GRACE IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION

SERIES: GALATIANS: BE FREE.

TEXT: GALATIANS 1:13-24.

This far we have discussed the meaning of “Grace,” the grace of God. We have again seen the recurrent word in the book of Galatians, “Gospel.” We have seen that although the gospel is one, today there are other gospels being preached in churches around the world. We have furthermore seen that:-

1. The gospel needs no additions.
2. Distorting the gospel is a serious curse.
3. Only the gospel of grace saves-Acts 4:12.
4. Only the gospel of grace can produce real life change.

Today we are going to the salvation testimony of the Apostle Paul and how Saul the zealot became Paul the Apostle.

What does the word Zeal” mean to you? Do you picture someone running around fanatically shouting and calling our attention to something very important that needs our focus immediately?

There have been a number of people described as zealous in both O.T and N.T. An early zealot was Phinehas in Numbers 25. Phinehas was so zealous for the Lord, he pierced an Israelite man who had married a Midianite woman because his marriage corrupted Israel’s faith.

There is the zealous Elijah, calling down fire from heaven on pagan soldiers and prophets of Baal and anyone else that presented a threat to Israel’s faith.

Mattathias, the Maccobean warrior who was led to kill a fellow Jew and countless Syrian soldiers in order to defend the faith of their ancestors, as recorded in 1st Maccabees 2.

All these three men could have served as Paul’s boyhood heroes. Like his role models, Paul was fanatical for the faith of his fathers, the faith of Judaism.

Paul uses the Greek word, “zelotes” in verse 14. From this word we get our word “zealot.” It could simply mean “loyalist” but also has the sense of a fanatic.

A fan is someone who roots for his team; a fanatic is someone who will do almost anything to make sure his team wins!!

When we first meet Paul in Acts 7, he is fanatical zealot for Judaism as it was practiced in the first century.

Saul was so zealous for Jehovah that he would be willing to kill to defend Judaism-Phil. 3:4-7.

Saul believed that Christians threatened was most holy Israel. He was willing to defend Judaism to death, whether his own death or the death of those he considered to be heretics.

Our God Jehovah is so strong, Almighty, Omnipotent, all powerful. He does not need to be defended. Our God does not need to be saved from anybody!! YAHWEH defends Himself!! 

Let us look at the life of Paul:-

PAUL-BEFORE CHRIST-Gal. 1:13-14.

• Before his conversion, Paul would have viewed the Christian proclamation that Jesus was Lord as fatal heresy that challenged the fundamental belief in one God.
• According to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, the preaching of a crucified Messiah would bring a curse to the land.
• Paul was willing to do anything, including murder; to remove the curse from Jerusalem.
• On the road to Damascus Saul met the living Christ, he encountered the divine!!-Acts 9.
• Everyone who is born again has a pre-christian testimony.
• We all have something to share about our life before we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
• You may have been a child, a teenager, a young adult and adult.
• You may have been living at home, school, serving in the military.
• You may have been a little sinner, a big sinner, or a real big sinner!!
• You may have been a baptized sinner, a confirmed sinner, a pastoring sinner, an ordained sinner, theologically trained sinner, an anointed sinner.
• At whatever stage in your life, the Lord came to you and offered you the opportunity to have your sins forgiven-you accepted Christ.
• There are good sinners and bad sinners, but both need to come to Christ for salvation.

PAUL THE CONVERTED-Gal. 1:15-16.

• • Paul’s conversion from persecutor of the church and zealot for the traditions of his ancestors to proclaimer of the good news and zealot for Christ came about because of the gracious intervention of God-Vs. 15-16.
  • Like Jeremiah the prophet, the word of God came to Paul.
  • He was chosen before his formation in the womb-Jer. 1:4-5.
  • Isaiah also described his call as follows:

• “The Lord called me before I was born, He named me while I was in my mother’s womb”-Isa. 49:1-6.

• Like Jeremiah and Isaiah, God set Paul apart and called him even before his birth.
• God calls His servants to the nations (Ethnos) tribes, language groups.
• Paul defends his call to the ministry by echoing these prophetic calls to declare that his call had a divine origin, inspiration and authority.
• Paul’s confession of Jesus Christ as Lord transformed everything in his life.
• His lifestyle as well as his life goals were changed.
• Anyone who has accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior-experiences these same kind of changes.
• The first call is of salvation, followed by call to church ministries to serve as a member of a body of Christian believers.
• All church ministries demands a call-s/s, choir, eldership, deacon, instruments, cleaner etc.

PAUL AFTER CONVERSION-Gal. 1:18-19.

• To strengthen the case that there was no room for human involvement in his apostleship or in his gospel-He did not consult with any man following his conversion and call.
• Paul did not go to Jerusalem to consult the apostles, he went to the Arabian Desert South of Damascus for 3 years.
• His gospel was from God not from man.
• After three years of desert life, Paul went back to Damascus and then to Jerusalem.
• In Jerusalem, he spent 15 days with Pater and then met James the foster brother of Jesus.
• Paul’s theology came from God not from human channels.
• Following the short strip to Jerusalem, Paul left for region of Syria whose capital city was Tarsus, Paul’s hometown and place of birth-Gal. 1:21-23.
• Paul started visiting the churches in Syria and Cilicia-giving his testimony of salvation.
• The churches were very much afraid of Paul-Gal. 1:24.
• A Biblical personal salvation testimony must follow the three steps.

1. Life before conversion (B.C).
2. When, where and how you received Christ (Divine encounter).
3. Life after conversion (New Creation)-2nd Cor. 5:17.

CONCLUSION.

• When, where and how did you get saved?
• What are the changes you have seen in your new life?
• What has God called you to do for Him? If not saved, come now to Christ.