An adventurous and fruitful life

Worship is a life. There’s quite a difference between having Jesus as an add-on and worshiping Jesus as the Son of God. God literally is in us and goes about with us when Jesus is worshiped for what He is: The Son of God. In this position of worship, we are never alone, always secure and always equipped for any eventuality.

‘If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God’ 1 John 4.15.

The Roman officer was about to kill himself. That’s what you did if you were derelict in your duty. Or could be seen as such. Paul shouted, ‘Don’t kill yourself! Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your house will be saved!’

‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?’ The officer was saved from a lot more than imminent death. He was saved into eternal life. From that time on, eternal, infinite, life lived in Him in the Person of Jesus Christ.

It was easy for this man to believe. Paul was uncommonly honest with Him. There was an innocent power about him. The prisoners were all there. And the earthquake had followed the singing of songs about Jesus. There was the smoke of authority and the fire of freedom hanging in the air. Revelation and conviction targeted the Roman officer.

Paul had not fellowshipped with the physical Jesus as had John and Matthew. But he had met Jesus in the spirit, knew Him well and took delight in being His servant. Jesus was not just a construct to Paul. Jesus for Paul was the Son of God and as Son of Man who was rightful ruler of the earth.

It was in Jesus that Paul found his life and purpose. For Paul, Jesus was more real than the prison in which he was bound. It was because Paul believed that Jesus was the Son of God and His God that the walls fell down and the jailer and his family were saved. The physical structure and the spirit that had imprisoned Paul, was no match for the Spirit that was in him.

Paul loved Jesus with his body and his life. He put himself on the line for Jesus. God was clearly where Paul was, as Jesus had said, ‘If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’ John 14.23 NIV.

Paul did not have an easy life. He had an adventurous and a fruitful one. He did what Jesus planned for him to do and in this quest overcame many outposts of Satan’s domain, expanding the Kingdom of God.

‘Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God’ 1 John 5.5

 

Keith Allen, August, 2011