Into God's fam'ly divine

Acts 13:9: [9] Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

"Right there is where Saul's name is changed from Saul to Paul in the Bible," explains Preacher Richard Jordan. "Sometime people misunderstand that verse. Paul always had two names. He was called Saul because he was a Jew. But he was also a Roman, a free-born citizen of Rome, born in the free city of Tarsus.

"He tells the Centurions that. In Acts 16 when he's in Philippi and they take him out and beat him, he said, 'These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.'

"He's telling them, 'I'm not just a Jew; I'm a Roman.' They get all bent out of shape and want him to get out of town and he doesn't let them off the hook. Paul says, 'You beat me publicly; you're going to apologize publicly.' He was a Roman; he was a unique individual.

"Just like the 12 apostles to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel are great examples of the nation Israel, Paul is the great example of the church the Body of Christ. He says, 'I used to be Saul, but something happened in my life that completely revolutionized and changed me and turned me from that religious Pharisee, putting all my confidence in what I was going to do, into Paul, a new creature.'

"Philippians 3: [3] For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

"When you rejoice in who God has made you and the provisions available in Christ, you don't rejoice in your performance and who you are in yourself. You don't put your confidence in your resources.

"Paul says in verse 4:[4] Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

"Paul's going to get into a flesh-bragging contest here. You ever been with anybody like that? 'My flesh is better than your flesh. I'm prime rib; you're chopped liver.'

"He says, [5] Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

"When you're circumcized the 8th day, that was what God told Abraham. Paul said, 'I'm not a convert. I'm not a Johnny-come-lately. I'm a true thoroughbred. I'm a Hebrew of the Hebrews. I'm from the tribe of Benjamin.'

"Benjamin was that special son; the special delight of his dad's heart. It was that special little tribe down by Judah that stayed true to Judah, the Southern kingdom. You remember the brother who wanted to come and get bread from Egypt where Joseph was ruling. He said, 'You can't get any bread if you don't bring Benjamin.'

"People say Paul was an itty-bitty hunchback guy. Well, he's sticking his little chest out and saying, 'I'm not a puny little dude. I've got a pedigree; what you got?' He had a lot of confidence in his pedigree.

" 'As touching the law, a Pharisee.' He's saying, 'I'm a fundamentalist, buddy. I'm a conservative of the conservatives. A fundamentalist of the fundamentalists. A Bible-thumper of the Bible-thumpers. A Pharisee. I'm not one of those liberal Sadducees.

"He says in verse 6, [6] Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 'You want to see my passion for what I was? Persecuting the church.' 

"In Acts 9 you see Paul breathing out threatenings against the followers of Christ, going around to lead them and grab them and compel them to deny Christ. He said, 'I was zealous of the traditions of my fathers.'

" 'Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.' I read that and I think, 'Man, the guy's performance.' You take the rules and regulations, and you know what? You'd say, 'There's a guy I'd like my daughter to marry.' There's a guy where the outward performance . . .  He said, 'I didn't miss a beat. Nobody can come along and put a finger on me.' And he had all that pedigree.

"Then he says, 'Yea, but what things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ. When I met Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, all of a sudden the emptiness of my religion and my performing and trying to gain something went away, because I found the reality of life in Him. I found something that took the place of what I was doing and you know what? It completely transformed me. It made me somebody brand new.'

"Acts 9 begins, [1] And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

"Paul is sent out by the leaders of Israel to ferret out the followers of Christ, bind them and bring them back to Jerusalem. He's sent out by the religious system.

"Verse 3: [3] And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. Uh-oh. I love that song:  I saw One hanging on a tree, In agony and blood, Who fixed His languid eyes on me, As near His cross I stood.

Sure, never to my latest breath,
Can I forget that look;
It seemed to charge me with His death,
Though not a word He spoke.

"Paul says, 'I was apprehended. My wild career was STOPPED!' Verses 15-16: [15] But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: [16] For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

"That word apostle is really just a Greek word transliterated instead of translated. If you translated it it would mean 'one who is sent.' An apostle is someone who God sends. Jesus told the 12 in John 13:20, 'Whoever receives you receives me.' In other words, 'If I send you and they receive you, they receive me because I'm the one you represent.'

"Romans 11:13: [13] For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 

"You understand you have an apostle who is the one the Lord Jesus Christ chose specifically and especially for us today. Paul said, 'I am the Apostle to the Gentiles.' There's a clarity that cuts through the religious system and Paul knew exactly what his mission was. He knew exactly what he was doing and who he was doing it for. 'I'm an apostle, not of a religious system or denominational doctrine, but I'm the apostle of Jesus Christ. I met Him and He sent me.'

"Romans 15:15-16: [15] Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

[16] That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

"There was a special favor and privilege given to Paul and Paul said, 'I live in this grace that was given to me.'

"If you look at verse 8, Paul says 'that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers,' talking about His earthly ministry. Paul says, 'Just like the Lord Jesus Christ was a minister and a prophet to the nation Israel, He's now made ME His minister and apostle.'

"It wasn't Paul's idea to do what he was doing. His idea was to be the Pharisee of the Pharisees. But the Lord changed him when He met him. He changed his course, his identity, who he belonged to and who he was doing it for.' "

As the old hymn Heaven Came Down and Glory Filled My Soul goes:

O what a wonderful, wonderful day - day I will never forget;
After I'd wandered in darkness away, Jesus my Saviour I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend - He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling, He made all the darkness depart.

(new article tomorrow)