“And may the Lord cause you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another,
and for all people, just as we also do for you;
so that He may strengthen and establish your hearts without blame in holiness
in the sight of our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints (God’s people).”
(1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 AMP)
Have you ever been hit by a spiritual 2 by 4??
“Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord [and relentless in his search for believers], went to the high priest, and he asked for letters [of authority] from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there belonging to the Way [believers, followers of Jesus the Messiah], men and women alike, he could arrest them and bring them bound [with chains] to Jerusalem. As he traveled he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him [displaying the glory and majesty of Christ]; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice [from heaven] saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting and oppressing Me?” And Saul said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him [were terrified and] stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, but though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was unable to see for three days, and he neither ate nor drank.
“Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he answered, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for he is praying[there], and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him, so that he may regain his sight.” … “Go, for this man is a [deliberately] chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will make clear to him how much he must suffer and endure for My name’s sake.” So Ananias left and entered the house, and he laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came [to Damascus], has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit [in order to proclaim Christ to both Jews and Gentiles].” Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized; and he took some food and was strengthened.
For several days [afterward] Saul remained with the disciples who were at Damascus. And immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This Man is the Son of God [the promised Messiah]!” All those who heard him continued to be amazed and said, “Is this not the man who in Jerusalem attacked those who called on this name [of Jesus], and had come here [to Damascus] for the express purpose of bringing them bound [with chains] before the chief priests?” But Saul increased in strength more and more, and continued to perplex the Jews who lived in Damascus by examining [theological evidence] and proving [with Scripture] that this Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).” (Acts 9:1-12, 15-22 AMP)
I’ve thought for a long time that there are two types of Christians: people who walk with the Lord for a long time, sometimes stumbling or falling, but generally going in the right direction – “Peters.” And there are “Pauls” – people who are NOT doing what God wants and so he “hits them over the head with a 2 by 4.” This Saul was a man who was not doing what God wanted and it took a vision, a voice, three days of blindness, and a new name – his spiritual 2×4, so to speak – to turn him in the right direction. But for the rest of his life, Paul proclaimed the Gospel boldly, loudly, and to whomever would listen. I expect that if we could ask, he might say what our pastor said tonight: “He remembered the hell that Jesus saved him from.”
Whether your faith walk has been more like Peter’s or Paul’s, all of us can recognize the literal hell that without Jesus we could have been destined for, and we can remember the reality of a life on earth lived without God – sinful, hopeless, purposeless, etc. Sometimes God uses spiritual 2×4’s to change our direction, but always he wants us to remember where we would be without him.
God wants us to remember how we were marked by him.
Lord God,
Thank you for the gift of grace you have offered us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for the ways in which you have wooed us into your arms of love, and for the harder, more challenging changes we’ve had to undergo. Thank you for your call to remember your mark on us as we walk, pray, work, and go about our lives, but especially in the communion elements. Help us live as free children of yours, remembering the hell we would be in without you. Help us to walk in grace toward ourselves and others so we can show them the love and beauty of God. We pray in Christ’s name, Amen.
“The Lord Jesus on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is (represents) My body, which is [offered as a sacrifice] for you. Do this in[affectionate] remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in [affectionate] remembrance of Me.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are [symbolically] proclaiming [the fact of] the Lord’s death until He comes [again].” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 AMP)