i.e., to change your mind and turn from sin), and that they must turn to God through faith in Christ. That part is not disputed by most evangelical Christians, but what about the last part? He told his hearers that once they repent and turn to God, they must perform deeds appropriate to repentance. This is the part that is missing from so much evangelical preaching today.

Paul's message of repentance was quite similar to that of John the Baptist, who said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," telling them to "bear fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matt 3:2,8). As I have said before, this is what Jesus also preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt 4:17). Or as it says in Mark's gospel: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mar 1:15). It's also what He commanded the apostles to preach as well. "They went out and preached that men should repent." (Mk 6:12). And after the Lord's resurrection He explained that the Law and Prophets proclaim that repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in Jesus' name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luk 24:47). And after He ascended into heaven, the apostles continued with the same message. Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Ac 2:38).

Just as John the Baptist told his hearers that they must repent and bear fruit in keeping with repentance, likewise Paul told his hearers that they must "repent and turn to God, they must perform deeds appropriate to repentance." This message was a fulfillment of the heavenly vision he was given. By preaching that message, the Holy Spirit enabled people who heard him to turn from darkness to light and from satan to God and to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith.

Persecution for Obeying the Vision
Paul's obedience to the vision did not come without persecution. The Lord told him when He appeared to him that He would rescue him from the Jews and Gentiles to whom He was sending him, which implied that the people to whom the Lord was sending him would seek to harm him. So as he went through life obeying the vision, people did persecute him for it, and the Lord did rescue him from them. Paul said to Agrippa, "For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death." (Act 26:21). The reason to which he was referring was the fact that he had been obedient to the vision and preached the gospel; that is why the Jews seized him (Ac 26:6-7,19-20; 28:20b).

It's interesting to note that if Paul had been primarily interested in defending himself before the king, he could have explained that the Jews saw him walking around Jerusalem with Trophimus the Ephesian, and that when they had seen Paul enter the temple courts, they had supposed that he had brought that Gentile man into the temple with him, which would have been a violation of the Law and defiled the temple (Act 21:29). If he had mentioned that fact, it may have helped his defense. But Paul was more interested in witnessing Christ to the king than he was in giving a strong defense on that occasion. He knew that the real reason why the Jews had seized him was ultimately because he preached Christ as Lord.

Moreover, we have a record in Scripture of the many other times both Jews and Gentiles plotted and tried to kill him, as well as the other instances when he was flogged and put in prison for his obedience to the vision, and how the Lord rescued him out of all those situations as He had promised.

The gospel is not a popular message. People don't like being told they need to repent, turn to God through faith in Christ, and produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Governor Festus was no exception, as he sat there listening to Paul speak to King Agrippa. He tried to shut Paul right down, saying in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." (Act 26:24).

Sometimes people will think you are insane when you are obedient to the vision and proclaim the true gospel message. But Paul assured Festsus that he was not insane, saying, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth." (Act 26:25). What an excellent response! Paul was simply uttering words of sober truth, which Festus and Agrippa didn't want to hear, but that didn't make him insane. It meant that he was obedient to the vision. Although others would see the purpose of such a hearing before the secular authorities to defend themselves, Paul saw it as an opportunity to be a witness for Christ.

He continued witnessing to the truth before the King and pressed on with his challenge to him saying, "For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do." (Ac 26:26-27). He wasn't going to be hindered from witnessing to the king by the governor's attempt to insult and embarrass him.

Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian." (Ac 26:28, NASB). Other versions have Agrippa asking Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (Ac 26:28, NIV). If the NASB translation is correct, the king was essentially saying (either facetiously or sincerely) that it wouldn't be long before Paul persuaded him to become a Christian, if he kept up preaching to him like that. And if the NIV is correct, then the king was asking Paul if he really thought he could persuade him to become a believer in such a short time as that brief hearing. Whichever way you translate the king's reply, one thing is certain in my opinion -- Paul was getting through to him and he was coming under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I am not saying the king was responding to that conviction properly by repenting at that moment, but Paul's preaching was having a powerful influence on him.

And Paul said, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." (Act 26:26-29). In other words, that was Paul's desire and prayer to God, which he in all likelihood had prayed the Lord would do even before he stood before that court and testified that day. Paul's heart was that the king, the governor, and everyone in that courtroom would come to know Christ. For the Lord had declared at the time of Paul's conversion that he would proclaim the name of Jesus to the Gentiles and their kings (Ac 9:15).

Likewise, Paul's behavior had been consistent during that whole period of imprisonment, including the time when Governor Felix was in office. He preached to the governor, rather than offer him a bribe that may have gotten him released. Scripture states: "But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.' At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him." (Act 24:24-26).

