Reading in the book of Acts ...
about who we now call the Apostle Paul.
He was not always that God honoring Apostle.
He was a highly educated man named Saul,
trained under the best teachers in the land.
He was not seeking after God.
He was seeking after Christians -- to persecute them.
He hated the Christians. (Acts 8:1-3)
He had permission from the highest authorities to do this.
He was proudly doing this.
Although Saul was not seeking after God,
God had an appointment planned with him.
God met Saul as he was on his way
to persecute the Christians.
He stopped Saul dead in his tracks.
In an instant this hateful man was changed ...
to a Christ follower ...
to one who would proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles ...
to one who would be totally 'sold out' to His Savior,
to one who would give us so much of the New Testament as we know it today,
to one who was willing to suffer MUCH for the sake of the Gospel,
to one who was absolutely not ashamed to speak the Truth.
In the words of James MacDonald ...
"If your faith has not changed you, your faith has not saved you.
Your salvation happens in a moment
but is proved out over a lifetime."
"He saved us, not because of works
done by us in righteousness,
but, according to His own mercy ...."
Titus 3:5
"So also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead."
James 2:17
In the words of James MacDonald ...
"If your faith has not changed you, your faith has not saved you.
Your salvation happens in a moment
but is proved out over a lifetime."
"He saved us, not because of worksdone by us in righteousness,
but, according to His own mercy ...."
Titus 3:5
"So also faith by itself,
if it does not have works, is dead."
James 2:17
What about me, how is my 'faith' being
'worked' out in my life from day to day?
'worked' out in my life from day to day?
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