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

The Ebb and Flow of Ministry for the Lord

We have been based near Budapest, Hungary, serving as missionaries for nearly five years.  However, we are currently on furlough, away from the field, praying and seeking the Lord's guidance regarding where to be, and for the provision to fulfill the mission.

However, people today have various misconceptions about missionaries and some unbiblical expectations of them.  Some may expect that a missionary must stay on the field all the time and live in their host country permanently, as they did in the early days of missions during the nineteenth century.  Others may not see the need for missionary families to take time off the field.  Still others may look at a missionary’s role as if it were a job, which is very consistent and routine from week to week.  Yet in real life, a missionary’s ministry has a normal wax and wane.  Even Paul had an ebb and flow in his ministry, so it should not surprise us when missionaries experience this in their ministry. 

There was a period of three years from his conversion until his departure from Damascus (Gal.1:18)

He went from Damascus to Jerusalem, where he stayed for 15 days (Acts 9:26-29; Gal.1:18) Then he left to avoid capture, and sailed from Caesarea to the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Gal.1:21)

After a period ranging from 8 to 14 years, Paul traveled to Antioch with Barnabas (Acts 11:25; Gal.1:21-2:1 see below). He and Barnabas taught there at Antioch for a full year.

“And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Act 11:25-26)

Paul then traveled to Jerusalem, staying for a short time. (Acts 11:27-30; Gal.2:1). He then returned to Antioch.

After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch and reported all that the Lord had done through them.  And they stayed there for a “long time,” which was probably a year or more.

“From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent a long time with the disciples.” (Act 14:26-28)

When Paul went to Corinth, he initially worked with Aquila and Priscilla as a tentmaker, and every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to evangelize Jews and Gentiles.  But once his team arrived, he devoted himself exclusively to preaching. 

“After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.” (Act 18:1-5)

So he had periods of heavy travel from one place to another, periods of secular employment when he mainly evangelized on weekends, and extended periods when he stayed in one city for over a year, teaching the Word of God, such as he did in Corinth.

“And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Act 18:11)

That was in Corinth, and he did the same thing in Ephesus.

“It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.” (Act 19:1) “And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” (Act 19:8-10)

After his third missionary journey, he was imprisoned in Judea for 2 years.

“But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.” (Act 24:27)

When he finally arrived in Rome, he was imprisoned there for 2 more years.

“And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.” (Act 28:30-31)

There is Biblical and early church historical evidence to indicate that after his Roman imprisonment, Paul was released and traveled more, perhaps as long as four years, including a trip to Spain. (Clement of Rome in I Clement, and 2 Tim.) He later returned to Rome again, where he was eventually martyred in 64 A.D.

Putting it All Together
It’s evident that Paul’s life was a blend of periods when he stayed in one place, which sometimes lasted for years, and periods of travel abroad.  It included periods spent back at the sending Church.  Some journeys were made by choice and others were out of his control.  Even when the choice was his to make, he sometimes didn’t know where he was going next. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go” (1 Co 16:16).

This shows that he expected to stay for a while in Corinth, and possibly remain there for the winter.  It also shows that he was desirous of support from the Corinthians, since he said, “you can help me on my journey.” It also shows that he was not sure where he would go next after that, since he said, “Wherever I go.”

Likewise, when missionaries travel with their families overseas for several years, they need to have periods home on furlough, away from service on the field.  Often missionaries take furlough every year or two years for a period of months.  This is time for them to receive ministry from others, be refreshed, encouraged, share what God has done through them, and get fresh direction and support to continue their mission. Usually while they are on the field, they do not receive any pastoral care, so when they are home, it is important that the Church visit and care for them, before the time comes when they will go away overseas again for a period of time.

Therefore, from this study, we can see how the Spirit of God directed the apostle Paul’s life.  It’s like our Lord said, "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (Joh 3:8)

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14)

There is a normal ebb and flow that happens in the ministry of a missionary.  It’s not a job that a missionary does for forty hours a week for fifty-two weeks a year.  It’s a ministry, and the Holy Spirit directs it, not man.

