More Than Expected

Paul was a Jew, and a Pharisee. The Jews knew they were God's people. God declared it in Scripture. He demonstrated it in their history.

The Pharisees realized God was not too pleased with the Jews. He declared it in Scripture. He demonstrated it in their history. After all, that's why there were Roman armies wandering around their countryside.

The Pharisees decided that getting back on God's good side would solve a lot of their problems. So, they developed a system hyper-religiosity, which they believed pleased God. If they could get enough of their fellow Jews to agree, everything would be OK. And Paul was in enthusiastic agreement. That's why Paul was so irritated with those pesky Christians. They did not keep the system. They did not please God. They perpetuated all that was wrong in the world.

Then, some angel whacked Paul between the eyes with a 2 by 4. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.)

Jesus spoke to him. He was blinded. He was healed. So much happened, that he went on vacation, to clear his head.

And while he was on vacation, he read his Bible … a lot! And he saw stuff in a whole new light. So much so, that he gave his allegiance to Jesus, became a disciple, and a messenger of God.

One of the things he saw differently was God's plans for the world. God's plan was for all people groups to become part of God's family. Both Jew and gentile would become part of God's family. Both would be united to Christ. Both would be God's heirs. Both would be part of the same body. Both would be used to demonstrate God's purposes, and God's character.

Realizing this, Paul was moved to pray. Prayer is a number of things. One, it is an alignment of a person's inner man with God. Two, it is an agreement with God's purposes, inviting God to bring his purposes to completion. And a few other things.

The first thing Paul prays for was inner strength. God is inviting everyone back into relationship with him, into his family, into transformation, and away from allegiance to the world, and the person's past. For some, turning away from current patterns, and current allegiances, is very difficult. It takes a certain amount of resolve to turn to something new. Especially, if the new requires a high trust component. So, Paul prays for a strengthening of resolve, to move into a trust relationship with Jesus.

And, as we trust God, give him our allegiance, we become united to Christ. Jesus makes his home in our hearts. It is Jesus' eternal presence with us, that completes our becoming united with Christ. And it is that connection that activates every other good thing that arises from knowing God. Forgiveness, justification, the expunging of our sin, and God's restoration project in our lives, all stem from Christ's sacrifice. And we receive all these benefits, because we are united to Christ. Whatever Jesus received, we receive it also, through our connection to him.

As we are united with Christ, we are like a tree, that plunges its roots into the earth, to receive water, food, and other factors of growth, and increase. But instead of the earth, our roots sink into the love of God. We are fed, refreshed, and provided for, out of the abundance of God's love. Certainly, one part of growth, and transformation, is an ever-increasing understanding of the extend of God's love. How far, how deep, will it go? How long will it pursue? If it has already borne the sins of the world, what will it not do … keeping agreement with his nature, and character?

We are united with Christ, connected to the Father's love, and are being "fed" via that connection. We are learning the extent of God's love. How big it is. How much it covers. How far it will go.

And God says we will be full. We will be restored. We will be complete. Indeed, God's power is already working in us. And it will do far more, than we ask, or think.