“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (Ephesians 1:1).
Being an apostle of Jesus Christ was nowhere on Saul of Tarsus’ radar. Yet, he become one.
Though his apostleship was born out of due season (1 Corinthians 15:8) and he was confronted with its possibility while he was yet acting ignorantly, he still became one.
Very few blasphemers and persecutors of a person or a cause are transformed into a tireless promoter of who or what they strenuously opposed. Yet, Saul did.
Why? Because of the will of God.
Saul of Tarsus hungered and thirsted for God’s will.
Even when he was making havoc of the church, breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, he did so because he believed it was his necessary duty. He did it in all good conscience (Acts 23:1) because he believed himself to be obeying the will of God.
So, when Saul learned he was not living obediently to the will of God, the realization astonished him and so crushed him that he neither ate nor drank for three days (Acts 9:9). Then, when Ananias came to inform him of what he must do (Acts 9:6) and told him to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 22:16) “he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18).
Why? Because it was the will of God.
Jesus came into this world to do the written will of God (Hebrews 10:7); therefore, it is correct to say the mind of Christ has a laser-like focus on the will of God.
It is the will of God which is paramount in the life of every disciple of Jesus, just like it was in the apostle Paul’s.