If someone had tried to draw conclusions about Paul’s missionary calling coming to an end during any of his long stays in one place, such as Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Judea, or Rome, they would have been badly mistaken.  Once the Lord calls a person by His grace to be an apostle (“sent one”), he is always an apostle.  It’s the same with any calling that one may have from the Lord.  “For God's gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). Who he is in God doesn’t depend on his geographical location. 

So I hope this has helped you to better understand the life of a missionary, so that you can better minister to them and support them.  Often missionaries have left everything to follow the call. That means they have sold their home, their earthly possessions, and they have left their professional careers, as well as their friends, family, and church, in order to obey the Great Commission.  They are not able to just jump back into their professions as if they had never left, so they still rely on support while they are off the field. 

They are not machines, but human beings, who need time away from the field.  And when they do take State side furlough, it’s not time to drop your support of them, but rather to continue it and even look for additional ways to support them further, not only financially, but also in other areas you may not have been able to offer while they were overseas.  Take an interest in them, and invite them to come and share their testimonies.  When you do it for one of the least of these brethren, you do it for Jesus.

If you are a missionary who is currently experiencing a period of ebb, be encouraged, because it does not mean God is through with you.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Path of the Missionary" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: I also recommend Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ.  You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

_________________________________________

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.

Righteousness by Faith not Law

 Although the Law and Prophets have not been abolished, and none of the commandments have passed from the Law (Mt 5:17-19), observing the Law does not justify anyone.  We are justified by faith in Christ alone.

How False Teachers Sneaked In
The apostle Paul tells how false teachers entered the Church in Jerusalem during the first century, teaching justification through the Law.  Paul says that prior to the time when this heresy was introduced, he and Barnabas had brought Titus, a Greek believer, to Jerusalem with them. He met privately with those among the apostles and elders that were of reputation, so that he could share with them the gospel he preached among the Gentiles. Yet none of the Jewish apostles or elders there required Titus to be circumcised.  They apparently had no problem with Titus remaining uncircumcised.

But then some false brethren sneaked into the Church, while Paul was there with Titus, to spy out the liberty that they had in Christ Jesus, in order to bring them into bondage. They wanted to push Paul and Titus back into observing the Law as a means of justification.  Yet Paul refused to yield in subjection to them for even an hour.  Paul states:

“Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.” (Gal 2:1-5)

Peter's Fall from Grace
Although Paul and Titus did not give in to these false brethren, who were Judaizers, they apparently affected the apostle Peter, also known as Cephas. He made the mistake of going back to the Law for a while.  The apostle Paul tells the story of what happened:

“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” (Gal 2:11-14)

We learn from Paul that these Judaizers came from James, and were known as the party of the circumcision.  But prior to their arrival in the Church, Peter used to eat with Gentiles. Remember, the Lord revealed to him that he was not to call anything unclean that He had called clean.  The Lord had sent Peter to the Gentile home of Cornelius to preach the gospel and they had all been baptized with the Holy Spirit.  Peter had learned from the Lord that it was not a problem for him to associate with Gentiles.  It was only after the entrance of the Judaizers into the Church that Peter yielded in subjection to their heresy. 

When he left his base in Jerusalem to visit Antioch, where Paul was based, Paul noticed that Peter began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.  Out of his fear of what the Judaizers would say of him if he associated with uncircumcised Gentiles, he withdrew from them, even though they were justified believers in Christ. As Peter set the bad example, the rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.  It was at that point that Paul saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel and knew he needed to confront Peter publicly to his face.

Paul said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?”  In other words, Peter had been living like a Gentile himself, rather than like a Jew as he actually was.  And now through his behavior among the Gentiles he was compelling the Gentiles to live like Jews.  He was compelling them through peer pressure to observe the Law, when Peter, himself a Jew, was not even observing.  This was clearly hypocrisy, which nullified the grace of God.

