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Jan 03, 2025 06:00am

Saved for a Purpose

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I often look back on crazy situations in my past and wonder how I ever made it out alive.

While many may have believed I was a “pretty good kid,” boy, did I make some really bad choices. I would find myself in the middle of a place and think, “What on earth am I doing here?”

If I’m being honest, I didn’t deserve life. The choices I made could have killed me. And yet, I lived.

The question is, why?

Acts 23:1-10
“Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”
7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.”

Paul has been thrown into the midst of an angry mob who wants him dead. A man orders for him to be hit across the face, and Paul calls him out on it. He says, “You whitewashed the wall”. This was him saying, “You act respectable and devout on the outside, but you are corrupt on the inside!” He was supposed to stand for the law but was breaking it by slapping a Roman citizen.

Paul didn’t know this man was the High Priest.

The ruler over the people, one to whom even he was subjected.

And then Paul suddenly realizes that the crowd comprises Pharisees and Sadducees—two groups that follow the law of God yet have different beliefs regarding the resurrection and angels and spirits.

Paul sees how incredible this moment is. A few of the men speak up and mention something about allowing him to be set free because maybe a spirit or angel had spoken to Paul.

And that’s all it took.

The fight was on.

Not towards Paul anymore, but between the two groups.

The commander pulls Paul out of the midst and returns him to the barracks.

A miracle had occurred. Paul’s life had been spared.

So, the question is, why?

“11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

God had a purpose for Paul. Just as He used him in Jerusalem, He planned to use Paul to testify of Him in Rome.

Paul was protected for a purpose.

Every day that we wake up, breathe in air, open our eyes to see another sunrise, hear the sound of the alarm going off… there’s a purpose. God has given us another day to testify of Him to this lost world.

And the words He shared with Paul that day echo through the generations to us –

“Take courage!”

God is with us.

Friend, you have a purpose. God wants to use you!!! Let me show you. Go to follow.lifeword.org. I want to show you the purpose God has for you.