Paul’s Influence

WED., JAN. 22, 1997, 8:34 AM
OFFICE, PULLIAM

Once again, in this morning study in Ephesians you are struck with Paul’s influence on your spiritual life. Other New Testament passages tell of his dramatic conversion… from one who zealously pursued Christians as defectors from the Way to which he had been educated… to one who founded churches as the Body of Christ. He honestly told those who listened that if they heard and believed it was evidence that they, too, had been elected to respond.

You felt such a call, in your young adulthood, even as it was not one to start churches or overtly preach the Gospel. You have had the privilege of continuing in “your chosen field”, now aware that I was involved in that choice. Still, your mentors and chairmen – Ned, Tex, and Don – were not of help in your “mission”. They aided you in becoming established in the field, making it possible for you to develop and freely talk about spirit as a “dimension” of health.

You have not had the overt, dangerous opposition that Paul experienced, but there has not been full acceptance of this that you recommend. You have a small coterie of “followers” who are interested and do respond positively to spirit as an element of health. You hope that some of these will carry on this “mission” after you have ceased your full-time activity, but this is not certain.

Paul was “farther along” than you are, for he wrote (and, presumably, wrote) of his “chosenness”. You find this hard, even with these good Christian friends with whom you meet regularly. You have not yet spoken boldly, “I was born again into acceptance of the grace that is freely given by God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Then I was born yet again to a closer relationship with this Spirit, chosen to hear directly and instructed to write down Teachings that are Truth and Wisdom for me. I didn’t seek this. Holy Spirit sought me and told me to listen. For over 17 years I have done this. It is my calling.”

If you did… or when you do… say this, you can expect responses somewhat like Paul’s. Some will know, or at least have a sense, that this is truth, for them as well as for you. Some who are not church folk and not spiritual seekers will ignore or non-vigorously deny this approach to Truth, either because of the process or of the content… or both. And some of your fellow Christians will be skeptical or even put off by the affirmation that God still works in this way, and that I, Holy Spirit, would choose you. Ah Me, I can see, again, how tempting it would be to choose no one, directly and forcefully… or to choose some and really have no regard for the others.

Remember that, as Jesus, I chose 12 men to be with Me and share My short ministry. There were others that I influenced and who voluntarily (?) came to join with Me, but I didn’t increase the number of “official disciples”. Was this any kind of a model for My actions since, in the earth?

Your little “Parable of Predestination” said it quite well and was kind of an update of Paul. (9:13 / 9:17) The Three of Us in the Trinity are both separate and One. We share the opportunities for influencing humans. We each choose or elect certain persons to come closer and “live with Us”. Those whom God or Jesus choose are of no greater honor than those I choose. This is all somewhat like the yoga concept. There are different missions, different callings, just as Paul surmised that there are different “parts” in a well-functioning human body.

And then there are those who come to one of Us or to All of Us, of their own “free will”. Such are fully accepted and, also, are of no lesser honor because they weren’t originally chosen. Yes, it is a bit like the NFL “process” – some are drafted and some come as free agents. (In relation to the relative numbers in each, the analogy breaks down, but the principle… and even the terminology applies: some of you are drafted, and some come as free agents.)