Scripture Reading: Acts 26:24-32
Become Such As I Am
Intro.
1. Paul had held himself out as an example, 1 Cor. 11:1.
2. He was now imprisoned, waiting to go before Caesar (Acts 25:11).
3. When he gave his defense before King Herod Agrippa II (Acts 26) he preached the gospel that saves lost men (26:19-23).
4. Paul wanted them to be as he was (except bonds), Acts 26:28-29.
5. What was there about Paul that commended his condition to others? Are you as Paul was?
I. PAUL WAS FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF SIN.
A. A Full House before Agrippa and Company (Acts 25:23).
1. Incestuous relation with sister Bernice (outrageous even by heathen standards); Festus, dignitaries, and soldiers.
2. All in the auditorium were in sin’s bondage, John 8:34.
a. Overcome by it, 2 Pet. 2:19.
b. Yielding to it, Rom. 6:16.
3. Freedom from it is possible, John 8:36; Rom. 6:17-18.
B. Paul Was Free from Sin Although Imprisoned by Man.
1. He had experienced sin’s bondage, 1 Tim. 1:12-16.
2. What shall I do? Acts 9:6; 22:16
II. PAUL WAS FREE FROM THE ERRORS OF THE PAST.
A. Paul’s Past was Full of Sinful Errors, Acts 26:9-11. (Forgiven)
1. Murderous persecutor of church.
2. All sin is futile and self-defeating, Acts 26:14.
3. Paul could not change the past, but he repented and became a “new creature” in Christ, 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 6:3-4.
4. Those he sinned against forgave him, too.
B. How Are You Dealing With Your Past Sins and Errors?
1. Like Paul, repent and become Christian (new creature).
2. Move beyond, faithfully pressing forward, Phil. 3:13-14.
III. PAUL WAS FREE FROM CEREMONIALISM, Gal. 4:8-12.
A. Religious Ceremonies Were Never an End in Themselves, Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21-24; (Isa. 1:10-20); Ps. 51:16-17.
B. People Offer Many Self-Made Religious Ceremonies to God (Christmas, Lent, Easter, etc.)
1. Religious ceremony at the expense of truth and holiness is abominable to God (Lev. 10:1-2; John 4:23-24)
2. Two basic lessons to remember:
a. Don’t add manmade rituals to God’s will (removes truth).
b. Don’t “ritualized” what God has commanded (removes heart).
IV. PAUL WAS FREE FROM PUTTING CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH.
A. This had Not Always Been So, Phil. 3:4-7.
-Now, he gladly gloried in the cross of Christ, Gal. 6:14.
B. Some Only Half-Heartedly Refrain from the World and Fail to Glory in the Cross, Rom. 12:1-2.
1. Israel longed for flesh pots instead of rejoicing in their freedom, Exod. 16:3.
2. Some still put their hands to the plow and look back, Luke 9:62.
3. Stern warning and prohibition, 1 John 2:15-17.
V. PAUL WAS FREE FROM INDECISION.
A. Paul Remained Steadfast, Phil. 3:14; 2 Tim. 4:7.
1. cf. Graph of your life: Up, down, or sideways?
2. Be careful. We can be carried away with error, 2 Pet. 3:17-18.
3. Things that Paul would not allow to hinder him (Rom. 8:18):
a. Unlawful arrest and beatings, Acts 16:22-25 (Acts 21-28).
b. Lies about and against him, 1 Cor. 4:12-13.
c. Physical disability, Gal. 4:15; 2 Cor. 12:9-10.
4. Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding, 1 Cor. 15:58.
Conclusion
1. Paul was not a perfect man, but he was a forgiven man.
2. His Christian life set a standard of excellence for us to imitate; To become such as he was.
By: Joe R. Price
Posted November 19, 2021