Paul
at one time was an enemy to the religion of Jesus Christ.
He was "a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and
injurious." Referring to this time he testifies that
he was the "chief of sinners." He says,
"Beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and
wasted it ;" "but I obtained mercy because I did
it ignorantly in unbelief." At one time he received
"letters" from the high priest to go to
Damascus, and bring all the men and women he could find
"of this way" bound to Jerusalem. So he started
on his mission of persecution.
His Conversion. Just prior to this
time, he had consented to the death of Stephen. He had
listened to that sermon before the council, which cut them
all to the heart. He stood by and saw them stone to death
that holy man—full of the Holy Ghost. He heard his
burning testimony that he saw "the heavens opened,
and the Son of man standing on the right hand of
God;" and his sweet prayer when dying—"Lord,
lay not this sin to their charge."
Surely this made some impression
upon the mind of Paul: and as he journeyed along towards
Damascus, no doubt these recent events were flying through
his mind. It looks clear to me, that as he pondered these
things over, conviction began to seize hold of him. But
let that be as it may, when he had almost reached
Damascus, "suddenly there shined round about him a
light from heaven; and he fell to the earth, and heard a
voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutes"
thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord
said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutes". It is hard
for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and
astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to
do?"—Acts 9:1-6.
Some hold that this was only
conviction; but such reasoning we maintain is not sound.
The moment Paul discovered his position and condition, he
threw down his arms of rebellion, and fully surrendered
himself to the Lord, saying, "What wilt thou have me
to do?" This undoubtedly brought the pardoning grace
to his soul. Here he became "Brother Saul." The
"glory" of the light that shone in his heart and
round about him blinded his eyes. Acts 22:11.
Another proof of his conversion is
that he here received his call and commission to preach
the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles, "to open
their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive
the forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which
are sanctified," etc.— Acts 26 :16 18. Would
God give such an important call and commission to one who
was yet unsaved? Preposterous.
His Sanctification. Just three days
after Paul was converted, a good man by the name of
Ananias entered into the house where he was stopping,
"and putting his hands on him, said, Brother Saul,
the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way
as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive
thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales."—Acts 9:17, 18. Paul here received the Holy
Ghost; i. e., was sanctified. "Then Saul (who also is
called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on
him."—Acts 13:9. Paul was converted and sanctified
in A. D. 35. We will now place Paul on the witness stand
and hear his testimony.
A. D. 54. "Ye are witnesses,
and God also, how holily and justly and unblamably we
behaved ourselves among you that believe."—1 Thess.
2:10.
A. D. 58. "I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live
by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for me."— Gal. 2:20.
A. D. 59. "Be ye followers of
me, even as I also am of Christ."—1 Cor. 11:1.
A. D. 60. "I have lived in all
good conscience before God until this day."—Acts
23:1. Reader, can you say that? But listen further.
"And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a
conscience void of offense toward God, and toward
men."—Acts 24:16. "How shall we, that are dead
to sin, live any longer therein?"—Rom. 6:2.
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified,"
etc.—Rom. 6:6. Here Paul testifies that he was
"dead to sin" and did not live any longer
therein; namely, did not practice or commit sin. This is
why he "always" had a good conscience. He also
testified that his "old man"—carnal
nature—was crucified, dead.
A. D. 64. "Let us therefore,
as many as be perfect, be thus minded."—Phil. 3:15.
Here Paul testified to the experience of perfection. This
experience he received when sanctified. Heb. 10:14, 15.
Having such an experience, what was Paul's hope in the
future? Ans.—"For me to live is Christ, and to die
is gain . . . having a desire to depart, and to be with
Christ: which is far better."—Phil. 1:21-23. We
will now hear his last testimony before leaving the world.
A.D. 66 "I am now ready to be
offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day."—2 Tim. 4:6-8.
Paul's life was truly a pattern of
Bible holiness. Yet in the face of all this testimony, men
have the audacity to say that Paul was a miserable sinner
all the days of his life. And most holiness fighters today
refer to Paul for proof that we cannot be made pure in
this life. Such generally refer to Romans, 7th chapter,
and apply it as Paul's present experience when addressing
the Roman brethren. In this, they wrest the scriptures to
their own destruction.
"Ye are not under the law, but
under grace" was the subject Paul was teaching. It
seems that some of the churches had trouble on this line,
and some, through false teachers, were made to believe
that it was still necessary "to keep the law of
Moses." Paul desired the Roman brethren to be
established on this point, and in order to more fully
settle this truth in their minds and hearts, he contrasts
full salvation under the gospel—the dispensation of
divine grace—with a sinning law experience. In Romans
6th chapter, Paul sets forth the standard of full
salvation under the gospel. He shows that it is a state
and experience where men are "dead to" and
"freed from" sin, a state where they serve God
in "holiness" and "righteousness."
Please lay down this book and read
the sixth chapter carefully. Now in the seventh chapter he
sets forth justification under the law. In the first verse
he says, "I speak to them that know the law."
What law is here referred to? Ans.—The ten commandment
law, or the law of Moses— the abolished code. Proof—Ver.
2 to 7. So whatever experience is here referred to, it is
to those "who know the law," those "under
the law." And thank God we are "delivered from
the law," "dead to the law," and under a
better dispensation, the dispensation of grace.
Paul was born under the law and
lived under it until his conversion. In ver. 7-11 he
describes his condition while in infancy, and how he went
under condemnation by getting a knowledge of the law. In
ver. 14-23 he describes his experience while under the
law. It is truly a dark picture. It shows that while he
desired to do good, he failed to have the grace to do it,
and was compelled to yield to the desires of his carnal
nature, which he terms "the law of sin." The
reader will better understand this by comparing the above
with Heb. 7:19; Heb. 9:7-10, 13; Heb. 10:1-4, 11.
But let Paul explain himself. In
ver. 24 he cries out, "O wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of death?" Hear the
answer.—"I thank God, through Jesus Christ our
Lord."—Ver. 25. "I thank God that I am
delivered through Jesus Christ our Lord."—
Conybeare and Howson's Trans. You see he declares he is
delivered from the very state and condition he describes
in ver. 14-23. But let us follow him in chapter 8, ver.
1-3. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh."
This is clear. The "law of
sin" which "worked death" in Paul (Rom.
7:13-23), and from which he could not be delivered while
under the law, the old covenant ( Rom. 8:3), he now
declares he is delivered and "made free from"
through Jesus Christ. Here Paul sets the "law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus"—the New Testament,
John 8 :63; John 6 :68—over against the "law"
of Moses, and shows that what the law could not do
(because it was weak and unprofitable) we can have and do
have under the "law of Christ."
