A couple of verses in the book of Acts caught my attention last week as I was reading it. From chapter 25 starting with verse 15, "...having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man." The context of these verses includes Paul being on trial by the Jews before Felix in Ceasarea and these words come somewhat in the middle of his defense.
What strikes me about Paul throughout all of his writings is his farsightedness. He was always looking ahead into the future. To the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. He understood that one day we will all stand before God and give an account for our actions. Whether we have been just or unjust doesn't matter, at least in the sense that both will be resurrected one day; so we ought to, as Paul did, "take great pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man." This coming from the man who wrote the book of Romans detailing out God's plan of salvation for us. This from the man who said that "faith is a gift of God and not of works so that no man can boast." Paul understood that our works toward God and man did not save from eternal damnation. He knew that his works, as great as they were, in the end would not save him. What then is his purpose for saying this, for living like this, as he thinks of the coming resurrection? I think that part of the answer is Paul's knowledge about grace. He knew that there was no such thing as cheap grace. R. C. Sproul makes a comment about cheap grace saying that it is not simply a matter of raising your hand and signing a membership card in the local church (that's not the exact quote but it's somethig like that). Paul knew that a life saved by Christ was simply free to go on living as it once did, but was now called by God to live a life of service towards both God and man.
Jesus touches on this same them when he gives the warning that one day some may stand before Him and He will say to them, "Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you." Though some people will claim to know God and do many things in Jesus name if the life is not transformed into one of righteousness they will receive no mercy.
This can be kind of a hard concept to grasp, at least it has been for me, but Paul knew that his actions, although they couldn't save him would still count for something in the end. The fear of God and the knowledge of a coming resurrection spurred Paul on to be as God wanted him be. May both do the same for us today.
Jeremy Erickson says "We are blessed to be a blessing." Amen.
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