SEPARATED FROM BIRTH

SEPARATED FROM BIRTH

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.” (Galatians 1:15-16 NKJV)

While the depth of God’s wisdom is beyond our understanding, it is obvious that Saul of Tarsus was separated from his mother’s womb that he might preach to the Gentiles. It is also obvious that others were also destined from birth for special assignments from God. This does not mean that man does not have the ability to choose, but it does mean that God knows in advance what that choice will be.

• Jesus , of course, is our primary example. Peter wrote: “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:18-21) Literally hundreds of prophecies were made about Jesus before He was even born! Most babies are expected for 9 months, but Jesus was expected before the creation of the world.
• John the Baptist was not born of a virgin, but he did have a miraculous birth. His mother was barren and advanced in years (Luke 1:7) Isaiah predicted the birth of John the Baptist centuries before he was born (Isaiah 40:3, John 1:23). The last verses of Malachi predict that the prophet Elijah would come to prepare the way for Jesus by turning the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). Jesus said regarding John: “If you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:14) The angel of the Lord told John’s father: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:13-17)
• Isaiah was also destined from birth to serve God: “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.” (Isaiah 49:1) “And now the Lord says —he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength” (Isaiah 49:5)
• Jeremiah was also destined from birth to serve God: “The word of the Lord came to me, saying,“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)
• David wrote: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my
• unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalms 139:13-16)
• Cyrus the Great was also destined from birth to serve God. He was the King of Persia from 559 B.C. until his death in 530 B.C. Isaiah was a prophet from approximately 740-701 B.C. This was long before Cyrus was born, yet Isaiah predicted that Cyrus, the King of Persia, would rebuild Jerusalem. This was over 100 years before Jerusalem was destroyed. Further, Isaiah predicted that Cyrus would “subdue nations” which included Babylon. Isaiah wrote by inspiration: “who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’ “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:” (Isaiah 44:28-45:1) Please note that Cyrus is the only Gentile who is called the Lord’s “anointed” and was destined before he was born to accomplish all that God pleased!
• THIS DOES NOT PROVE THAT EVERYONE IS DESTINED FROM BIRTH FOR A SPECIAL MINISTRY, BUT IT DOES AT LEAST MAKE IT POSSIBLE.

GOD KEEPS TRACK OF EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING

• Yes! God keeps track of everything. He even keeps track of sparrows and numbers the hairs on our heads. Jesus told his disciples: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-30)
• Man has no idea how many stars there are but astronomers “estimate” that there are 200 million billion stars. There are many more stars than there are people.
• God however, not only knows how many stars there are, but has even given every star a name: “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” (Psalms 147:4-5) Isaiah said: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:26)
• Every star is unique, just like every person is unique (1 Corinthians 15:41). Yet God knows the name of every star and obviously God also knows your name. He knows where you live, and does not want you to be lost.
• John 3:16 has been called the “Golden Text” of the Bible. Please consider: “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT TO SAVE THE WORLD THROUGH HIM.” (JOHN 3:16-17)
• YES! WE WORSHIP A GOD “WHO WANTS ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.” (1 TIMOTHY 2:4)
• Paul told the philosophers on Mar’s Hill: “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they
• should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” (Acts 17:24-28)
• YES! GOD KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE AND WANTS YOU TO REACH OUT AND FIND HIM FOR HE IS NOT FAR AWAY FROM ANY ONE OF US!
• IF GOD KEEPS TRACK OF THE STARS AND THE SPARROWS, SURELY HE KEEPS TRACK OF YOU!
• David said it like this: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day.” (Psalms 139:1-12)
• REMEMBER! “THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS PROMISE, AS SOME UNDERSTAND SLOWNESS, HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE.” (2 PETER 3:9)

A CLOSER LOOK AT SAUL (LATER KNOWN AS PAUL)

Saul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia. Tarsus is situated on the Cilician plain about ten miles inland on the River Cydnus. Some feel that this city was named after “Tarshish” one of the sons of Javan (Gen. 10:4). Down through the years the city was under the domination of the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, etc. but from about 104 B.C. it was under the influence of Rome. After several decades of upheaval and strife Pompey reorganized the area about 65 B.C. and in 51 B.C. made Cicero the governor of the province. A brilliant period followed until Tarsus was considered the Athens of the Eastern Mediterranean and a place where men of learning resorted. Paul described himself as “a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city” (Acts 21:39).

