50 Days of Wisdom

What controlled, dominated, and motivated Paul's life was the love that God showed him in Christ to redeem him from his wretchedness and from eternal damnation, and that love took control of his life because he knew he was to be an instrument to take the message of that love to everyone he could possibly reach. So, when Paul was saved and became reconciled to God, his whole life changed. Look what he says in 2 Corinthians 5:16, "From now on we recognize no one according to the flesh." Do you understand that? What happened in his life? Well, all of a sudden, he didn't view people as external. He didn't view people as physical beings. He didn't just see the outside of it. He wasn't particularly interested in what they looked like. He wasn't particularly interested in their external behaviors. That's not how he viewed people. He says it in verse 16, "From now on"—from the moment of his salvation on—"we recognize no one according to the flesh." Believers no longer judge people only by what they can see and experience of their physical life. We don't view the world the way the world views itself. Paul thus is catapulted into the ministry of reconciliation because he has a personal first-hand experience of the love of God in Christ given to him that brought about the spiritual transformation of his own soul, changed his eternal destiny, and granted him the very righteousness of God in the place of damning human righteousness. That became the passion of his life. It is that love of Christ that controlled him and everybody with him, us. We're all controlled by the reality that we have been made new creations by the love of God in Christ, and it can't be limited to us; anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. We don't see people the same anymore. If you ask Paul, he would say, "In Christ there's neither male, female, bond, free, Jew, nor Gentile." There's no distinction. He saw everyone as an eternal soul. I'm sure you experience this. I do. I see myself looking through the person, whoever they are, whether I know them or don't know them. When I'm exposed to people, it's their soul that captivates my thinking. It's their soul. We no longer see people, purely on the superficial level. We live in a world of lost souls. They're all around us. You might not like their politics, might not like their behavior, might not like their social status, might not like their personality, but you've got to see past it, because for some of those people, Christ died and paid the penalty for their sin in full, and you may be, if available, the instrument that He uses to bring them to the point of the salvation plan for them before the foundation of the world. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. That's the heart and soul of our responsibility as believers, and that was the way Paul viewed his life. Our ministry is to reconcile men to God, to reconcile women to God, and to preach the good news that the relationship of enmity, hostility, hatred, and alienation between God and men can be totally changed. And part of that, of course, is defining the fact that there is alienation between men and God. But the good news is that it's possible for sinners to be reconciled to Almighty God. That's how Paul viewed the world. And that's how every believer has to view the world. Repent and believe! GTY.org (TM11-7) – The Reconciling Gospel

Today's Wisdom

Day: 987

August 1, 2026

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Grace and peace,

My name is Mark Paul from Wauchula, Florida, and like the Apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1:14, "I know that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent." Consequently, my goal is to leave a legacy that will continue to advance the kingdom of God long after I have departed. In other words, bear fruit for eternity. And by simply reading and sharing my free eBooks, you too become contributors to the advancement of His kingdom. Thank you for partaking in this endeavor, and I look forward to greeting you on heaven's shore.

The Truth in Love,

Mark Paul - Servant of God

Now grant, O Lord, that when the souls who read these books cast their eyes upon these lines, their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, hear with their ears, and be converted so that You may heal them. Amen!