God's Redemptive Love Through Paul

Acts 21:27-40 - And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.
35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

This narrative takes place in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul comes into the city with other disciples and people begin to talk about him. Some Jews from Asia had seen Paul at Ephesus and they stirred up the people claiming Paul had brought Gentiles into the Temple.

So much of the city became enraged and took Paul out of the temple and began beating him. And so vicious was their beating that if they continued they would have killed Paul. But the Roman police chief got wind of what was happening and came with some of his men. When the Jews saw him coming they stopped beating Paul. The Captain ordered Paul to be bound and demanded to know what he had done. The Jews shouted in wild confusion so the Captain ordered Paul to be carried into the headquarters.

The people still wanted Paul dead so the soldiers had to almost carry him while protecting him as well. But as they ascended the stairs into the headquarters, Paul saw an opportunity. Still fresh from a severe beating, and still having his life sought by the crowd, Paul asks permission to speak to the very people who just beat him and who desire to kill him.

What kind of a man exhibits compassion toward those who hate him and are set to take his life? Where does that kind of love come from? What Paul is exhibiting comes directly from God and is best seen on Golgotha. Jesus asks the Father to forgive those who are in the very act of killing Him. That is the pinnacle of redemptive love, and in fact Jesus is willing to die for His enemies. Where along the way have we lost sight of this?

The Apostle Paul is still concerned for the souls of his enemies? The ones who desire to kill him? And this is what used to separate Christianity from all other faiths. Our Redeemer not only showed compassion to His enemies, but He purchased redemption for them as well. The entire concept is mind boggling and foreign to our fallen nature. It goes against earthly logic and it places its adherents in a profoundly vulnerable situation.

Not only are we forbidden to return evil for evil, but we are commanded to do good to those who despise and hate us. The vilest and most demonstrative of sinners are to be loved by us and shown acts of love and kindness. But somehow along the way we have strayed from these teachings, and now we get involved in culture wars and political strife and we use unkind words and democratic leverage against the very sinners we are supposed to be loving.

We run to defend ourselves but Paul shares Christ. We present our moral cases but Paul shares Christ. We collect conservative voters but Paul shares Christ. We castigate liberal politicians but Paul shares Christ. We share America but Paul shares Christ. We complain about the economy but Paul shares Christ. We argue about the 24 hour creation day but Paul shares Christ. We desire to make our lives better but Paul shares Christ. We use a wooden pulpit but Paul’s entire life was a pulpit.

In light of this one event in Paul’s life, is it not evident that the church has ceased to represent Jesus Christ in this fallen world? And what is it that makes the difference between how Paul viewed his life and the Great Commission and how we view it today? The answer is simple, Paul believed the gospel. The church that centers on making our earthly lives more pleasant and successful does not believe the gospel. The church that expends energies on a fallen political system does not believe the gospel. The church that teaches a prosperity message does not believe the gospel. The church that borrows millions from the bank to build buildings does not believe the gospel.

If John 3:16 is eternally and uncompromisingly true, and if every person born lives forever in one of only two places, and if there is only one way to spend eternity with our Creator, then what else in God’s dear Name really matters? Jesus Himself talked about forsaking family and friends and land and money and literally everything to gain eternal life through His gospel.

Matt.13:45-46 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Sold all that he had? What kind of pearl was that? But the entire story centers around the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven centers around the gospel, and the gospel centers around Christ. Was Jesus dealing with hyperbole here, or was he presenting a teaching about value? Is that why Paul could say,

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”

So is it just Paul that God called to surrender to Him and His gospel, or is it a select few? Are we not all called to count everything as dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Him? We read the narrative of Paul literally preaching in chains and presenting the gospel of Christ to his enemies, and we think, “Wow! That is remarkable!” But that should be the norm expressed in many way including in our everyday lives. When we read the story of Paul, we should be able to say, “I use that as my spiritual template.”

Oh how God loves sinners. We seriously underestimate his unsearchable love for fallen man, and in so doing that affects how we see and treat them. And a limited and constricted view of God’s redemptive love always results in a limited view of the gospel which always results in a limited way in which we live our lives for Christ. Instead of seeing whited fields we see unpleasant sinners. And instead of hearing the call for laborers, we hear some call to combat the culture. Again Paul makes a profound statement which should sum up the entire Christian life:

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Selah, selah, selah.