The Acts of the Apostles : Chapter 8 : Ginosko
There is an interesting comparison between 2 persons in Acts 8.
One person is Saul, who consented to the death of Stephen the disciple.
He was the great persecutor of the early Church.
A powerful man to be feared and revered based on his religious standing.
3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Acts 8:3
The other person is Simon. A sorcerer who witnessed the miracles and the baptism of the Holy Spirit done by the disciples.
He became a believer.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:12-13
Yet his heart was not right before God for he thought that the Holy Spirit can be bought with money
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” 24 Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.” Acts 8:22-24
History showed us that Saul would go on to have his own encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and his subsequent conversion, whereas we do not know what happened to Simon after that encounter.
One a murderer and persecutor, whereas the other a deceiver who became a believer.
Yet they each ended on a different path that lead to a different destiny.
Saul had a personal encounter whereas Simon only witnessed encounters
It is only through an encounter that the Lord reveals what is within us.
Both of them have to deal with what is within themselves.
Simon thought that bitterness and iniquities were the results of what came from outside
Yet the Word is clear that defilement is from within.
It is the same for all of us. We all fall short of the glory of God.
It is according to His grace that He offers redemption and a new found life.
It is not about what you have done in the past or how you have measured up.
If we look at the life of Saul from our own human eyes and understanding, there is no reason why he should even be considered by God to spread the very message that he fiercely hated.
Imagine an evil person in the world today (or in history). Then one day that person professes to be a born again believer, full of the Holy Spirit, on fire and doing signs and wonders.
Can your human understanding accept it if that happens?
God never explained why Saul was chosen.
He doesn’t need to
His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
It is ok if you find that there are some things you cannot explain or understand.
We are so obsessed with trying to find every answer to every question in this digital social age.
Everybody seems to have a point of view
Derek Prince said this and it has served as a good reminder.
God would not be God if everything can be answered and understood by His creation.
Not everybody has the mental capacity or rigor to be a defender of truth.
If you are faced with some question, ask yourself this.
Does it affect my walk or belief in Him (positively/negatively)
Is it to satisfy an intellectual curiosity?
Is it to be puffed up by knowledge?
is it to reach out to a soul?
Don’t let one piece of information be a stumbling block.
Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees.
The Lord is way bigger and more glorious than who we imagine and think Him to be.
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:10-14
Philippians was penned while Paul was in prison, probably at Rome or Ephesus, around 62 CE.
There are some differing school of thoughts in terms of the chronological orders of the letters of Paul.
But one thing is certain.
Philippians was written after Paul has experienced and seen so much signs, wonders, miracles and moves of the Holy Spirit across his own life and the cities he went.
The great apostle Paul would be the best person to declare and become the authoritative voice yet he uses these humbling words “That i may know….”
Even after seeing all these great things happening, Paul’s aim is an ongoing pursuit to know Him.
He didn’t say I have known Him, I knew or I know for a fact and certainty.
He said “that i may know Him…that i may attain”"
His entire life after his encounter is to press on and forget the things which are behind/has happened, even after becoming a believer.
Because there is a prize to be found.
A hope for the calling.
I’ll use this story illustration that i heard in a Derek Prince sermon.
You fell into a river that swept you away in its strong currents.
You tried desperately to cling on to something but to no avail.
The undercurrent of the river is too strong
You cry and scream for someone to save you. Yet no one is around.
After a while, lo and behold, there is a stranger who came along the riverside.
He reached out and pulled you out. He saved you from certain death
You are thankful and grateful to the person as he wraps his arms around you and put a towel to warm you up.
“Come to my house, rest and have a warm drink to get your energy back” He offered.
“Here, change your clothes”
You rested in his house and near the fireplace as you changed into a new fresh set of clothes.
There is such warmth and peace.
Then he proceeded to invite you to sit down and have a cup of coffee.
“Stay and talk with me”
You spent some time and it seems like both of you are long lost friends. You could get along with him so easily.
As night falls, he offered you a room for the night.
But you remembered you needed to head off somewhere.
So you told him that you will be back the next day. He smiled and simply told you
“I’ll be here waiting for you”
You left and the next day, you had many things to do as your day filled up
You made a mental note that you’ll remember to go back to the house of the friend who has saved you.
The next day became the next and the next.
You gave yourself the excuse
“I’m sure he will understand. His life still goes on without me. I can go on without his”
As days go by, you struggled to remember his name. How he looked like. Who he is.
And in time to come, the memory of that friend who saved you by the river is slowly forgotten. It simply became another event in your memory, faded and forgotten.
As Christians, we can be saved by Him but never get to know Him in a personal manner.
So many people in the world today wants to be saved from their troubles.
But how many would want to remain and know their Savior after?
Paul understood the magnitude of His grace in light of man’s utter hopelessness, the purpose of this present life and that glorious reality to come.
He lived every day and moment to move ever so closer to that goal
Ginosko in Greek is “to know” - a call to intimacy, personally, intimately, and experientially know something/someone.
For Paul, to have the opportunity to experience and know Him demands and deserves his all.