Like all Jewish boys Paul learned a trade. Jesus was a carpenter (Mk. 6:3) but Paul was a “tentmaker” (Acts 18:3). This is the only reference to tent makers in the Bible and refers to Paul, Aquila and Priscilla. Cicilia was known for its high quality cloth made from goats’ hair. On many occasions Paul used his skill as a tentmaker to support himself.

We do not know how much education Saul received in Tarsus, but we do know he studied under Gamaliel in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is approximately 570 km from Tarsus. Gamaliel was a famous Jewish teacher who is only mentioned by name two times in the Bible (Acts 5:34; 22:3). In Acts 5:33- 40 we are told that Gamaliel was a teacher of the law, and honored by all the people. When the apostles were arrested Gamaliel argued to the Sanhedrin that the followers of Jesus should be left alone. If their work was not of God, it would come to nought. If it was of God, he didn’t want to be fighting against

God. In Acts 22:3 Paul explained to a hostile Jewish mob that he had been brought up in Jerusalem under the teaching of Gamaliel. This fact gave Paul credibility with these devout Jews. The fact that Gamaliel was his teacher also explained why Paul was zealous for God. To the Galatians Paul explained: “For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Gal 1:13-14) (NIV)

As you know, Saul held the garments of those who stoned Stephen to death. Luke records it like this: “And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:1-3)

Later Saul was converted to Christ and his name was changed to Paul. We will discuss this in greater detail later.

As the Apostle Paul he explained his former life to King Agrippa: “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9-11)

EVEN THOUGH PAUL WAS WRONG, HE STILL HAD A GOOD CONSCIENCE

Even though Paul was wrong, he thought he was right, and did what he did with a “good conscience.” Please consider:

• “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” (Acts 23:1)
• “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” (Acts 24:16)
• “I speak the truth in Christ – I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 9:1)
• “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:4)
• “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.” (2 Corinthians 1:12)
• “I thank my God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” (2 Timothy 1:3)

Your conscience, in some ways, is like a cell phone. If your cell phone is working properly it will receive all kinds of information, both true and false. As long as it continues to work properly, however, it is easy to receive the truth and correct errors. If your cell phone is “corrupted” and “defiled” it is not good for anything.

Since Paul had not defiled his conscience, it was easy for God to change his life. Sometimes, however, people can damage their conscience to the point that it is impossible to renew them to repentance.

• Please consider: “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” (Hebrews 6:4-6)
• Therefore we must be careful not only to keep our own conscience pure, but also to protect the consciences of others who are weak in the faith. Paul wrote to the Romans that there is nothing wrong with eating everything, but if you believe it is wrong to eat meat you should eat only vegetables to keep from defiling your conscience (Romans 14:1-4).
• The same is true regarding special days. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; and another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Roman 14:5)
• Paul concludes this teaching by reminding the Romans that “everything that does not come from faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)
• When you “believe” something is wrong and continue to do it, you are “defiling your conscience.”
• The same principle applies to eating meat that was offered to idols: “for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.” (1 Corinthians 8:6-13)
• Paul warned Timothy that you can “sear” your conscience: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” (1 Timothy 4:1-2)
• Paul warned Titus that you can also “corrupt” your conscience: “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:15-16)
• Remember! Your conscience can bear witness that will either accuse or defend you (Romans 2:15)
• So let us strive to be like Paul and “strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.”
• If you want God to guide you it is important that you have a clear conscience!

SAUL’S CONSCIENCE STARTED TO BOTHER HIM

• When Jesus appeared to Saul on the Road to Damascus he said: “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (Acts 9:5; 26:14) The Greek word translated as “pricks” is “kentron”. It refers to an iron instrument that is sharp and used to jab oxen, horses, and other beasts of burden to make them obey.
• Saul (as the Apostle Paul) later wrote to the Philippians: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.” (Philippians 1:27-28)
• Perhaps Saul was remembering the death of Stephen. Stephen was not frightened in any way by the thought of death! When the Sanhedrin looked at Stephen they saw that his face was like the face of an angel (Acts 6:15). In fact, when they were about to stone him to death “Stephen full of the Holy Spirit, looked up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look’ he said, ‘I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” (Acts 7:55-56)
• I believe that Saul never forgot how Stephen died. The fact that Stephen was not frightened in any way was a sign to Saul that he would be destroyed if he did not repent.
• I think this is what Jesus referred to when he said to Saul - “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”