What Paul said to Peter in that confrontation teaches us many things.  He said:

"We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." (Gal 2:15-21)

Paul’s first point was that he and Peter were biological Jews who knew that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus.  Even they had believed in Christ Jesus, so that they might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law.  Both Peter and Paul knew that no flesh will be justified by the works of the Law.

Paul’s second point was this: “If, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!” He meant that when a Jew, like he or Peter, seeks to be justified through faith in Christ, they would become aware in the process that they are not observing the Law.  They would be conscious of the fact that they were sinners, breaking God’s Law.  Even so, it did not mean that Christ promotes sin.  He never will. 

Rebuilding What You Have Destroyed
Then Paul likened their Law breaking to the literal process of breaking or destroying something. He said, “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.” In other words, if he or Peter would begin to go back and try to reconstruct, or put back together, the Law that they had broken when they sought justification by faith in Christ, they would only be proving that they themselves had in fact transgressed the Law and broken it in the first place. 

Dead to the Law
Therefore, he was saying that they should not do so. Instead, it was through the Law that Paul died to the Law, so that he might live to God.  Paul knew that the Law itself would declare him a lawbreaker if he sought to rebuild it after he had broken it.  So he could never turn back to it again, once he sought justification through faith in Christ.  He had died to the Law, so that he might live to God.  There was no other way.

How did Paul die to the Law?  He explained, “I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.” When Paul was baptized into Christ, he died with Christ.  At that point, as a dead man, he became dead to the Law and freed from it.  And from that point, it was no longer Paul who lived, it was Christ who lived in him.  He lived by faith alone in the Son of God, who loved Paul and gave Himself up for him.

This must be our practice as well.  We must die to the Law when we are crucified with Christ.  Then it is no longer we who live, and since we are dead, we cannot observe the Law.  All we can do is live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.  Then it is no longer I myself who lives, but Christ who lives in me.  It’s His life in me that’s setting me free and making me holy.

We must not go back to observing the Law, which is hypocrisy, since we do not actually observe the whole Law, but only certain parts. Doing so nullifies the grace of God, and those who do so stand condemned like Peter (2:11).  Paul explained how it condemns us when he wrote to the Galatians:

“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.’ Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith.’ However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘He who practices them shall live by them.’ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’-- in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  (Gal 3:10-14)

His first point was that everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them is cursed.  He who practices them shall live by them. It’s all or nothing.  If you seek to perform some things in the Law for the sake of justification, but not all, then you are cursed.  The fact is that the Law justifies no one in the sight of God.  So it is a futile effort to seek to be justified by the Law.  Therefore, don’t put yourself under a curse by trying to be justified that way.

What should we do then?  Since we know the Law is not of faith, our justification will never include observing the Law. The righteous man shall live by faith. Our faith must be in Christ alone.  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Instead of going back to observing the Law as a means of justification, putting yourself under a curse, rather live by faith in Christ.  He became a curse for us, when He hung on that tree, and redeemed us from the curse of the Law.

Freedom in Christ by the Spirit
Praise God, we are free from the Law! So let's not turn back again to observing it and be enslaved by it all over again.  We do not need to be circumcised or observe special days and months and seasons and years. (see Gal 4:9-10)

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Gal 5:1). However, we must not use our freedom as a cover up for evil.  As Paul wrote: "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Gal 5:13)  And as Peter said, "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves." (1 Pe 2:16).

It is possible to be justified by faith in Christ and then live according to the sinful nature, pleasing the sinful nature, and committing acts of the sinful nature.  But those who live like that will ultimately be destroyed, if they don't repent, as Jesus and the apostles taught.  Paul listed some examples of the acts of the sinful nature, and warned that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (see Gal 5:21).

