{"id":4943,"date":"2014-01-09T08:27:53","date_gmt":"2014-01-09T08:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=4943"},"modified":"2015-02-16T10:48:16","modified_gmt":"2015-02-16T10:48:16","slug":"the-works-of-the-apostle-paul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/the-works-of-the-apostle-paul\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cworks\u201d of the Apostle Paul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Col 1 :29 ‘It is he (Jesus ) whom we proclaim, warning and teaching everyone in all wisdom , so that we might present everyone mature in Christ.’<\/i><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many of us would be quick to say an ‘amen’ to this as it reflects Jesus own words in the great commission\u00a0 \u201cteaching them to obey everything I have commanded you\u201d. However, I, for one, am interested in the process and context by which this training\/ making apprentices of Jesus occurs. What is the attitude that leads to the making of little Jesus’s like me and you. Paul helps our understanding\u00a0 in the next verse:-<\/p>\n

For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires in me<\/i><\/p>\n

Paul toiled<\/span> \u2013 this would seen to mean that this is hard work and requires sustained exertion to achieve the high calling that is presented to Paul and all who follow Jesus.<\/p>\n

Paul struggled<\/span> against that which would hinder him from his mission. What would hinder him? Most likely the lethargy and perhaps laziness that can have a grip on us. But against this we have the energising power of the Holy Spirit of God to aid us.<\/p>\n

If this sounds a bit like hard work then I think we might ask\u00a0 a question regarding grace. Isn\u2019t all this discipleship stuff\u00a0 supposed to be a gift (grace). Dallas Willard helps us once more\u00a0 :-<\/p>\n

Grace is opposed to earning, but it is not opposed to effort<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/div>