Paul… A Both/And Guy

WED., JAN. 7, 1998, 8:40 AM
NEW OFFICE, PULLIAM

Your Scriptural study this morning took you, once again, into the experiences and the writing of My servant, Paul. You know his history… a dedicated Jew, a Pharisee who felt the strong need to pursue and persecute these Christians. And then, on the road to Damascus, I came to him and chose him, because he was perfect, in a both/and way. He was arrogant, but he could be humbled. He was sure of his chosenness, but unsure of how his past and present behaviors could be called perfection. He was alternately aware of the evil and opposition in the world and of how important it was to live life with joy and gladness.

Understanding and appreciation of Paul thus requires seeing him as a genuine Both/And guy. And, finally, he had trouble seeing himself as such. As a good Jew he knew the Commandments and the Laws, and he knew that goodness, in the eyes of God, required keeping (and not breaking) any of these Rules for Living. Despite his allegiance to the Christ Who had specifically chosen him he couldn’t give up these criteria for righteousness. At the same time he had come to know, in an even more powerful way, that he could never achieve objective perfection in relation to these Laws, and that Jesus had taken his sins upon Himself, had died for him, and that he, Paul, was accepted and “made perfect” by Jesus’ sacrifice. It was the welfare concept, long before present-day conflicts. So Paul continued… sure in his perfection, but aware of his actual weaknesses.

He was humble in his evaluation of himself… and yet exceedingly proud of his relationship with the Lord. He knew that he was somewhat successful as an evangelist, but he also was eager for death, as a means of being closer to Christ. He was quite willing to die and leave this earth, but he also expected the rather immediate return of the Christ, and he wanted to be here when that great event happened. Yes, he was a Both/And guy!

You have some similar feelings about life and death. You are enjoying this Emeritus time in your life, but you also look forward to the journey back to a realm of spirit. You’re even considering simple ways of assuring that journey, when the time for it is evident. You want a few more years (5, is it?) of this present earth life but have little desire to stay on into the conditions of your Mother and Dad and of Mabel, your Mother-in-law. You are a strange health educator… in being more bothered by attempts to prolong earth life that by “tragedies” and “premature” deaths. Yet this is a reflection of My Teachings to you.

Know that it is almost as hard to truly believe and know Me, as God, Christ, and Holy Spirit, as it is to behave perfectly, through actions and non-actions. And then, I say, know that you are chosen, guided, forgiven (even in advance), and loved, and that you are just about as I want you to be.

I have told you, often, that this earth scene, with all of its “negatives” as reported in the media, is just about the way I want it to be. It is a unique realm, quite conducive to spiritual growth and development. Though sickness and disability and death are seen as evils (well, almost), consider what the earth would be like if, say, there were no deaths for, say, a year. Would this earth be a wonderfully better place to live? This just denies the vital truth in There is a time to be born and a time to die… and these are not rivals, but are complements, each needing the other.