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T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
knew w hat awaited him on t£ e other side. P aul had .been a w arrior and had waged a w inning w arfare. I t had been a good fight and he had fought it to the finish. He had many foes. He had fought sin— th a t old n atu re which made a m u rd erer of him (Acts 8 :1 -3 ). P au l’s n atu re was intense and we know th a t he had a fierce fight w ith th e old man (Col. 3 :5 -8 ). He had also Satan as an antagonist, and he was no mean adversary. In conflict w ith him he had to pu t on the whole arm or of God. (Eph. 6:11-17). The Jews were also his enemies and followed him from place to place w ith intensified hatred , hoping to pu t him to death. The Gentiles were h is enemies. R om e ' looked upon him as a stirre r up of sedition. P aul sums them all up, II Cor. 11:26: “ In perils of w a te rs; in perils of rob b ers; in perils of m ine own countrym en; in perils o f the heathen; in perils in the c ity ; in perils in the w ild ern ess; in perils in the se a ; in perils am ong fa lse breth ren.” He also tells us th a t he was delivered out of th e mouth of th e lion (v. 17). Foes w ithout, foes w ithin,— he had had a long life of conflict and now th e b attle was over. He had finished his course. Life had been a race,— commencing upon th e road to Damascus,— a long, w eary race, and now th e goal was reach ed. Through it all he had held faith fully to th e faith. He had n o t lost a b it of his confidence in th e inerrancy of God’s precious Word which he had received as a sacred treasu re comm itted to him. More firmly th a n ever he be lieved in th e Deity of th e Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 2 :11) “ And th at e ve ry tongue should confess . that Je su s C h rist is Lord, to the g lo ry of God the F a th e r.” The precious blood of Christ was to him sufficient atonem ent for his sins (I Cor. 5 :7 ). The resurrection and re tu rn of his Lord were th e all-absorbing them e of his life (I Cor. 15:1-3; I
Thesa. 4:16, 17). N either suffering a t th e hands of men, nor th e subtle sophis tries of vain philosophers, had changed his m ind concerning th a t glorious faith which had transform ed his own life. B ehind him was th e race course and th e battlefield; w ith him, th e abiding faith ; before him, a glorious rew ard— th e crown of righteousness. The crown is a symbol of authority. There is a crown of life for those who endure (Jas. 1 :1 2 ); an incorruptible crown for those who m ake sp iritu al progress (I Cor. 9 :2 5 ); a crown of re- joioing for soul-w inners (I Thess 2 :1 9 ); a crown of glory for faith fu l shepherds (I Pet. 5 :4 ),— b u t the crown of rig h t eousness is for those who love H is ap pearing. Salvation is a free gift. Crowns are for those who earn them . Some people will be saved as by fire (I Cor. 3:12- 15) and some will have crowns to lay a t th e M aster’s feet. All may have a crown of righteousness. (3 ) A Strong Deliverer, vs. 16-18 “ I was delivered * * * and th e Lord shall deliver me from every evil work.” P au l was deserted by men bu t de livered by th e Lord. Demas, th e apos tate, had gone back to th e world. .He loved th is world (or “ th is present age” ) as P au l loved the other world. All men had forsaken him, as they forsook th e Lord, (Matt. 26:56) b u t th e Lord stood by him. It is h ard to stand alone; it takes g rit and grace; b u t God will supply the need. P au l lived much of h is life a- lone w ith God, and in th a t loneliness learned th e secret of unfailing strength. He said to th e Romans, “ If God be for us, who can be against u s?” (Rom. 8: 31). The Christian life is no picnic. I t is a serious, solemn th ing to live. Thu world’s allu rem en ts attract. The fierce fight makes m en falter. The race is strenuous. To keep th e faith one must live in th e ligh t of th e Word of God and
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