High Definition Faith

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death..." Phil.3:10

The key to understanding the writings of the apostle Paul is to understand his perception of the person of Christ.  Paul's relationship with Christ began with his explosive encounter on the road to Damascus.  It was there, on the road to Damascus where the Iesous rent the space-time fabric, and forever transformed the mad heart of Saul the hunter.

The Iesous chose to rescue Saul the hunter of the believing ones and give him a new heart.  Saul was the ideal hit man for the religious group that licensed him to kill long before there was any 007. The Pharisees saw in Saul the desperate and "True Believer" who would go out and kill those who resisted the one true faith.

Saul harassed and killed the believing ones with extreme prejudice.  The perceived opposition of the believing ones was personal with Saul.  Who were they to resist conformity to the one true faith with its ancient traditions?  They were mocking the true faith by believing in the crucified Iesous.

The Iesous was an upstart that deserved crucifixion because of his actions of healing the sick, raising the dead, and teaching the poor.  The Iesous deserved crucifixion because he healed the blind, showed mercy to tax collectors and prostitutes.  Who could put up with such a strange person?  One of his greatest outrages was to consistently heal weak ones on Sabbath days.

The Iesous had a rogue ministry.  He did not get permission from the Pharisees to have such a ministry. He never collected fees for his work, and so the religious officials could not get their cut. The Iesous had overthrown their thing-their syndicate.  Religion was big business and was a way to go about things and Iesous did not show respect to the power structure.

A plan was put in place to remove the Iesous and return to the way things were done before he came on the scene.  A meeting was held and the secret council decided to have the young Iesous killed.  It was nothing personal, just business.

The Pharisees hired one of his disciples.  They wanted this disciple to keep a close eye on the Iesous from the inside, and watch for an opportunity to set him up.  The inside guy was paid thirty pieces of silver from the temple coffers of course.  After all, this was ministry too.  This ministry expense would remain off the books!

The real "Passover Plot" was the betrayal of the Iesous at the hands of a friend.  The Iesous was led to several trials and bogus witnesses could not agree on their testimonies.  It didn't matter because the fix was in.  The outcome of the trails were predetermined.  Iesous was led away to die. Little did the religious and political gangsters of that time know that God was using them to do his will.  God can make the wrath of man praise His Name.

Judas, the fall guy for the Pharisees hanged himself because of remorse. He went to his place. Later, a new guy was found to continue the work of getting rid of the sect of Those of the Way. Saul was the chosen one.  He was to continue what Judas could not finish.

Saul was given the full support of the Pharisees to exterminate Those of the Way.  Corrupt power used the religious zeal of the young Saul.  He was the perfect choice.  He was ambitious, angry, highly intelligent, and intensely religious.  His profile was perfect.  He could abuse and kill without pain of conscience.  It was just business.

God had other plans for Saul.  God had seen his profile too.  God saw potential in the young manic genius.  God saw that Saul could be the perfect representative of the message of Salvation. The Iesous met Saul as he was on his way to destroy another cell of Those of the Way.  The Iesous saved Saul with irresistible power.

God changed the hit man's life.  The Hammer of the Pharisees became the Hammer of God.  God took the Pharisees most dangerous hit man and turned his life around in a powerful manner.  Saul was knocked to the ground by the Light of the World.  Imagine Light knocked him off his horse. The Light of the World overthrew the instrument of the prince of darkness.

We cannot fully appreciate the salvation event of Paul, but it forever changed his perception of himself and Those of the Way. Paul's greatest desire was to know the Iesous in an even deeper manner.  Paul wanted to know deeper and deeper the living Iesous, and the power of his resurrection.

Paul wanted to go ever deeper in his relationship with the Iesous.   He wanted to enter into the unfathomable depths of the sufferings of his Savior.  Here is faith in high definition.  Conformity to the image of Christ meant for Paul co-suffering with him.  Paul was intense and determined.  Paul wanted to be like the Iesous.  This was complete ontological transformation. Paul's Christology was a living Christology.  He would not settle for anything less.

Faith in high definition was Paul's goal. Is God calling you to this type of faith walk?

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