Dec 11 - Acts 26:17-18

The Lord said to Paul,

I am sending you to open their eyes

so that they may turn from darkness to light

and from the power of Satan to God,

so that they may receive forgiveness of sins

and a place among those who are

sanctified by faith in me.

Acts 26:17-18

When Jesus knocked down Paul along that Damascus road, he told Paul that he had a five-fold purpose in mind for Paul's ministry ...

• To open the eyes of the spiritually blind. Paul explained this calling as wanting to "make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things" (Eph 3:9).
  
• To turn people from the power of Satan to God. Paul was indeed the master who warned us that "our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore," he advised us to "take up the whole armor of God" (Eph 6:12-13).
  
• To help the broken understand that their sins are forgiven. Paul tells us, "Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (By grace you have been saved!)" (Eph 2:1-5). 
  
• To introduce those who don't know the God of Israel and the Savior of the Nations into the family of faith. Paul said, "Remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ ... creat[ing] in himself one new humanity in place of the two ... and ... reconcil[ing] both groups to God in one body through the cross" (Eph 2:12-17)
  
• To transfer hurting people from darkness and bondage and sin into his kingdom of freedom, hope, and light. Paul puts it this way, "Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Rom 2:19). But this is call of all disciples, and I like even more how Peter encourages people to realize that they are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9).

That's the call for all disciples ... all five of these. Pick on to work on in your own life this week. After all, that's why Christ called you too!

In Christ's Love,

a guy who will work to

open, turn, help, introduce

and transfer