God Qualifies The Unqualified

According to John 15:16, God chose and appointed us to bear fruit that lasts. The most important qualification to preach the Gospel is not one's educational or personal background, but rather being forgiven in Christ Jesus. Sin consciousness can hold us back from fulfilling God's calling on our lives. We must bring every thought into obedience to Christ, and let the Word gain superiority in our lives instead of our minds (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). As believers, we live in the earth but operate by heavenly rules. Jesus chose us to demonstrate Himself to the world through us, just as He sent Paul to open people's eyes and turn them from darkness to light (Acts 26:17-18).

Jesus promised to work through Paul to open our eyes from darkness to light, allowing us to receive forgiveness of sins and be sanctified by faith in Him. As the New Testament teaches, we are already justified by faith in Jesus. Nothing should hinder us from preaching the Gospel, not even sin. Reading Paul's letters will provide a deeper understanding of righteousness. Our qualification for the work of God comes from Christ's nature imparted into our spirits, not from our own works.

In Hebrews 10:16-23, Paul speaks of the covenant God makes with us through Jesus' sacrifice, allowing us to enter the Most Holy Place and approach God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith. Regardless of our background, we are qualified for the work of God if we are found in Christ.

Peter and Paul were unlikely candidates for leadership in the early church due to their vastly different backgrounds, but God often chooses the most unlikely candidates for His work. However, it is important not to create divisions among Christians based on individual preferences, as Paul emphasized in his letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:10-13).

1 Corinthians 3:3-7 teaches that we should not make too little or too much of ministers of the gospel. Jesus commands every believer to preach the gospel to all creatures (Mark 16:15). Despite prejudice against Galilean Jews, Jesus and his disciples were from Galilee, fulfilling prophecy that the Messiah would come from there (John 7:52). Some Jews still await the Messiah due to ignorance of this truth. Peter, an uneducated fisherman, was considered an unlikely candidate for church leadership, but was appointed as an apostle by Jesus, to the amazement of the religious elite (Acts 4:13).

Peter acknowledged his sinfulness and humbly asked the Lord to depart from him, recognizing the holiness of God (Luke 5:8). This attitude is a prerequisite for salvation, as the Lord esteems those who are humble, contrite in spirit, and tremble at His word. Peter can be likened to a valley lifted up and a rough way made smooth (Luke 3:5). Similarly, Paul, previously known as Saul, was a persecutor of the church, but encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was transformed (Acts 8:1-3). He reflects on his calling, recognizing that he was shown mercy despite being the worst of sinners, and acknowledges his previous life as a Pharisee (Acts 22; 23; 26; 1Tim 1:15, 16).

Jesus often criticized the religious elite, as seen in Luke 18:9-14 and Matthew 23. John the Baptist also rebuked them in Matthew 3:7. Despite this, Paul, an unlikely candidate, became an apostle whose letters dominate the New Testament. Even Peter exhorts Paul for writing with God-given wisdom, although some of his words are difficult to understand and are distorted by ignorant people.

Paul had a remarkable encounter with the Lord in the third heaven, but some of the words he heard were unspeakable and difficult for humans to comprehend (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The Holy Spirit brings revelations and understanding of the scriptures. Do not see yourself as unqualified for the work of God, but press forward towards the high calling of Christ (Philippians 3:13-14).