CHRIST-DAILY
DEVOTIONS
 November 16th

Paul, then known as Saul, was humbled by the Lord beginning with His call to him on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9:2).  Saul was blinded for three (3) days (Acts 9:9), and then Ananias sent of the Lord told him "how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:16).  So Paul didn't go into his relationship and fellowship with God, looking through rose-colored glasses.  Christ followed up His apostolic call to Paul, by having the Father send the Holy Spirit to teach and reveal the reality of Christ in him from his Spirit rebirthing (Gal. 1:16).  Think about this a minute.  What if Paul would have rejected his calling, or refused to walk in the light of truth of Christ in him as revealed by the Holy Spirit?  Where might we be today without Paul's obedience to Christ and the Christ-life message?  That is a sobering thought! 

Again, the Lord Jesus Christ called Paul to his apostolic ministry. The Father sent the Holy Spirit to reveal the glorious and liberating truth of Christ in him, so Paul could fulfill his apostolic ministry and bring the message of the Christ-life to us.  The Father desires that every man know and have this glorious liberating truth known to them.  Why then would anyone want another life aside from Christ?  Why would any Spirit birthed son want to live a life separate from the Christ in them?  There is a  lot of spiritual activity involved today to encourage us to be better Christians and to do better and to do more. On the surface this seems to be the right thing.  However, the genuine truth is that Christ in us is the only one who can truly live the Christian life.  Any spiritual activity that focuses you on YOU, rather than you on CHRIST in you, is veneer, shallow, and will leave you empty and fruitless in the long term of things.

Paul knew and taught that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing is in Christ (Eph. 1:3).  Paul focused and presented Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the wisdom and power of God (I Cor. 2:2).  Paul knew that the Father was able to establish the church according to his "gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery" of Christ in us as us (Rom. 16:25).  Paul knew the blessing of the gospel of Christ.  Paul knew that Christ is our everything.  Paul knew Christ is our life, righteousness, holiness, strength and power (I Cor. 1:30,24).  Then, why would we try to live or be any of these things aside or apart from Christ.  Christ is 100% all of these things.  Paul also knew that Christ put to death on the cross, our past in old Adam, and anything that the enemy could ever use against us.  Paul knew the liberating secret of Christ's 100% finished work on the cross, that the Holy Spirit needs to renew our hearts and minds to fully accept.  Paul was confident for everyone's sake, that he could come to them in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ!  V