Jesus Name Means SALVATION....We MUST look to HIM NOT Ourselves!

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

Personally, I believe that we are saved with a great deal of error and ignorance. The essentials revolve around the person of Christ and his work, not our faithfulness, not our goodness, not our ability to maintain ourselves. Instead, we must keep her eyes focused on Christ and his accomplishment and rest in him, not in our ability to stay saved, to remain faithful, to keep believing, etc.

[Hezekiah Ben Israel]

How do we look to him?

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

Galatians 1:13 "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past
in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church
of God, and wasted it:"

Paul is speaking of the law that had been given to the Jews. Paul
was educated by Gamaliel in this law, that they called the law of
Moses. Paul believed that he was doing God's will, when he persecuted
the Christians. He was very anxious to be rid of these Christians and
their gospel. Paul was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, as we said before.
As we have said before, Paul was on a journey to persecute Christians,
when he first met Jesus. It is easier for Paul to witness to someone
that is in the same position he had been in.

Galatians 1:14 "And profited in the Jews' religion above many my
equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the
traditions of my fathers."

Let's look at a few of the Scriptures pertaining to the very
thing Paul is saying here. Acts 22:3 "I am verily a man [which am] a
Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city
at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner
of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are
this day." Acts 26:5 "Which knew me from the beginning, if they would
testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a
Pharisee." Acts 26:9 "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do
many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." We see from
this and the next 2 verses, that Paul had been a Jew, just like them.
In fact, he had been a very strict Jew, a Pharisee. Philippians 3:5
"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, [of] the tribe of
Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;"
Philippians 3:6 "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless."

Galatians 1:15 "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my
mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,"

God's foreknowledge was that Paul would be an apostle. God called
Paul even in his mother's womb. We are all saved by grace, but Paul's
calling was of grace. God knew the heart of Paul. He knew that Paul
wanted to do the will of God. Paul just did not know the will of God
for his life, until he was blinded by the Light of Jesus on the road
to Damascus. Paul's call was of God, and not man. Paul owed no
explanation to the others. It pleased God to make Paul an apostle.

Galatians 1:16 "To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him
among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:"

Paul did not run and get advice from his friends to make sure God
had called him. This is good advice for us, as well. We must not
question our call. We must do exactly what God has called us to do
without conferring with our friends first. God called you, not your
friends. It would be nice if they approved of your call, but that is
highly unlikely. Notice, what happened to Paul. Jesus was revealed
inside of Paul when the Light of God shined inside his understanding.
This Light of Jesus, does away with all darkness and deception.
Notice, this was for a purpose. Paul was to bring the message God had
revealed to him, so that he would bring it to the Gentiles. God does
not idly call us to a job. Each job God gives, is for a purpose. We do
not question God by getting confirmations from people.

Galatians 1:17 "Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto
Damascus."

Not even the other apostles were to teach Paul. He was to be
taught of the Spirit of God. Paul was in the desert of Arabia 3 years
in training by the Holy Spirit. We will see this in the next verse.

Galatians 1:18 "Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to
see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."

Peter was the head of the Christian movement at this time. Paul
was showing, that not even Peter taught him what to say. It was the
Holy Spirit. When Paul was ready to minister the gospel, it was
understandable that he would go tell Peter. Jesus had given the keys
to Peter, as we read in the following verses. Matthew 16:18 "And I say
also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:19 "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven." We can easily see why Paul would have gone to inform Peter
of his intentions to minister.
Galatians 1:19 "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James
the Lord's brother."

[Caral]

Amen and Amen Mark.

It is all about Him, and His Work and Him alone.

Soli Deo Gloria ( To God be the Glory Alone)