Christian Living

THE BIGGEST SINNER OF THEM ALL

by Charles (Chuck) Robey
05/31/16
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"And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ²¹ And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”(Acts 9:20-21)

 Paul. In his personal testimony, he labels his past life as being chief among sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).  As a young man, Have you ever know a reprobate sinner, who was glorious saved, but no one believed his conversation ? I knew such a person,  many in fact.

Two of my favorite New Testament Bible characters are Paul and Peter. I'm a little like the Apostle Peter. I tend to read his profile into my life. He often spoke without thinking, and was brash and impulsive. Yes, and a little high tempered. He became the recognized leader among Jesus' disciples, one of the inner group of three (along with James and John).He was the great voice of the gospel, after God's Holy Spirit got hold of him.

Then there is  Paul, first known as Saul, witnessed and approved of Stephen's stoning. He may have witnessed the trial, and he held the garments of those doing the stoning. (Acts 7:58) (Acts 5:27-42).

Later,  Saul  was known to have persecuted the Christians, even into death (Acts 8:3). He even watched the Sanhedrin flog Peter and other Christians, The sad part of this story is that he thought he was doing the right thing, in the name of religion.  But when God took hold of him, he too was gloriously saved (Acts 9:1-22). I guess  he's my all time favorite.  

After having  spend a good portion of his life persecuting Christians,  Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus, on the road to Damascus, that changed his life forever (Philippians 1:21). The same fever he gave in his persecutions, was then channeled  to preaching the gospel.

When God turned Paul's life around, He used Paul's talents for the cause of the gospel. Paul's background, training and his citizenship was not wasted. Paul preached throughout the Roman world and wrote most of the New Testament books. Of the 27 books in the New Testament, 13 are attributed to Paul, and approximately half of another, Acts of the Apostles, deals with Paul’s life and works. Thus, about half of the New Testament stems from Paul and the people whom he influenced

Paul was just as brave, in facing up to any given circumstance for Christ, as he was before hand in his persecutions.   And Paul was often called the apostle to the gentiles (Galatians 1:16).

On three separate lengthily missionary journeys, Paul preached the news of Jesus in many coastal cities and trade route towns. The purpose of all of Paul’s missionary journeys was the same: proclaiming God’s grace in forgiving sin through Christ. God used Paul’s ministry to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and establish the church. Paul’s letters to the churches, recorded in the New Testament, still support church life and doctrine. Although Paul’s missionary journeys caused him to sacrifice everything, they were worth the cost (Philippians 3:7-11). These journeys were recorded as follows:

Paul's 1st Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14):
Paul's 2nd Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22):
Paul's 3rd Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-20:38):

At the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he knew he would soon be imprisoned and probably killed. His final words to the church at Ephesus display his devotion to Chris (Acts 20:18-24).

So, what may be learned from the life of Paul. First, we see Paul as a man of God's grace, witnessing to the fact that that God can save anybody (Ephesians 2:8-9). And second we see that anyone, regardless of one's  background, can become a powerful witness for Christ (Acts 20:19) (Acts 28:31).  And finally, anyone who is sold out for God, can be mightily used of God (Philippians 1:12-14). What about you ?