That is why I have already been teaching all along in my other articles that we must obey God and keep His commandments.  What matters is the keeping of the commandments of God (see 1 Co 7:19). But this is done by faith in Christ, as we live by the Spirit, walking in love, living for righteousness, not through the flesh.  As Paul wrote:

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law."  (Gal 5:16-18)

Living by the Spirit and being led by the Spirit is a matter of sowing seeds to please the Spirit, in order to bear the fruit of the Spirit and ultimately reap eternal life. As Paul said:

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal 6:7-8)

Apart from Christ you can do nothing.  It’s only His life in you that will please the Father, not what you can do for God.  Our obedience must never be an attempt on our part to be justified. But a true disciple will obey the Lord’s commandments, and the Holy Spirit does take from the Law as He leads us in the way to live that is pleasing to God. That is part of being led by the Spirit, taught by God, allowing Him to speak to us through the whole Bible. It is not seeking justification through the Law.

The Risk of Abusing God's Amazing Grace
In fact, the Lord Jesus Himself respected and fulfilled the entire Law.  And now because He lives in us, He works His desires, which are still the same, except for the sacrifices, rituals, ceremonies, food and drink ordinances, observation of special days, week, months, and years, and the separation of Jews and Gentiles. Actually we must fear God even more now than they did under the Old Covenant, because we are being led and evaluated by The Holy Spirit.  Therefore, there is greater risk of abusing God's amazing grace.

This is what the Lord told brother Yong-Doo Kim, whom I have written about previously in my article, Baptized by Blazing Fire -- a Korean church's testimony.  Brother Kim wrote in Baptize by Blazing Fire Book II:

"When God gives us a chance, we must take it, no matter what. Jesus said, 'That particular saint mocked God and troubled the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if she does not mourn and sincerely repent, she will not be entering heaven.  If the judgment of the congregation members is hard, then how much more will I judge the Pastors who are committing adultery? The ministers must repent to the point of death. Currently, the ministers of today are mocking God, they say, "These are the days of grace, and the gospel sets us free, just repent and one will be forgiven unconditionally!" These are the days one needs to be in fear more than the days of the Old Testament.' The Lord warned us that the day is coming when we will all have to give account for our deeds."

Brother Kim continued, "As I write on this chapter, I am experiencing many hours of dismay and dissension. Jesus said, 'Do we then nullify the law by this faith. Not at all! Rather we uphold the law.' (Romans 3:31). In fact, we are living our daily life within the Lord’s amazing grace. However, living in His grace does not mean our sins just disappear. We are abusing God’s grace if we do not repent. A daily repentant life is the fastest and shortest route to God’s mercy and compassion."

Furthermore, when the first century apostles and elders in Jerusalem met to decide the case regarding the Judaizers requiring circumcision of Gentile believers, their final written decision contained provisions taken directly from the Law.  They ended their letter to the Gentiles with the following instructions: "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." (Act 15:29).  Let's not abuse God's amazing grace!  

The Obedience of Faith
I encourage you to read the other articles I have written on the need for obedience in Working God's Way and Eternal Destinations, especially the following ones, beginning with the first three articles in the left-hand column:

Is Obedience Optional? The Law of Christ  Faith Works! The Law Fulfilled in Us The Law Established Through Faith The Cost of Discipleship The New Covenant Costly Grace Deleted Scriptures in the Bible? Did Jesus Nail the Law to the Cross? The Law is Good if Used Lawfully

The Obedience of Faith Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God Aim for Perfection Righteous Deeds and White Robes Doing What is Right Your Rewards Are Based on Your Practice Partaking of the Divine Nature Walking in the Perfect Will of God Pressing on Toward the Goal Obedience by the Spirit What Then Must We Observe?

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Images courtesy of an article called Seeking After Righteousness by Latter Days Ministries (NOT the Mormons or Latter Day Saints).

Author's note:  Also see The Spirit's Law of Life, The Spirit of the Law, as well as Zipporah Mushala’s Second Testimony of Hell, in which she saw a man of God in hell for relying on His obedience to the Law to save him. And see my other articles called, Obedience by the Spirit, and Baptized with the Spirit. My daughter has also written an article called Never Trust in Your Own Good Works.  You can access the Main Directory for Working God's Way, or 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, 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?"

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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.