5. Application

What We Can Learn From Paul

There are a great many things we can learn from the life of Paul, but three are basic and instructive for everyone. His life illustrates truths about self, God and true religion.

a. The Truth About Ourselves

Paul's life illustrates the truth about the human condition. Even though God created us in his own image and likeness, we are in a fallen condition. If you doubt this truth, consider four things. First, pick up any newspaper anywhere in the world. You will find in it stories of crime, war, injustice and corruption. Second, consider how keys are a universal fact of life. If people did not commit the sin of stealing there would be no need for such things. Third, consider the fact that systems of criminal and civil law are necessary in every society. Why are they needed, if not to punish crimes and to provide justice for those who have been victims of injustice? And finally, how many people would like to have the worst things they have ever done or even thought in their hearts made known to all the world? The fact of sin is as obvious as the reality of death, but the doctrine of sin is often denied. The prophet Jeremiah reveals why: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?" (Jeremiah [after the Zabur] 17:9)

The human heart is not only desperately wicked, is exceedingly deceitful. In Paul's example, he was the enemy of God, and yet deceived himself into imagining he was a servant of God. God graciously reveals our sin to us not to condemn us, but in order that we will come to the Savior and receive forgiveness.

Those who resist the Spirit of God and deny their sin prevent themselves from receiving God's gracious provision for the problem. As Isa said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" and "The healthy man has no need of a doctor." For more on the doctrine of sin, see Man's Depravity under the Good News and The Need for Redemption under the Bible Outline.