Lesson Twelve
The objective of this lesson: to stress the importance of Christian dependence on God.
There seems to be a conviction among American Christians that God only wants us to do things we like to do. In some sense most Christians believe in some form of 'Christian calling'. We may disagree about semantics as we discuss the concept, but most of us are confident that God has a purpose for us and our lives. We find this concept repulsive: people live meaningless lives as they wander aimlessly through life. As Christians, we are confident that God through Jesus Christ gives our lives both purpose and meaning.
Some times American Christians are so convinced only what they consider good can occur in their commitment to God. Thus they feel betrayed when situations they do not prefer happen to them. In the first century undesirable physical consequences often followed faith in Jesus Christ. A part of the original good news was never that physical conditions always would be determined by a Christian's desires. The original good news declared that bad physical circumstances could not rob a person of a good spiritual outcome. We are not "called" to enjoy a wonderful physical existence, but to champion spiritual reality.
Some of us struggle as we seek to determine God's direction for us. Often that struggle occurs at a crossroads in our lives. What career should I prepare for in my education? Which job should I accept? Where should I live? Should I marry this person? Should I accept this commitment? Is God sending me an opportunity or is Satan tempting me?
There are times we create artificial decisions for ourselves. At any moment we can make numerous godly decisions. God is not restricted to one course of action in our lives to use us for His purposes. For example, His use of us is not dependent on being single or married, but being godly as a single or in marriage.
In many situations [but not always], the choices are between two good things. Often the decision concerns which is "my best choice" for God. The free American society with its many decisions encourages us to think our choices are between the good and the better. American Christians need to understand (1) there were [and are] people serving God's purpose who had no choice [like a slave]. (2) God has no aversion to Christians sacrificing their own blood for His purposes in Christ [is that not what Jesus, Stephen, and James did? Read Hebrews 12:4.]. (3) God has no aversion to people living sacrificial lives for His purposes [read 2 Corinthians 11:23-33]. Among our choices in serving God's purposes is death. God even can use our deaths to achieve His purposes.
Stress our focus needs to be on representing God and Christ well right now in our present circumstances. We will not "represent God someday when our situation changes." We represent God now as well as later.
God had a purpose for Paul that was highly unpopular in the Jewish community and among Jewish Christians. God commissioned Paul to be the gentiles' apostle. Gentiles is a word that commonly designated any non-Jewish person or people when used by a Jewish person. See Romans 15:15, 16; 11:13; Acts 9:15. For Paul to be called by God to deliver the good news about Jesus Christ to non-Jewish people seems strange to the point of being ironic! He came from a family of devout, conservative, convicted Jews (Acts 23:6) who sent him to Jerusalem to study (Acts 26:4). As a youth in Jerusalem, he was outstanding in the study of Jewish traditions and the Law (Galatians 1:13, 14). He was so zealous, so commitment to Judaism that he helped execute Jews [his own countrymen!] who believed in Jesus Christ (Acts 7:58-8:3; 9:1,2; 26:9-12; 1 Timothy 1:13). This man who could not tolerate Jews believing in Jesus Christ was selected by God to be the apostle to the non-Jews!
Stress serving God's purposes in our lives is not necessarily dependent on doing the popular thing. God's purposes may not even be understood by those who are religious but do not have God's values.
God's call is not always to a popular commitment! Paul's commitment to Christ was violently resented by Jews who did not believe in Jesus as the Christ (Acts 9:23-25; 21:27-31) and was initially distrusted by Jewish Christians (Acts 9:26). Yet, even with Jewish opposition, it would seem to us that he was infinitely more qualified to speak to Jews than gentiles. However, Paul's qualifications to go to gentiles were more evident to God than to us. (1) He grew up in Tarsus, a gentile city in a gentile region. (2) He clearly experienced being sincere but misguided, and he possessed all the understandings that experience provided. (3) He spoke authoritatively to the fact that gentiles always were a part of God's plan and intentions. Gentiles were no afterthought with God! (4) He understood the fact that gentiles could be Christians without converting to Judaism. (5) He understood Jesus transforms life--even if you were a truly objectionable person.
