The Call

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Recap

Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, reminds the people about the core message of the gospel, which is Christ. He then gives proof of his apostleship and the call upon his life. Paul’s call to service sheds some light on the call God gives to each one of us.

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me.

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Paul received his call from God after an incredible encounter with Jesus. Even so, there are a few things that Paul experienced that we can look to in our own lives and the call God gives to us.

1. Know God’s Gospel

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (11-12)

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The gospel that Paul preached was from God. He did not receive this gospel from men. God’s gospel is surprisingly simple, but goes against what men expect.

Paul’s understanding of the gospel was deeper than most that came before him. He penned many statements to explain the gospel message. One of these statements is the truth that we are saved by the grace of God through faith, not by works.

This truth goes against our human thinking. There must be something we have to do to receive God’s salvation. According to Paul, however, salvation is based on grace and faith, not by things that are done.

Paul also states that the mystery of the gospel is Christ in you, the hope of glory. If we have faith in and accepted God’s gift of salvation in Christ, His Spirit now resides in us. If the Spirit is in us, then there is no need to “try” to be like Christ because He is already in us and working in and through us.

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Being saved by grace and having Christ in us leads us into the development of the Fruit of the Spirit. God’s gospel, by grace through faith, will lead to us being filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Again, these traits are not things we must work toward, they are traits the Spirit will develop in us as we live for Jesus.

Then there is the act of spiritual growth. The Fruit of the Spirit is part of that growth, but we also gain wisdom, discernment, understanding, etc.

A truth about God’s gospel is that it is all received from God, not taught from man. We can teach many lessons about the things of God, but it is God alone that can bring about change. We cannot earn our salvation by any means. It is only through grace by faith that we can receive all the benefits of salvation.

As Paul learned about God’s gospel, it also helped him to…

2. Understand Man’s Gospel

Paul talks about his previous way of life in Judaism. He was a student that was surpassing all others his own age. In his training, he became zealous for the religious traditions that were taught. His background points to the error of man’s gospel.

The true gospel is of God, not of men. Paul’s experience, and ours as well, reveals the effects of learning man’s gospel. For one, man’s gospel is boiled down to the pursuit of knowledge. It was the religious leaders who said what was right or wrong, for they were the ones with the education. It is still like that today. We look to the educated to teach us things of faith.

If we go back to the creation story, however, knowledge is not what God intended. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had access to everything in the garden, except for one tree. They could partake of anything in the garden, even the Tree of Life, but not the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

So, at the very beginning, God wanted us to have life, not knowledge. Because of deception, knowledge became the pursuit of mankind. Man’s gospel is concerned with knowledge over life. More than that, it is often focused on traditions.

Paul grew in his knowledge, but he also became zealous for the traditions of the faith. Once again, man’s gospel is often relegated to things of tradition. Why do we do the things that we do? Because that is what we have always done.

The true gospel is not about knowledge and traditions, it is about life. This life is found only in and through Jesus.

As we realize the difference between God’s gospel and man’s, we must then…

3. Trust God’s Plan

Paul talks about God’s gospel of grace and man’s gospel of works, then he writes, “But when God…”

In all that he had experienced through life and education, there was more to this spiritual walk. Paul believed he was doing the right things, “But when God” appeared, things began to change.

Paul was set apart by God and called into His service. In response to this calling and setting apart, Paul chose to seek out God for several years, not men. This is why his message was so powerful then, and is still powerful today. It wasn’t a rehashing of what he had learned from men, but the truth of what he had learned from God.

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This is a good lesson for us. In our spiritual, daily walk we are to seek after God first, then seek out the human connection.

Like Paul, we are all set apart and called into His work. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2.9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Do we trust in God’s gospel, His plans, His way of doing things? Much of faith goes against the teachings of this world. Will we trust that God will lead us to where He wants us to be?

Then, as God had plans for Paul and his ministry, all Paul needed to do, and us as well, is to…

4. Allow God’s Work

Paul states that when he went to Syria and Cilicia that he was unknown to the churches there. They did not know him, but they heard reports about him. They had heard that the man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. With that report, we are told that the people praised God because of Paul.

What the people, and Paul, were experiencing was the work of God in someone’s life. Even though Paul started out to destroy the church, God had other things in mind. Even though Paul had gained much knowledge and understanding of man’s gospel, God had plans to reveal the true gospel to him.

What transpired was a changed life. What the people witnessed was a life that was completely turned around because of the work of God. This work led to all praise be given to God, not man.

This is the same truth for us. As we come to know God’s gospel, the gospel of grace and faith, trust in His plans, and allow Him to work, we will see God’s hand involved in our lives. Our lives will be changed. All praise will be given to Him. The world around us will experience the truth of the gospel through the life He lives in and through us.

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What version of the gospel are we believing and living?

Are we confident in God’s strategy?

Do we see God shaping our lives to bring glory to His name?

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