SAUL’S GOOD CONSCIENCE LED TO HIS CONVERSION

Remember that Saul was set apart from birth to preach among the Gentiles. It is estimated that Saul was about 30 years of age when he was converted and began his ministry. Jesus was also about 30 years of age when He began his ministry (Luke 3:23). The first thirty years of their lives were not wasted, but were used by God to shape and prepare them for the work to which God was calling them.

As we have mentioned, Sauls’s name was changed to Paul. This happened on his first missionary journey. It happened on the Island of Cyprus when Saul miraculously blinded the eyes of a sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus. While Saul was preaching to the proconsul of the island “Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said,“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.” (Acts 13:8-12)

Remember that Saul himself was blind for three days after meeting Jesus on the Road to Damascus. It was during these three days that God began to cleanse his conscience from dead works to serve Jesus (Hebrews 9:14). Those who “won’t” see are to be pitied more than those who “cannot” see!

Paul was never more happy and content than when he received Jesus Christ as Lord and accepted his call to be an apostle to the Gentiles. Shortly before he died he wrote to Timothy: “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:12-16)

THE FACT THAT GOD WAS PATIENT WITH PAUL IS AN EXAMPLE TOL PROVE THAT HE WILL ALSO BE PATIENT WITH US! IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER HOW MANY THINGS YOU HAVE DONE WRONG – WHEN YOU SURRENDER TO CHRIST YOU BECOME A “NEW CREATION” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The story of Paul’s conversion is found three times in the book of Acts (Acts 9:1-19; 22:2-21; 26:1-32).

It is interesting to note that even though Jesus spoke to Paul in the Hebrew language (Acts 26:14), the Hebrew men who were with Paul heard the voice of Jesus but did not understand it (Acts 22:9). One “theory” to explain this involves a promise made centuries before by Jeremiah. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) This leads to the “possibility” that Paul was the only man in the whole group who was seeking God with “all” his heart! Please note that Paul understood clearly every word Jesus spoke to him: In his own words Paul explained: “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.“‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.” (Acts 22:6-11)

Jesus had a similar experience in Jerusalem shortly before He was crucified. He said: “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.” (John 12:27-29) The point is that Jesus understood exactly what God said while others only thought they heard thunder!

Jeremiah was right: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

DO NOT BE LIKE A HORSE OR A MULE

David wrote: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.” (Psalms 32:8-10)

Yes! God wants to teach you the way you should go. Saul, however, was like a horse or a mule and could not be taught by God until he had been blind for three days. Jonah had to spend three days in the great fish before God could guide him!

Jesus said to his disciples: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38) The Greek word translated as “send forth” is “ekballo”. The word “ek” means “out” and the word “ballo” means “to throw.” The word literally means to “throw out.” Thayer in his lexicon indicates that it involves violence. It is used 80 times in the Scriptures.

• It is used of Jesus “casting out” the money changers from the temple (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:15).
• It is used to describe the way that Paul and Barnabas were driven out of Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:50).
• It is used of the way that Sarah wanted Abraham to cast out Hagar (Galatians 4:30).
• It is used of the way Diotrephes would not receive the brethren and “cast out” those who did (III John 10).
• This is the word used to describe the way that Jesus was “driven” into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Mark 1:12).
• It is used of the way that Rahab “sent out” the spies to keep them from being killed (James 2:25)
• IT IS AN HONOR TO SERVE JESUS! DON’T BE LIKE A HORSE OR A MULE!

IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL

If God calls you into His service your eternal reward will may your earthly efforts and suffering seem insignificant. Remember! You MUST believe that God exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Paul wrote to the Romans: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Just before he died Paul wrote to Timothy: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Jim Elliot died as a martyr in the jungles of Ecuador on January 8, 1956. Before he died he wrote: “He is no fool who gives up the things he cannot keep, to gain the things that he cannot lose.”

DON’T GIVE UP!

WHEN YOU ARE FAITHFUL UNTIL DEATH GOD WILL GIVE YOU A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!