“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” Ephesians 1:17
Though Christ through His persecuted church, revealed Himself to His persecutors as they afflicted suffering on His followers, there was one man in particular who didn’t care to “see.” Indeed, he apparently rejected any and every aspect of the goodness and love of Christ in these believers. Their response to suffering, and even death, did not seem to influence him at all, even though their faith was a powerful demonstration of Christ’s presence and power. Saul of Tarsus, later to become Paul the Apostle, approved of the judgment upon these believers, even standing by while the first martyr, Stephen, was stoned to death. Stephen testified to his persecutors of Christ, beginning with Abraham and Moses, Scripture telling us that “…all they that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) However, it would be, when Stephen understood the hardened resolve of their hearts, and he spoke of these men being religious hypocrites, declaring that they were “stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, …always resisting the Holy Spirit,” (v.51) they could not contain themselves, and called for his death by stoning. Saul of Tarsus was there that day, witnessing the death of Stephen, the clothes of those that stoned Stephen, being laid at his feet. A revelation of Christ had come to Saul that day, but it had little beneficial effect.
There would come another day, soon after, when Saul would be on his way to Damascus to arrest and incarcerate Christians that he found there. During that journey, Christ would reveal Himself to Saul personally, calling him by his name, declaring, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” (Acts 9:4) This second revelation of Christ to Paul “cut him to the quick,” or convicted and convinced him of the absolute folly of his ways, which were completely wrong with regard to Christ, who He was, and what He did on Calvary. That day, and during the succeeding days spent in solitude, fasting and praying, this revelation of Christ would be the means by which Saul of Tarsus would be broken, his life and concepts shattered. However, at this time Saul would be born again, becoming a new creature in Christ. Now, there would come another revelation of Christ that would change Paul forever.
In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he wrote: “… it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by His grace, to REVEAL His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen.” (Gal. 1:16) Every revelation of Christ to Paul brought him closer and closer to Christ, eventually bringing him to a knowledge of his union with Christ by the Spirit, which occurred at the time of his conversion, the new birth. The first two revelations were intended to bring him TO Christ for salvation. The third revelation was to bring him to fulness of communion WITH Christ by the Spirit, born out of this union with Christ. So, Paul came preaching Christ, the Son of God, as Savior and Lord to an unbelieving world. But He also came preaching Christ to His church, His body and every member of it, concerning what had occurred at the moment of the spiritual birth of every believer. He would not only preach of the work of the Father by which every believer was baptized into Christ’s death, but raised with Him also, being seated presently with Him at the right hand of the Father. He would go on to proclaim the truth of the believer’s oneness with Christ, the inseparable union with Christ, thus making the believer not only “complete” in Christ, but in a position to receive all from Christ, Christ his life dwelling in the heart by faith. This third revelation would be the key to Paul’s life of victory, and fruitful ministry. The same is true of every believer today.
Dear Father, Reveal Christ’s life in us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.