Paul’s ways in Christ - Chambers, Oswald

For this cause have i sent unto you timothy, . . . Who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. 1 Corinthians 4:17 (RV)

You say how can i follow Paul? I was not trained at the feet of gamaliel like he was; nor have i any of his great gifts. Watch pauls argument in this very chapterfor who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? (1 Corinthians 4:7). The following has nothing to do with natural gifts, or natural ability, or natural any- thing; Paul says, follow my ways which be in Christ.

1. The way of conversion

And he said, who art thou, lord? (acts 9:5)

When god touches a life by bereavement, or by sickness or disaster, it is always a supernatural touch. What did you do in that moment when the true attitude of your life was revealed in a flash? Did you say with saul of tarsus, who art thou, lord? It was not the supernatural light from heaven that made Paul tremble, but the voice that spoke to him, the voice of the despised nazarene: i am Jesus whom thou persecutest. . . . And he trembling and astonished said, lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Paul was turned in one second from a strong-willed intense pharisee into a humble devoted slave of the lord Jesus. There was no mention of sin, that came later: it was a complete surrender to the lordship of Jesus.

2. The way of consecration

For i will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake. (acts 9:16)

There has been an absolute swing round in sauls life, he has enthroned Jesus as lord, and now ananias comes and calls him brother saul, and mentions again the lord, even Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the holy ghost. When Paul received his sight, he received a spiritual insight into the person of Jesus Christ. Martin luther said that Paul was intoxicated with Jesus Christ; he was never out of his waking or his sleeping moments, and all through his epistles is stamped this certainty of his knowledge of Jesus as lord. That is the marvellous thing about the baptism of the holy ghost, every other spell is gone since mine eyes have looked on jesus  i have lost sight of all beside. The baptism of the holy ghost makes us witnesses to Jesus, not witnesses to what he can do, that is an elementary witness, but witnesses unto me. The spirit that comes in is not that of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to him. For i will shew him how great things he must suffer for my names sake. Paul gloried in his suffering, and when he sums it all up he calls it our light affliction! It is the triumphant phrase of a super-conqueror. You cant imagine Paul saying i have had such a tussle with the devil but i have got the victory; it was the victor who had got Paul, he was absolutely Jesus Christs.

3. The way of conference

but when it pleased god . . . To reveal his son in me, . . . Immediately i conferred not with flesh and blood. (Galatians 1:1516)

When paul realised the divine call he did not confer with flesh and blood, his own or any one elses; imagine him in the desert alone with god, while the holy ghost worked in him those revelations which found expression afterwards in his epistles, and you have a picture of his way of conference. When god speaks to you what do you do? Go to the nearest saint and ask him about it? That is wrong. If god has spoken, con- fer with him alone, rely on the holy spirit, and he

Will soon clinch the matter. My sheep hear my voice, said jesus. Many go astray because they will not take pauls way of conference. Born-again souls should be thrust out to testify, not into work; they need to soak before god until they become rooted and grounded in the revelation of god, and have learned how to submit their will and intelligence to jesus christ.

4. The way of confidence

though i might also have confidence in the flesh. (philippians 3:4)

If any man has reason to boast in the flesh, paul says he is that manan hebrew of the hebrews; as touching the law, a pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless; but, he says, we are those who rejoice in christ jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Paul continually counsels, dont glory in men. The best of men are but the best of men. Never trust the best man or woman you ever met, trust only the lord jesus. If when you are sanctified you turn for one second to the natural life, the sentence of death is there. Never take your guidance from the natural life, but learn to sacrifice the natural to the will of god.

5. The way of the cross

but none of these things move me, neither count i my life dear unto myself. . . . (acts 20:24)

Did that sound like the modern advicenow do be careful, dont work so hard, you must look after your- self. Paul says there is only one dear element about his life, and that is that it can be used for jesus christ to be glorified in. I keep under my body, he says; it does not dictate to me. Paul had received a ministry from the lord jesus, and in comparison of accom- plishing that, he held nothing else of any account. He shall testify of me before kings, and Paul did so in the most fearless manner. Paul is so bound up with what he preaches that you cannot separate his preaching from his testimony. His epistles are a testimony that he is determined to know nothing among men save jesus christ, and him crucified. He welcomed heartbreaks, tribulation, suffering, for one reason only, that these things kept him in unmoved devotion to the gospel of the grace of god.

God grant that being put in remembrance of pauls ways in Christ, we may learn to follow those ways, to his glory.