Paul said that his life is a pattern for us (1 Tim. 1:15-16). Paul’s life is more extreme than ours, but the main points of his spiritual journey are things that every Christian will go through as we follow Jesus.
Sin and Misery
Before he became a Christian, Paul was violently anti-Christian. He was a terrorist. He led the murder of Christians (Acts 7:58). He got pleasure from seeing Christians killed (Acts 8:1). He went into house churches, arrested Christians, and dragged them into prison (Acts 8:3). Paul was probably the worst persecutor of the early church. This is one reason he said he was the chief of sinners.
We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Although we haven’t been terrorists, we have done many other wrong things. Our sins have hurt ourselves, other people, and God. Sin left us burned out and empty.
Paul “breathed out slaughter and threats” against Christians (Acts 9:1). He was full of hatred, venom, and bitterness. He was continually thinking about violence. Paul must have been a miserable person. Sin makes people miserable.
Encountering God
Once Paul was going to Damascus to arrest all the Christians there and throw them in prison. On the way Jesus revealed himself to Paul as a powerful light. Paul was struck blind.
There is a moment in each of our lives when we encounter God. This is usually a defining moment, and after this we are not the same.
Jesus said that when Paul was persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Jesus. Jesus identifies with his people. When we are hurt, Jesus is hurt. He sees the people who are mistreating you. He will defend you, because he is just. He will defend you with infinite love, power, and wisdom. The early Christians must have prayed about Paul, and God answered their prayers in a powerful way.
Grace
On the Damascus road, Jesus didn’t strike Paul dead and send him into hell, but he showed him grace. Where sin abounded, grace much more abounded (Rom. 5:20). In the place of the worst sin, it is possible to see the most abundant grace. The grace of God is so vast that it can outweigh the worst sins, even those of Paul. If Paul’s sins can be taken away by God’s grace, how much more will our sins be taken away?
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they will become white as snow; though they are like crimson, they will become like wool” (Isa. 1:18). Our sins are taken away through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
After we become Christians, when we sin if we confess our sins they will all be forgiven (1 John 1:9). It’s a nice feeling to have a clean conscience. It feels light. This is why Jesus said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light and you will find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:30).
Discipleship
After seeing the powerful light of Christ, for three days at Damascus Paul was blind and didn’t eat or drink anything.
After three days, Jesus told a Christian named Ananias to go meet Paul. Ananias taught Paul about water baptism. He laid hands on Paul so he could be baptized in the Holy Spirit. He introduced Paul to the church at Damascus.
In our lives there was probably a point at which we met a more mature Christian who helped us grow in the Lord. This person took the time to show us the love of God and explain God’s word to us. None of us can live the Christian life on our own. We need the support of the body of Christ.
Eyes Open
After meeting Ananias, Paul’s eyes were opened and he was able to see. It wasn’t just his natural eyes that were opened, but his spiritual eyes were also opened. Now Paul saw the world in a new way. He understood things from the lens of Christ and the love of God. He was no longer full of hate and rage, but he was full of love and mercy.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will understand the world in a new way. We will see things from God’s perspective instead of our own perspective.
Fulfilling Our Purpose
Paul began fulfilling his purpose in life. Paul’s divine purpose was not to kill people. It was to declare the gospel and the kingdom of God. So Paul began preaching about Jesus in Damascus. In the same city where he had gone to arrest Christians, he was now preaching the gospel. He began helping the very people he had formerly tried to murder.
God has a plan for each one of us. Our lives will have true meaning when we to fulfill this plan. How do we discover this plan? God will tell us. God’s plan for our lives will become clear to us as we read the Bible, spend time with other Christians who are seeking to follow the Bible, and pray.
Overcoming Opposition
As Paul preached about Jesus, the Jews got mad. They thought Paul had come to Damascus to arrest the Christians, and now Paul was telling everyone Christianity was true. The Jews began trying to kill Paul.
Paul was just trying to help them by telling them how much God loved them and that Jesus would take away their sins. But for some reason they didn’t want to hear that nice message. They became very angry with Paul for saying such things.
The Jews placed guards at the gates of Damascus to arrest Paul if he left the city. They didn’t want him to tell anyone else the good news about God. So Paul snuck out over the wall and ran away.
Sometimes when we follow God we will face unexpected challenges from people that are close to us. Many people don’t like the truth of God. Even people who think they know God often don’t like parts of God’s word. Therefore they may not like us when we decide to follow God more closely than before. They might even become our enemies. We shouldn’t become discouraged if this happens to us, because this is normal.
Paul didn’t let this opposition deter him. He became stronger and bolder in declaring the grace and truth of Christ. He continued to grow spiritually throughout his Christian life, embracing his purpose and seeking to fulfill it through the power of God. His ministry ultimately impacted the entire world.
Paul’s life is a pattern for us. It shows us the main stages of growth that we will go through in our Christian life.
As we stay faithful to God, at the end of our lives we will be able to say like Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day” (1 Tim. 4:7-8).
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