Do you notice how the governor became frightened by Paul's speaking about faith in Christ? He was particularly disturbed by his discourse about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, and he shut him right down! That's because he was coming under the conviction of the Holy Spirit for sin, and he didn't want to repent, so he pushed the Holy Spirit away. And since Paul never offered him the bribe he was hoping to receive, Paul remained in prison for the next two years. Felix also did the Jews a favor and left Paul in prison at the end of those two years, when Porcius Festus succeeded him as governor, rather than release him (Act 24:27). Apparently Paul was used as a political pawn in that instance, because he didn't compromise but remained obedient to the heavenly vision, just as he was later persecuted when his preaching brought King Agrippa and Governor Festus under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Paul never chose the easy way out, but rather the straight and narrow path of obedience to the Lord.

Matching Up the Vision with Its Fulfillment
I would like to share one final observation, by demonstrating how the vision the Lord gave to Saul was fulfilled.

Vision of Christ	Fulfillment of the Vision
"...rescuing you..." (Ac 26:17)	The Lord rescued Paul many times from Jews and Gentiles who seized him and tried to kill him, including when the Roman soldiers rescued him in Jerusalem (Ac 21:31-33), which led to the imprisonment he was under at the time he spoke to King Agrippa. In fact, the Lord also rescued Paul by allowing him to appeal to Caesar and be taken to Rome away from the Jews who wanted to kill him (Ac 25:12).
"the Jewish people and...the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you" (Ac 26:17)	Paul "kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles..." (Ac 26:20)
"to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light..." (Ac 26:18)	Paul preached "that they should repent.." (Ac 26:20), which corresponds with people's eyes being opened and their turning from darkness to light.
"...so that they may turn from ...the dominion of satan to God..." (Ac 26:18)	Paul preached "that they should...turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Ac 26:20). This corresponds with them turning "from the dominion of satan to God."

Other Supporting Scriptures
There are many other Scriptures that show Paul's commitment and dedication to fulfilling the heavenly vision, but here are just three:

"For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1Co 9:16, NIV)

"I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it." (1Co 9:23)

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." (Ac 20:24, NIV)

There was clearly no greater priority in Paul's life than preaching the gospel. In fact, that was his only aim.

Putting it All Together
We've seen from Scripture that Paul the apostle was not disobedient to the heavenly vision of Christ nor to the assignment he was given. What about you? Are you being a witness for Christ and proclaiming the unpopular message of the gospel that men, women, and children should repent and turn to God through faith in Christ, and perform deeds appropriate to repentance? I, too, must ask myself this same question, which is sobering and challenging. This message may not be popular with most people, but it's the only way for them to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified through faith in Christ. It's the true gospel, and Paul was not ashamed of it, because it is the power of God unto salvation. Therefore neither should we be ashamed of it, but rather be obedient to that heavenly vision.

Epilogue
After I wrote this article, I asked my children which book of the Bible they are reading for their Life Transformation Groups that they meet in. My three girls meet together each week in one group, and my two boys meet together in another. Both the boys and the girls coincidentally just happened to be reading through the book of Acts right now for their Scripture reading in both groups. Coincidentally I have also been reading through the book of Acts myself in my own private Bible reading. So I asked the girls which chapters they had read today and they said 26 through 27. Coincidentally I had actually read chapters 22 through 26, and it was my reading of chapter 26 that inspired this article. Yet another coincidence was the fact that the boys had just read Acts 9 today about Paul's heavenly vision on the Damascus road.

Since they did not know I had just written this article before dinner, I did not tell them so, but asked them each what they got out of their reading. My sixteen-year old daughter Faith talked about Paul's defense before King Agrippa and how he had appealed to Caesar. I sat and listened to her without saying a word to anyone about this article, just to see what they would say. Then I asked my eighteen-year old daughter Hope what she got out of her reading, and she began to emphasize repeatedly how "Paul was not disobedient to the vision." She also made the observation about how Paul had been more interested in winning souls when he stood before Agrippa and Festus than he was with defending himself, and how he had not mentioned the fact that the Jews had supposed he took a Gentile into the temple. It was her comments about that which led me to come back to this article and add the second paragraph containing that observation in the section entitled "Persecution for Obeying the Vision." It was also her comments to me about Paul's discourses with Governor Felix on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, which led me to come back to this article and add the final two paragraphs at the end of the final section entitled "Persecution for Obeying the Vision."

I want to thank my daughter Hope for her insightful observations, which further enhanced this article, and to give God all the glory for obviously leading me to write this article this evening before dinner, in light of the way He confirmed it so powerfully after our meal at the dinner table.

