Choosing the right path

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night. 

This was probably one of the first psalms that Paul learned at an early age.  Paul probably knew this opening Psalm and realized how important the law of the Lord (the way) was in Jewish life.  He probably believe he was protecting the law of the Lord as he was traveling to Damascus to arrest any man or woman who belong to the Way.  Act 9:1 “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” reveals how much he believed they represented the way of the wicked.  Yet on this trip Paul is confronted by the very one who made the claim that he was the way, the truth, and the life.  In Acts 9:5b Jesus reveals to Paul who he was really standing against, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutes:  it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.”  Jesus revealed himself to Paul as the way of the righteous revealed in Psalm one.   

Acts chapter nine as well as Acts chapters twenty-two and twenty-six Luke gives us three accounts of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus.  In verse five of chapter nine Luke paints a picture of what all mankind must face at some point in their life.  Do we repent from our ungodly ways and remain on the path of ungodliness, or do we repent and turn toward the way of God?  This decision rest on what we believe about Jesus.  Is he the Savior of the world, or just a figure from history?  We must all face this kicking against the pricks in our life.  Our conscience (pricks) must wrestle against the truth that we are ungodly and not the god-like creation that God formed in the garden.  All of us are in need of a Savior, the one who could pay the price for our sinful nature.  Once we accept this gift of salvation and come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light then we can start the journey of delighting daily in the law of the LORD, and meditating on it day and night.

In Acts 26:15-18 Paul describes his encounter with Christ not only as his need for salvation but also as his call to make him a minister and a witness to preach the gospel the Gentiles.  The purpose of his message was to open the eyes of all who hears, and to turn them from darkness to light and from Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiven of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that in Christ.  Before this encounter Paul as a religious leader of the Jews was protecting his religion from the false teaching of Jesus as the promise Messiah.  In I Corinthians 15:9 Paul writes “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”  He justified his actions as protecting the faith.  This encounter with Christ open Paul’s eyes and caused him to turn from his wicked ungodly ways, which he had in the past justified as godly. 

So, when I read and study Romans 1:18-32 about the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, I have came to the realization that all of mankind fall in this group.  Christ was the gift of God to the world to open the eyes of all mankind to their ungodliness and unrighteousness and provided us the way to turn from darkness to light.  So, then we accept Jesus and let the Spirit of God work in our lives, God will make known his wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption unto us.  This is revealed to us by his Spirit that we might know the truth that is given to us freely by God.  So as Christ stated in Luke 13:5 ” I tell you, Nay:  but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”  God has provided the way; we must choose the path.