Paul and his lie...
Holy – The first attribute of holy is....WITHOUT SIN! If God declares a man holy, how holy is this man? I believe as holy as God is holy. That means just like God, this man does not sin. It is as simple as that. If you do not agree you will not agree with this study. It would be best to leave it right now. I believe there is only two levels of holiness 0% and 100%.
Filled with Holy Spirit – If God declares a man full of the Holy Spirit; I believe that man is as Holy as Jesus was in the flesh. I believe the Holy Spirit FILLING that man is the ONLY Spirit in that man, that is why God use the word FULL or FILLED. I also believe that God NEVER takes any of his gifts back. That is why the gift of the FULLNESS of the Holy Spirit will be in that man, ALL THE TIME. It is not like the man is one minute full of the Spirit and the next hour only 10% full of Holy Spirit and 90% some other spirit or spirits , and then 100% full again with Holy Spirit.
If we now read in God’s Word that a person like Paul was FILLED with the Holy Ghost, then I believe he was FILLED with the Holy Ghost, and from that day on EVERY word, and EVERY action that man does will be 100% in the will of God. Why? Because the filling of the Holy Spirit brings that holiness of God to man. It brings GOD to that man, and IN THAT MAN. And that holiness is obedience to God’s will..... 100% because it is GOD’s Spirit in that man. The flesh does what the Spirit wants, if God’s Spirit is in that man. As Paul wrote in Romans 1. Obedience to the faith. Not obedience to the faith and sin.... Let me get this over as good as I can... All flesh that God’s Spirit MOVES, that Holy Spirit knows only to MOVE FLESH in God’s PERFECT WILL. So ALL flesh that is filled with God’s Spirit can only DO HOLY THINGS AND WORDS AND THOUGHTS... God’s Spirit CANNOT SIN. Not in Jesus and not is Paul and not in you, and not in me! And if I am filled with God’s Spirit, my spirit is not in flesh to sin!
And we know Paul was filled with the Holy Ghost when Ananias went to straight street to Paul, three days after Jesus told Paul what to do and where to wait...That was not Paul’s first encounter with the Holy Spirit, but that is another study...
All we have to agree on now is.... Paul was now done with sin! From now on God will MOVE Paul as GOD sees fit. And as I get it from God’s Word, Paul did go around a little (straight after Ananias was with him) so God can show that Saul turned to Paul, but then Paul went into his Apostleship training in Arabia...
However when they saw Paul again, HE WAS SCHOOLED BY GOD in his apostleship... (Gal 1:12) This was a period of three years. Jesus revealed to Paul all he had to know. And like God’s Word says... God revealed His Son JESUS IN PAUL.... WOW this is how holy Paul was... Gal 1:16. And they glorified God in me.... Words of God about Paul... Just how powerful is this? Gor revealing Jesus in Paul, and God being glorified by others in Paul.
Ok! So how can a man that God uses to REVEAL JESUS in, sin? I think he cannot! How can this man still be in a struggle against flesh? How can this Holy Spirit filled man still do things he does not want too? How can this man NOT be perfect? If God’s revelation of HIS OWN Son in a man, and the filling of HIS OWN Spirit in a man do not PERFECT that man, what does? Then NOTHING can...
I believe Paul was holy, from the day he was FILLED with the Holy Spirit. Even Perfect in character already,BUT Jesus was still to teach Him his trade as an Apostle. And this time was used to calm the people down. Remember Saul was a VERY feared man. Remember the three years the disciples spend with Jesus, so Paul also spend three years with Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit at the end of their walk with Christ, and Paul was filled at the start.
Now that we established how Jesus-like Paul was when he returned from Arabia and how God qualified Paul as a worthy Apostle to do what God chose him to do we can look at Paul and what he said to whom when he preached.....
Now we have to agree that there are levels of faith. There are some things some people in faith (young in faith) cannot recieve YET. One of that is that God can make a person perfect! Only the mature would realize that. It is so simple, but yet so DEEP! So Paul spoke to all people on all levels. Just as the Word of God is for ALL levels.
It is for the beginner in faith (milk drinkers) and for the mature in faith (meat eaters). And Paul and Jesus BOTH had the ability through the Holy Spirit to preach to the level they should have.
Paul preached to ALL levels, and not the same things. To one level (the mature) Paul would say... Only Jesus lives in me. Or he would say FOLLOW me... WOW! I thought we are to follow Jesus. But who do we follow if Jesus is IN PAUL? Paul or Jesus? There is a verse that I asked.... God how can you say this... then He said if you ARE LIKE JESUS, why should they NOT BECOME LIKE YOU? Paul said... Be ye followers of me, EVEN as I am of Christ.... Also Paul said And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord.... Iasked God how can this be, then He reminded me of the LIKENESS of God’s Children to HIS SON! 100% ALIKE!
So Jesus never said he was NOT PERFECT, but Paul did. You see Jesus was God with us... EMMANUAL... God with us. Paul was a Godly man with us, and he had to still GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO EMMANUAL! So Paul would lie about his holiness, to give ABUNDANCE to EMMANUAL! If Paul said that he did not attain perfection, he gives ALL he is to the Glory of the ONE that MADE him what he is. IT IS NOT A LIE! Paul said I LIE NOT! But to some levels of faith that do not understand how complete God makes holy people, it will look as a lie.
Rom 3:7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
If there are some things Paul said that can be percieved as a lie, it is statements of this nature... Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
And in Romans 1 He says HE HAS ALREADY RECIEVED THE APOSTLESHIP FROM GOD.
Do you see it looks like CONTRADICTION..., But read the whole of Philiipians 3 and you will see PAUL WAS SEAKING TO THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY SHOULD DO! Paul was telling them what HE would have done if he was in their shoes, So that they may obtain the HIGH CALLING! Born of God! Saintship and the perfecting of the saints... Paul was already one that should DO THIS TO SAINTS... See the Godly compassion for his followers? Do you see the LOVE in placing himself in their situation. Reminds me of the compassion Jesus had for his disciples... Looks like God’s Spirit will ALWAYS be compassionate when teaching!
In the old testament we read of an ANGEL (spirit) that said to God that he would become a lying spirit in the mouths of prophets...1 Kings 22.... and the Lord said go forth and do so...
And as loveme also said...we should also take into account Romans 3:4.
Thank you for the oppertunity to share how I recieved it, and why I believe as I do. I just hope that even ONE person would benifit by something I wrote.
I ask... Lord please let this piece, honor Your Holy Name. May Your glory be shining on us. Thank you Lord that you teach me patience and longsuffering, right here on CC. Lord bless us and let patience have her PERFECT WAY, that we will be made whole and WANTING NOTHING. For your glory and honor AMEN!