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Galatians 3: 26-27 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.
There have many who have been redeemed and many more who will be redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
Ephesians 4:4-6
For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, on faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.
Paul's use of "one Lord" is a clear reference to Jesus. He is called "Lord" on more than 20 occasions throughout this letter to the Ephesians.
There is "one faith." Here, Paul is primarily referring to salvation.
Baptism was closely associated with salvation. It identified a person as a follower of Christ, one who accepted Jesus as Lord.
Christians are all saved by the grace of the same God, uniquely defined, and identified in the Old and New Testaments.
Let's talk about Paul's redemption story from the Bible.
He was once known as Saul. Saul was a man against Christians; he was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians to be exact. One day, he was walking to Damascus on his way to find and persecute more Christians, but God had a different plan that day. Christ himself met with Saul, and Saul fell to the ground. Saul asked, 'Who are you?' Jesus said, 'I am Jesus, and whom are you persecuting?' He just told him to get up and follow his instructions. When Saul got up, he was blinded by the light of Jesus. He was blind for three days, and he also didn't eat or drink anything during those three days. Jesus said, 'Go to Damascus and find Ananias. He will restore your sight.' Saul obeyed, and he realized that his life had been changed, and he believed in Jesus. Ananias restored his sight as Jesus said he would and at that moment Saul's name was changed to Paul, he stopped killing Christians, and instead started converting others to follow Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
This passage highlights the concept of believers forming one body through the Holy Spirit and emphasizes the unity of all Christians, regardless of their backgrounds or differences.
I read in a blog about a women who had come to know Christ but prior to that she lived a life of what she thought was freedom and happiness. She searched and searched and lived life but nothing made her happy.
She had a friend that finally told her....you need to come to church. The only one who can help with what you are wanting is God.
She went to church and God changed her life and the life of her husband who she was separated from at the time.
God is here, waiting for you.
I wanted to talk about Paul and share this story above because what an amazing transformation story of redemption and unity that depicts that there is one Father who saves and forgives through salvation. There is nothing you can do that will turn God away from you. I have read and heard of many stories of redemption through Jesus Christ and there will be many, many, many more to come.
Paul dedicated his life, and his missionary efforts and church planting activities were pivotal in the starting of Christianity and in shaping the theological foundations of the Christian faith. Paul's writings played a crucial role in shaping Christian theology, addressing topics such as salvation by grace through faith, the resurrection of Christ, and the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers.