As a young man Saul was passionate about his religion. Furious with those who claimed Yahshua to be the longed-for Messiah, he headed for Damacus, breathing out malicious threats and murderous intentions [Acts 9:1-2]. On the way he was ‘apprehended’ by the One he was persecuting [Philippians 3:12]. This word means ‘to lay hold of so as to make one's own’ or ‘to seize upon’. Despite having been enflamed by something which, no doubt, he would have described as righteous indignation, Saul saw himself as seized by Yahshua and appropriated for Him. The outcome of Saul’s life certainly supports this.
Paul’s letters show him to be a minister with a huge capacity for love, and I’m interested in his many and varied relationships. Last week I wrote about the closeness of his bond with Timothy, whom he referred to as ‘my son’. His letters to Timothy are full of fascinating tips, basic teachings, and even some commands. One of the latter is, “Train yourself to be godly” [1 Timothy 4:7]. What does it mean? Would you know how to do that? How do we interpret the word ‘godly’ anyway? How does having to train oneself fit in with salvation being a free gift? Puzzled? Me, too!
It’s a challenging thought, but eventually I was encouraged to realise that, even after salvation with its marvellous gifts of forgiveness, peace and righteousness, there’s still a way to go and a personal growth in which we’re expected to be involved. We’re given a hint where training is needed when Paul tells Timothy to set an example to others by what he says, how he lives, and the quality of his love, faith, and purity [4:12]. Then there’s a further command to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” [6:11]. Train yourself!
Throughout his many letters the apostle makes it clear that we won’t finish growing and changing until we’re called to be with our Saviour. The training is lengthy and demanding, and there’ll always be a need to stay fit. Don’t be discouraged if you feel Yahweh is continually challenging your personal life - it’s the reality of walking in holiness.
Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash
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Click to see the whole passage:
Matthew 12:41 NIV - The men of Nineveh will stand up at the - Bible Gateway
A recent Gallup poll reported "very little difference in the behavior of the churched and the unchurched on a wide range of items including, cheating, and stealing." ... Oh the need for saintly believers! To make a difference, you have to be different. You cannot change anything by adding more of the same.
Jimmy Chapman
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