Attribution Notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, where noted, copyright Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures from The Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Image of chalk drawing entitled "Yeshua Encounters Saul on the Road to Damascus." Artwork by L. Henry (Hank) Jones, taken from John David Pitcher Jr.'s Jerusalem Channel. Used according to Fair Use Act for educational and commentary purposes. Other image of Saul on the Road to Damascus taken from The Book of Acts -- Visual Bible.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The False Gospel without Repentance, Repentance That Leads to Life, Popularity of the Gospel, Persecuted or Popular?, Your Rewards are Based on Your Practice, The Obedience of Faith, Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Chosen for Obedience, Doing What is Right, Being a Witness for Christ, The Sin of Silence, Life Transformation Groups, The Conditional Security of the Believer, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, Practicing Your Righteousness, Spiritual Do-It-Yourself, The Ways of Life, Faith Works!, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Abominations in the Sight of God, Pleasing the Lord, Holding Fast the Faithful Word, A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul, and the other posts available through the links on the Home page.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." You can find more devotional content from my daughter Hope on her blog, Words of Hope.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Him.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

No Flesh Will Be Justified by Works

Let's remember what the apostle Paul said in his epistle to the Romans that no flesh will be made righteous by the works of the law. He said:

"By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." (Rom 3:20)

Matthew Henry explained it like this: "Man, in his depraved state, under the power of such corruption, could never, by any works of his own, gain acceptance with God; but it must be resolved purely into the free grace of God, given through Jesus Christ to all true believers that receive it as a free gift."

He says that we are not "the judaizing Christians, who would needs join Christ and Moses together - owning Christ for the Messiah, and yet too fondly retaining the law, keeping up the ceremonies of it, and imposing it upon the Gentile converts."

According to Paul, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." (Rom 3:28). He also said, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom 5:1).

Nevertheless, Paul concluded this passage by saying, "Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (Rom 3:31)

Matthew Henry concluded with his own paraphrase of Romans 3:31: "...'though we do say that the law will not justify us, yet we do not therefore say that it was given in vain, or is of no use to us; no, we establish the right use of the law, and secure its standing, by fixing it on the right basis. The law is still of use to convince us of what is past, and to direct us for the future; though we cannot be saved by it as a covenant, yet we own it, and submit to it, as a rule in the hand of the Mediator, subordinate to the law of grace; and so are so far from overthrowing that we establish the law.' Let those consider this who deny the obligation of the moral law on believers."

According to Henry, we do not say the law will justify us. However, we don't teach that the law is of no use to us. We affirm the right use of the law on its correct basis. We submit to it as a rule in the hand of Christ, which is subordinate to the law of grace. It's still of use to convince us of what is past and direct us for the future. However, we cannot be saved by it as a covenant.

John Wesley paraphrased Romans 3:31 like this: "We establish the law - Both the authority, purity, and the end of it; by defending that which the law attests; by pointing out Christ, the end of it; and by showing how it may be fulfilled in its purity."

According to Wesley, Paul was saying that we establish the authority of the law. We also establish its purity. And we establish the end of the law, which is Christ. We do all of this by showing how it may be fulfilled in its purity.

We know that Paul did not teach us to disregard or violate the law, because he said, "For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified." (Rom 2:13). It is the doers of the law who will be justified.

Henry commented on this by saying, "The Jews prided themselves very much in the law; but, to confirm what he had said, the apostle shows (Rom_2:13) that their having, and hearing, and knowing the law, would not justify them, but their doing it. The Jewish doctors bolstered up their followers with an opinion that all that were Jews, how bad soever they lived, should have a place in the world to come. This the apostle here opposes: it was a great privilege that they had the law, but not a saving privilege, unless they lived up to the law they had, which it is certain the Jews did not, and therefore they had need of a righteousness wherein to appear before God. We may apply it to the gospel: it is not hearing, but doing that will save us, Joh_13:17; Jam_1:22." We must be doers of the Word and not merely hearers.

As James said, "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (Jas 2:24). Therefore, we do not teach that men should break the law or ignore the law, but that they should be doers of it, even though we know that no man will be justified by observing it. We establish the law and our moral obligation to it. However, you can never gain acceptance from God by any works of your own. You can only be accepted by the free grace of God, given through Jesus Christ to all true believers that receive it as a free gift. And we certainly don't seek to misuse the law by being so fond of it that we retain its rituals and ceremonies and impose them on Gentile Christians. We are not seeking to join Christ and Moses together.

If you have been trying to gain acceptance from God by the works of the law or simply by your own good works, please repent of your futile efforts. You need to come to God by grace through faith in Christ. He will confer upon you the very righteousness of God. And then as a disciple of Christ, you will be forgiven, accepted by God in Christ, set free from the power of sin to do what is right. Then you will be empowered to be a true doer of the law, not as a covenant, but as the rule of Christ that is subordinate to the law of grace.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. The calligraphy and artwork by my daughter, Charity V. Lacroix, available at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Never Trust in Your Own Good Works, The Conditional Security of the Believer, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Obedience by the Spirit, The Obedience of Faith, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Baptized with the Spirit, Holy Fire Baptism, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Pleasing the Lord, The Burning Ones, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Keeping a Good Conscience, Separation from the World, Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Doing What is Right, The Ways of Life, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, The Mark of the Beast (666), and Listen to Jesus, Who Upholds Moses and the Prophets. You can find more of my articles related to Working God's Way on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_______________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org