The Apostle Paul was not taught his gospel by Peter or John or any other man…but the Lord Himself taught Paul by the revelation of the Spirit. Three statements among so many stand out to me that Paul had a huge picture of the love of God shown him that we scarcely understand. Among all the easy to find commands to obey in Paul’s writing are these three overarching statements which I believe under-gird Paul’s faith.
- Act 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist,
- Rom 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
- Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
I can hardly contain my joy when meditating upon these verses of anointed thought….God’s thoughts imparted to a man.
Take the first of the three – “for in Him we live and move and exist”!!
Can we get our head around such an enormous truth? Probably not. Many of us read the Bible only looking for things to obey in order to please God. We do not even see such gigantic thoughts like this recorded in Acts 17:28 by Luke. For Paul to come out with that statement in his preaching at Athens shows that it was a theme he had meditated upon himself and had accepted as the truth of God. Here is that thought…
In God we live! In God we move! In God we exist!
Weymouth’s version has : Act For it is in closest union with Him that we live and move and have our being;
Think about it….EVERYTHING you do…everything you are…everything you think is ALL happening inside God….whether you are a believer or not! You exist and have your being in God–THE FATHER!
That means that EVERYONE IS IN GOD.
Yet that does not mean that everyone is “saved” for being saved is defined by Jesus Christ as KNOWING THE FATHER AND JESUS CHRIST WHO YOU SENT.(John 17:3)
The Second statement – “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things”
The Amplified has: Rom 11:36 For from Him [all things originate] and through Him [all things live and exist] and to Him are all things [directed].
From God > through God > to God!!
You and EVERYONE YOU KNOW is from God > God is their origin–creator—source of all things. Secondly EVERYONE you know is through God….in other words they EXIST in God ONLY….no matter how much they protest it…..and thirdly EVERYONE YOU KNOW is on the WAY TO GOD!! It is inevitable that all things which came out from God and live in God shall find their way back to God.
It may appear like someone is walking away from God—in sin and darkness….BUT!! That path is IN GOD….cannot be any other way….and eventually that sinner shall come full circle and find God.
The Third statement – God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all
New American standard has: Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all
There is not any partiality with God the Father….for He is FATHER of all. He is the Father over all His creation. That means he is constantly looking out for everything He has made. He is over all as a loving heavenly Father….not over you like a tyrant..with you under in fearfulness.
God is though all – God pervades us all….He fills us all full with Himself….even though we do not know it or believe it. And God is in all. This is why Jesus said if you show kindness to one of these little ones you show kindness to Him. God in all–is very real…Humanity is the very expression and manifestation of spirit reality. God dwelling in human flesh….revealed to all.
I am not saying all are saved without belief in The Way–Jesus Christ.
But all are in Him and exist in Him and live in Him…..and He is over all, through all and in all…as well as all being from Him, in Him and going to Him.
But there remains the need for each one to be awakened to their need of the Saviour of all–Jesus the Man—the only mediator between God and mankind.
I believe Paul saw this overarching purpose and reality in God. God shall save all for He is over all to watch out for all. God shall save all for all are living in Him and He is in them. God shall bring all to the place of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
