Be the Church Triumphant!

April 25

“God, who has begun a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ,” Philippians 1:6.

According to the Apostle Paul, “There is none righteous, no not one,” Romans 3:10.

Paul knew the fallacy of ‘works.’ He knew because he had striven his whole adult life to please God by his works. “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify,

if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today,” .Acts 26:4-6.

When Paul encountered Jesus along the Road to Damascus, Jesus said, “Paul, Paul, why do you persecute Me?” Acts 9:4.

Paul responded, “Who are you, Lord?” Acts 9:5.

Jesus said, “Isn’t it hard for you to kick against the spikes?”

Paul, trembling and astonished said, “Lord, what will You have me to do?”

And the Lord said to him,” Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”



Saul knew that he was in the presence of Deity and was not facing a mere mortal as he had in the past. With this face-to-face confrontation with Jesus, Paul’s attitude changed from desiring to murder all the Christians to “Lord, what will thou have me to do?”

Saul was no longer an unbeliever because he had met the risen Lord! Seeing the risen Lord was one of the requirements of being classified as an Apostle.

Jesus told Saul, who would soon be called Paul, to rise and go into the city of Damascus.

Now he was going in as a disciple and not as one with murder on his agenda. He was directed to go into the city and the Lord would raise someone up to meet him as he entered who would help him in his transformation from persecutor of the fledgling Church of Christ to faithful disciple and Apostle of the risen Lord.

Paul knew from first-hand experience that everyone who professes Christ must have that inside-out regeneration. We cannot become all we are meant to be as believers if we cling to the trappings of our former life—no matter how laudable they may appear.

If we do not, we become the unfortunate generation ‘prophesied’ by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army who said, “The chief danger of (our time) will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell."

We will become the people of II Timothy 3:5 who, “…have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” May we pray to be revived! May we allow Jesus to make us like Him, so we may be the Church Triumphant!