Make application of the reasons for Paul being an effective messenger to the gentiles. Focus on the importance of understanding others in communicating God's message.
Paul made a profound apostle to the gentiles because he understood people. Since most of us are gentiles, we owe God an enormous debt of gratitude for selecting an apostle to us who can relate to our challenges.
Stress the fact that most of us as Christians are not Jewish people. Stress the fact that we owe God and Paul a great indebtedness for making the gospel applicable to our lives.
In our text, three insights need to come to your awareness. First, Paul commended (verse 14) their goodness, knowledge, and ability to admonish each other [to hold each other accountable while encouraging each other--treating each other like family instead of like enemies]. Yet, it is obvious from this study emphasis that there was much they needed to understand and apply to their situation. Awareness number one: a Christian can be a good person, a knowledgeable person, and a person who can hold other Christians accountable while maintaining a good attitude, yet still be deficient in understandings and applications. Because one is a good person does not mean he/she does not have a flawed understanding. Because one is knowledgeable does not mean he/she has all the needed insights. Because one can appropriately hold other Christians accountable does not mean he/she has a mature understanding of all spiritual realties. While understanding is richly blessed by goodness, knowledge, and the ability to admonish, a Christian can possess all three qualities and still need to mature in understanding. There is a dire need to be able to correctly apply what we know!
It is much too easy for today's Christian to conclude that knowledge is the key to being godly. It is equally easy for today's Christian to conclude that being "good" or being confrontational is the key to being godly. Stress the importance of understanding. Remind your students that understanding is reflected in one's application of knowledge to self.
Admonition is confrontation with a caring, godly attitude. See Galatians 6:1-5.
Second, God may use us in ways we cannot imagine and do not prefer. Paul longed to bring understanding to Jews who refused to believe in Jesus Christ! See Romans 9:1-5 and 10:1-4. Yet, God's purpose for him was to carry the good news of Jesus Christ to people who were not Jews. It is too easy for us to think we are serving God's purposes as He gave them to us when we are actually serving our own desires!
Stress this truth: we do not dictate to God the ways He can and cannot use us. We follow Him wherever He guides us. Remember, He guided Jesus to a cross.
Third, we can have personal spiritual ambitions, but we must never let those ambitions serve as the foundation of our faith in God. Paul had an ambition: to preach the good news of Jesus Christ in places that never heard of Jesus Christ [a difficult commitment!] (verse 20). As we shall see, he even planned his future on the basis of his ambition (verse 24). There are numerous reasons to conclude Paul never visited Spain. In stead of returning to Rome as a free person [Roman citizen] to go to Spain preaching the good news about Jesus Christ to people who never heard of Jesus Christ, he returned to Rome as a prisoner deserted by some believers before his death (2 Timothy 4:9-18). Yet, though his plans were changed for him, he never lost his faith in Jesus Christ and God! Plan, but be flexible!
Planning is a good thing, not a bad thing. However, never substitute your plans for God's purposes. Flexibility is also a good thing. If God changes your plans, do not let God's changes become a faith crisis.
For Thought and Discussion
God only wants us to do things we like to do.
They often struggle when they face a crossroads in their lives--such as what career should I choose? or which job should I accept? or where should I live? or who should I marry? or should I accept this commitment?
The discussion should include this fact: God knows our usefulness better than we do. We are powerfully influenced by personal desire. God knows need.
His early life in a gentile city, in a gentile region, combined with his devout Jewish commitments, combined with his experience in being zealous but wrong, resulted in a unique, useful understanding.
Understanding involves more than goodness, knowledge, and the ability to admonish.
God can use us in ways we cannot understand and in ways we do not prefer.
We can have personal spiritual ambitions, but those ambitions must never be the foundation of our faith.
