In Galatians 1:11-16 we also see the religious background of the revelation of Christ in Paul’s experience. In Galatians 1:13 and 14 Paul says that he persecuted the church of God and profited in Judaism, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers. In these verses Paul seems to be saying, “You know of my conduct. I was exceedingly zealous in the religion of my fathers, surpassing many of my equals. As far as religion was concerned, I was on top. I even persecuted the church, doing my best to lay it waste and to oppose God’s economy. But one day, the very God who separated me from my mother’s womb was pleased to reveal His Son in me.” All we need is this revelation, this vision.
I am concerned for many of you because our situation today is exactly the same as that in the ancient times. We all have been influenced by the background of Christianity. I am fearful that as you do a work among the young people, you may carry it out in a religious way. When you preach, you may preach the traditional gospel of Christianity. In these days we all must see something. We should no longer bring old traditional Christianity into our gospel preaching. Rather, we must cast away the old things and say, “Lord, show me something by appearing to me. Lord, You appeared to Paul and he saw something, and You told him that You would show him more through Your appearing to him. Lord, appear to me that in Your appearing I may see something and then tell people of what I have seen.” It is not adequate simply to read this message. You must pray to the Lord. I can assure you that if you go to Him, He will be open. He is in the heavens, but to Him heaven is the same as earth, for He is everywhere. While Saul of Tarsus was going his way, the Lord Jesus, who was in the heavens, appeared to him. Today, the Lord is open to us all. Simply come to Him, saying, “Lord, I have never heard such a gospel before. Lord, open my eyes and turn me from all other things to Yourself.” I assure you that if you pray this way, He will appear to you immediately. In His appearing you will see something. This appearing will make you a witness. Then, as you contact other young people, you will not merely be a preacher, but a witness.
You will be a witness telling people of what you have seen in the presence of the living Lord. It pleased God to reveal His Son to us that we might preach Him. Our preaching must be the issue of what we have seen. We do not preach doctrine; we minister and witness of what we have seen in His appearing.
In Ephesians 3:8 Paul said, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach as the gospel among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Gk.). Probably we all hold the concept that the apostle Paul was a specially selected one. But here he says that he was less than the least of all saints. If one who is less than the least can have such a vision, then certainly all of us can have the same thing. Do not say, “I am not an apostle, especially not the apostle Paul. Thus, I could never see as much as he did.” Paul said that he was less than all of us. The reason Paul said this was that he opposed God’s economy. In Paul’s understanding, the one who opposed the most was the smallest and the least. Since he was the most opposing, he became even less than the least. Peter, John, Andrew, and Matthew were with the Lord Jesus, but Paul was far away. No one else opposed Christ and the church as much as Paul did. Therefore, this one who was the farthest away and the most opposing became the least and smallest one. In Ephesians 3 Paul seemed to be saying, “Dear brothers in Ephesus, don’t you realize that I was once far, far away? None of you was as far away from Christ as I was. Because I was the farthest away, I am less than the least of all the saints.”
Anyone who is closer to Christ than Paul was is greater than he. Since we are all close to Christ, we are more than qualified to receive the vision and get the revelation. If the one farthest away from Christ could receive the revelation of Jesus Christ, then why could we not receive it also? We should be encouraged by this. Do not be disappointed. I am familiar with the subtlety of the enemy. When I was young, I excused myself saying that the verses in Ephesians 3 were wonderful, but they were only for the apostle Paul, not for me. Since I did not care for these verses, I missed the grace. But one day I woke up and saw Ephesians 3:8 and I believed it. I jumped up, shouting, “Hallelujah! I am bigger than Paul. Unto one less than I grace was given. If he could receive this grace, then why can’t I? I’m more qualified than he was.” I can testify that since that day the vision has always been with me. If we would see this, we would all be like the apostle Paul. I am not saying that you should presume to claim your apostleship. No, what I mean is that as far as qualification goes, we all are greater than Paul. Thus, we must pray, “Lord, whether I understand it or not, Ephesians 3:8 says that Paul was less than I am. If grace was given to him, then, Lord, You must also give this grace to me. Standing on Ephesians 3:8, I claim the grace.”
We need this grace in order to see and enjoy all the riches of Christ. We must go to the Lord, the source of the heavenly vision, and see something. There is no other way except to pray. If you pray, you will be different and the Lord will have a way. Many eyes will be opened and many young people will turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan unto God and will enjoy forgiveness, sanctification, and the common portion among all the saints in the proper church life. Ephesians 3 indicates that the riches of Christ are for the producing of the church. Therefore, in this portion of the Word we have Christ with all His riches and the church as God’s instrument to shame His enemies, the principalities and powers, and through which God will make known the manifold wisdom of His economy. Pray-read all the verses mentioned in this message in a serious, weighty way. Say, “Lord, I mean business with You. You have given grace to one who is less than I, and now You must give grace to me. Lord, I mean it. Lord, cause us all to experience the riches of the unlimited Christ and to have the church life which comes out of this enjoyment.” If you pray like this, something will happen. The Lord is real, living, present, practical, and available. If you mean business with Him, He will mean business with you. I know what I am talking about.
Do not follow the trend of today’s Christianity. Rather, forget about it. We have a new, heavenly trend. In Revelation we have the seven local churches. If you will pray-read all these verses and live in them and witness according to them, the issue will be the local churches. In the local churches we have the practical church life. The enemy, Satan, hates the Spirit because the Spirit is the reality of Christ. Today, Christ is realized as the Spirit, but some are fighting against this, saying that it is heresy to teach that Christ is the Spirit. Moreover, Satan also hates the local church and causes some to rise up against it. Most Christians only care for the universal church. But to have only the universal church is to have a vanity fair. While most Christians care for the universal church, they insist on perpetuating the denominations and free groups. Due to this, there is no local church. Instead, there is the vanity fair of the so-called universal church and all the denominations and groups. Where is the church? It can only exist when the saints realize that all Christians in a particular locality must be one. This is the local church.
Are you young people burning today? If you are, then I challenge you to pray with all these verses. If you pray, something will come out, and you will see the vision of the full gospel and become a witness of what you see of the Lord to today’s young generation. You all must fellowship about this message and pray about it both individually and corporately until you are transfused by the Lord with such a heavenly vision and are burdened for the Lord’s move among today’s young generation to bring a number of them into the Lord’s testimony.