A NEW START FOR YOUR LIFE
Galatians 2
This text highlights christian growth and development. The apostle Paul is the author of the text and an excellent example of a man who was initially an unbeliever and became one of God’s champions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A HUMBLE SPIRIT
In this Christian journey, every believer gets a new start. On the road to Damascus, Saul, a devout Jewish follower, met Jesus and got a new start.
He started using the name Paul which was his Roman name from birth. Saul was his Hebrew name. It is interesting because the name Saul means big man. The name Paul means small man. Saul held a high position in the Jewish religion. After he met Jesus, he began using Paul, his Hebrew name, considering himself small in the Christian faith or small compared to His Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
To serve God we must see ourselves small in comparison to Jesus and small in comparison to others, to prevent ourselves from being prideful.
It is not to devalue ourselves but to place us in position to be used by God in any circumstance. God loves a humble spirit
SET APART TO SERVE BEFORE BIRTH
According to Paul, he was set apart from his mothers womb to preach the gospel to the gentiles. Gal 1:15. He spent the first part of his life being trained in the Jewish law which he excelled more than his counterparts.
On his way to Damascus, he had letters from the Jewish authority to persecute the young church.
A New Life for Paul began when he encountered the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). He changed from a persecutor of the church to an active believer and promoter of Jesus Christ
Once we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, a change in us was
Brought about by Christ Himself. Any man/woman in Christ is a new creation. The old has died and the new has come alive in Christ.
A NEW REPUTATION
Every believer begins a new reputation in Jesus Christ. The old self has died and a new creation began. This new reputation grows as our faith in Jesus grows.
To not cause division in the Church because of his past reputation as a persecutor of the church, Paul separated himself from the church to a place where people did not know him or have hostility toward him.
After his conversion, Paul did not go to church leaders. Instead he spent 3 years in Arabia (Gal 1:19). We are not told what Paul did
In Arabia. Let me suggest that Paul needed to realign his training in the Jewish law to include Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. While the name Jesus is not included in the Old Testament, I believe Paul saw
Jesus as the author and authority of scripture. We do know that Paul had a library of books he studied from.
2 Tim 4:12-13 But Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. 13 The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, bring when thou comest, and the books, especially the parchments.
Paul spent 14 years preaching the Gospel in Syria and Cilici To the Gentiles then returned to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus (Gal 2:1). Having established his reputation and dedication to Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was given the right hand of fellowship by James. Peter and John (Gal 2:9)
Every believer is given the opportunity to establish a new reputation in Jesus Christ. We are all born in sin and shaped in iniquity. We are born again in Jesus and our new reputation begins.
NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH JERUSALEM CHURCH
Doing my lifetime in the ministry, I had the opportunity to serve under
Five different pastors in 4 different churches. Each time I had to establish a relationship with the church leaders.
Time, experience and education sets us up for the work God has planned for our lives. Paul’s education and elevation in the Jewish
Religion set him up for the call by Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and establish churches on each of his missionary journeys.
We all may have a plan for our lives, but God has a better plan that fits into His plan of redemption for mankind. It is believed that Paul was in his late 20s to early 30s at his conversion. His mission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles could have been in his mid 40s (Acts 13:2).
It appears that Pual spent 17 years after his conversion being prepared before He and Barnabus were set aside to preach the gospel throughout the Roman Empire (3 years in Arabia, 14 year preaching in Cilica and Syria)
God sometimes uses the early years of our lives to give us life experiences and education before He calls us to the mission He prepared for us before the foundation of the earth
FAITH IN JESUS PLUS NOTHING IS OUR SALVATION
There are those who want to add their beliefs.spiritual gifts or works
To the free gift of Salvation from the grace of our Lord and Savior. When Paul returned to Jerusalem there were those who wanted to add Circumcision to faith in Jesus as a requirement for salvation.
Paul argued that salvation is by grace through faith and nothing else
RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP
Every believer ought to be connected to a church body. Paul received a revelation from God to establish a bond with the Church in Jerusalem. He proclaimed His work in Cilica amd Syria in preaching the Gospel
The right hand of fellowship signifies mutual agreement, trust and support in the ministry. We all need the prayers of each other in the ministry. We need the affirming grace of each other. There will be time when we need the encouragement of the church. There will be times and we will need to encourage others by our work in the ministry
Heb 10:25
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting (one another); and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.
ALWAYS HAVE A LISTEN EAR FOR GOD
Don’t get to busy in the mission for God that you cannot hear God
On the Road to Damascus, Paul heard the word of God and was converted immediately. He knocked off his horse and blinded by the
Lord than led to home of a believer where he received his again.
The Jewish law and traditions must have troubled Saul (Paul) for him
Listen to the Jesus he had previously discounted. He accepted Jesus as Lord without question.
Each of us have been drawn to the Lord Jesus by a measure of faith He placed in us. The journey with Jesus begins with the faith of a mustard seed.
Paul was led by the Lord to spend 17 years getting prepared for the Mission. He heard the word of God directing him to go back to Jerusalem And establish fellowship with local church
Paul was led by the Holy Spirit from Tarsus to Antioch to start the first missionary journey.
Acts 13:2
2 And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
WAIT PATIENTELY ON THE LORD’S TIMING
Your divine mission was set in place long before your call to the ministry. God is in charge of your calling, training and the start of the mission He has for you.
Paul began as a student of the Jewish law,and rose to the rank of a Pharisee in the Jewish hierarchy. He was more zealous for keeping
Law than his counterparts. This was not his calling. It was his experience and training in the misapplication of the Jewish law that prepared Paul for the correct teaching of the Gospel. Paul may have been in his mid 40s before the start of 1st missionary journey,
We are all full of thoughts and impressions of the world that don’t line up with God’s plan for us. Like Paul, the worldly training has to be replaced with Godly training in Jesus aided by the Holy spirit.
SUMMARY
We were chosen by God to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. All believers have an assigned part in this work. It takes, work, dedication, humbleness and constant study of God’s word.
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A NEW START FOR LIFE. BELOW ARE THE ELEMENTS OF GROWTH
HUMBLE SPIRIT
SET APART BY GOD
NEW REPUTATION
A NEW RELATIONSHIP
RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP
LISTEN EAR FOR GOD
WAIT PATIENTLY ON THE LORD’S TIMING
