DAILY DEVOTIONAL ON ROMANS 1:1:
“CONVICTED AND CALLED”
- As shared by Rev. Don Schink © 2010
- As shared by Rev. Don Schink © 2010
“PAUL, A SERVANT OF CHRIST JESUS, CALLED TO BE AN APOSTLE AND SET APART FOR THE GOSPEL OF GOD” (NIV)
Paul is a really colorful guy in Scripture. Prior to his being converted to Christ on the Road to Damascus, he had persecuted Christians with a vengeance. He was brought up in the strict sect of the Pharisees, trained under the infamous Rabbi Gamaliel. Paul had become proud, arrogant, self-confident and intolerant of others, especially those who were known as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. As such, he boldly went out of his way to persecute, even to kill, as many Christians as he could, doing so with a hateful vengeance.
Then as he was traveling on the Road to Damascus, he was struck down by a brilliant light, and a voice thundered out, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?” “Who are You, Lord?” he asked. The reply came, “I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The truth hit the core of his heart. It permeated every speck of his inner being as he came to the realization that he was striking out against the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He was to go on to fulfill a high calling to preach and promote the very One Whom he had spoken and acted so strongly against! His conversion is clear. He would never have taken on the cause of Christ in such a dramatic way as we see that he goes on to do, had he not been so completely converted to Christ and to Christianity.
The fact is that we promote that which we believe in. Prior to his conversion, Saul (named Paul) persecuted the believers in Christ, for a variety of reasons, which he believed that he was supposed to do. Then, after his conversion, he was to go on to be a tremendous witness for the cause of Christ, with a great sense of conviction and commitment. His actions proved that he was firmly committed to his new-found faith in Christ and his calling to share the good news from that day forth!
So, we promote that which we believe in. We like to share whatever that is with others. If you like to dance, then you encourage others to do the same. If you have a particular hobby, you are open to share and to teach others what it is that you enjoy about the hobby. If you are of a particular faith, you want others to become involved with you. The stronger your conviction is, the more you attempt to share with others. Personally, I am a committed Christian, I love to play guitar, write music and sing. Kathy and I are strong supporters of and are involved in foster care and adoption. My family is in to rescuing shelties. Kathy and I are amateur radio operators. We love to hike, swim, camp, etc. We enjoy sharing our various interests at any time with anyone who is genuinely interested in any or all of our various interests.
Paul was so strongly convicted that he considered himself a servant of Christ, better interpreted as an actual slave. Jesus was suddenly Lord and Master of Paul’s heart and life. Jesus was the one and only that Paul felt a clear calling to serve and to promote His cause, just the opposite of what he had been doing prior to his conversion along the Road to Damascus. His was not just an ordinary calling. How interesting that God would choose such a one as Paul to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, definitely a special high calling. A pastor’s calling, for example, is a truly high calling, today. One has a sense that he or she would be miserable to disobey such a precious calling, accepting the privilege and responsibility of such a calling.
As believers, we are called to sanctify (set apart) ourselves for the gospel of Jesus Christ. If he has truly permeated our hearts and lives, we do so, not out of a sense of duty or obligation, but we do so out of a sense of an attitude of gratitude. It is because of Whom He is in our hearts and lives that we reach out to share with others, knowing that He has made a clear difference in our hearts and lives, that we will never be the same, and that we will spend eternity with Him. We want others to do the same. You may not feel the calling of a pastor or an evangelist, and many do not; however, we are to share what we have come to believe in and to experience in Christ. We sense the urgency of our day. We gladly share through whatever doors of opportunity that may come along. We gladly and lovingly care. It becomes a most important way of life for us, day by day. Yes, we, like Paul, promote that which we believe in.
So how is it with your heart and soul, today? If this is the last day of your life on earth, are you ready to meet Jesus?
If I can be of help to you in any way, please feel free to email me:
PastorDonNM@gmail.com
Thanks you and may God bless you today and on into eternity as you walk with Jesus Christ as not only your personal Savior, but allowing Him to be Lord of every area of your heart and life, being fully called and fully committed, sanctified (set apart) to love and to live for Jesus Christ, as Paul did.
