Paul's evangelistic mission was different from the Kingdom Apostles, but in many ways the same. The Kingdom Apostles preached Jesus the Messiah, ready to return to Israel and set up His Messianic Kingdom. From Israel, the Apostles, with Christ on David's Throne, were to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything Christ had commanded them. They would do that because all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Christ. As we all know, that did not happen. It will happen in the future, but it has not yet happened. What has happened is that Christ revealed a Mystery through His Special Apostle Paul.
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Most of us have been taught about the need to appropriate by faith what is already ours through grace. We all desire to have more joy in our Christian life. The keys to experiencing joy are available to all of us. We need to understand the gospel of the grace of God as revealed to the Apostle Paul. Then as we put Paul's instructions into practice, we will come to know God experientially. This will cause us to know Him better which will cause us to want to obey more, and on and on it goes. Then as we learn and obey God and become focused on spiritual things instead of earthly things, we will become thankful for everything that God has provided for us in Christ. Knowledge, obedience, and thankfulness will then lead to abundant joy in our everyday life In the words of the old hymn Trust and obey, For there's no other way, To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
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The age of Grace began in mid-Acts, after the conversion of the Apostle Paul. It is through his letters alone that we learn about the dispensation of Grace, about Israel being set aside, with Jew and Gentile being saved into the Body of Christ. It was Paul who taught 'all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses' (Acts 2121). It was also Paul who proclaimed the forgiveness of sins 'to all who would believe' in Christ, adding that 'ye could not be justified by the law of Moses' (Acts 1338-39). The measuring rod of grace tells us that the age of Grace began with Paul, then continued through those who were saved and subsequently carried on His God-given doctrines of grace.
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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.
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