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The Apostle Paul Finished Strong

"Follow boldly in your Master's steps, for He has made this rough journey before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest than false peace and everlasting torment." ~Alistair Begg

The Apostle Paul was a tremendous visionary, full of passion, and pursued his vision no matter the cost. He didn't begin on the right track in his pursuit of souls. He was a Jew born to the tribe of Benjamin, and he was very educated in the Law of Moses. He was full of zeal for defending the law he held in high esteem. Therefore, he passionately pursued anyone that would seek to go against this law. He was notorious for persecuting the followers of Jesus because the gospel of Jesus Christ went against the spirit of religion.

One day, Paul was on a mission to bring to prison all who would dare to follow Jesus Christ. While on the way, he had an encounter with God, face-to-face that changed his course forever. In reality, what happened was mind-boggling, and one could only reason it was God who brought about this sudden change. Paul went from one side of the spectrum to the opposite side; he would now become the persecuted rather than the persecutor - (Acts 9 NIV).

A new path was now charted for Paul, and he would have to count the cost of this call. He would have to decide if he would die for the cause of Christ. He knew of the opposition unleashed against the church of Christ. He was present at the stoning of an innocent follower of Jesus, named Stephen. Paul was no stranger to the torment, pain, and persecution that awaited those who would dare associate with Jesus and his teachings. Nevertheless, Paul counted the cost and set out to start a new race--one that would change the course of the Gentile world. Even though Paul was a Jew, he had a more significant impact on the Gentile nations, and he traveled extensively planting churches and feeding the body of Christ with wisdom from the Holy Spirit. Today, two-thirds of the New Testament is written by the Apostle Paul because he counted the cost. He depended on the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction every step of the way. The Holy Spirit would reveal to him the persecutions he would face, the imprisonments, the beatings, the public humiliation, the loneliness, and even his death. With all that he faced, he kept Jesus before him, and the will of the Father to make disciples of all men.

Paul could have chosen the life of the persecutor to gain status, position, and wealth, but would have spent his eternity in torment. After counting the cost, he chose not to gamble away eternity and headed to the starting line of the call that would cost him everything. I want to encourage you today to meditate on the life of Paul and weigh the choices before you. Count the cost on both ends of the spectrum and see God move in and infuse you with strength as you chose his will!