“… it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” Galatians 1:15,16
If the love of God was the great motivation of the Apostle Paul’s life and ministry, certainly the revelation that the Son of God, by the Spirit of God, dwelling in him, was the basis for trusting God for every need, whether great or small, inward or outward, so that he could love, worship, and serve Christ. The fact of the presence of Christ in him opened the door of faith to appropriate, or receive from Christ, everything pertaining to life and godliness.
It took some time for Paul to work through this salvation which he experienced on the road to Damascus where he had a vision of Christ. After Ananias, a trusted disciple of Christ, laid his hands on Paul, according to the Lord’s direction, the Spirit of God was received by Paul, even filling him. Such was the beginning of a journey which Paul could not have ever conceived or believed. Why would it be so remarkable? All at once, the dimensions of Paul’s life, the sphere in which he lived, and the things which he knew and trusted, became of little importance. The hold that his upbringing had upon him, his education and training in Judaism to that point, and his own “resources,” gifts, and capacities, coupled with a misguided zeal, was broken. He was a man who for a time was falling free, without an anchor, having no rock to stand upon. This would remain his experience until, not only he knew the identity of the Christ that he had met on the road, but also until he would receive the very life of Christ by the Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit. All things became new at that point, and nothing was the same. Also, nothing of his old life at that time compared with meeting Christ, and Christ coming to dwell in his heart. The living Christ that Paul had so “persecuted” by oppressing Christ’s disciples, had now revealed to Paul that He was God, the truth, and the sole salvation of men. This living Christ had come to dwell in and abide forever in Paul’s soul. By virtue of this new, eternal life within him, Paul became a new man, a new creature IN Christ. This was the beginning of perhaps the greatest testimony of the glory and grace of God revealed in the life of a man, other than that of Christ, that the world had ever known. How could this be so?
To Paul was entrusted, like to no other, a knowledge of the Gospel in such measure that the then known world would be changed by his teaching of its truths. His knowledge of the Gospel would provide for every member of the Body of Christ, Christ’s church, a working basis and power to know the Christ of the Gospel, not just in an intellectual manner, but within the heart, and through the life. Christ, the Father, and the Spirit, would in essence come to dwell in the heart, for by the triune God who gave His only begotten Son to die to save sinful men, the very life of God was planted as a seed, the purpose of which would fill the life with its power, goodness, and love. The Holy Seed of Christ’s life would not only be planted in his heart, but a new creation would come into existence, a new birth would occur, lasting for eternity by virtue of the soul’s union with the Son of God by the Spirit. So, what does this mean for the Christian, the disciple of Christ?
Practically it means putting off, or turning one’s back upon, the old life, where sin reigned, and “self” was king. It means putting on Jesus Christ by faith, taking Him to be one’s life and power, living for the glory of God in vital communion with the Son of God.
Dear Father, Dwell in us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.