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"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
(Acts 20:24)
Paul clarifies his call and repeats it—he was called by God "to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." Luke uses the word diamarturomai, which means to testify earnestly. He was to testify to the Gospel (euaggelion), the good news of Jesus' life, death, burial, and resurrection. And he was to testify to the gospel of grace. I love that. This is our story, and it is an amazing one—it is the story of God, in his love and grace, reaching down to fallen man to rescue us, save us from sin and hell, and give us forgiveness and peace through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Perhaps you need clarification about your purpose in life. I can speak definitively and tell you what God's will is for your life. If you do not know Him, His will is for you to respond to His offer of grace and be saved by doing what Paul said in Acts 20:21: repent, turn to God, have faith, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you know the Lord, then you are to testify for Him and tell others what God has done for you and how He can do the same for them. For others like me, God has called us to proclaim the Gospel publicly. It is an awesome thing to be called by God to be a minister of the Gospel, and if He calls you, then do it.
Let me share with you a story about a man named Moses who lived in India. Moses practiced the predominant faith of his homeland, Hinduism. When he was 17 years old, Moses had debilitating arthritis. He called upon many of the gods and goddesses of Hinduism to no avail. One day, a stranger came to him and gave him a Gospel tract. He started attending church and reading about the One True God, and he placed His faith in Jesus Christ. 15 days later, God healed him of his arthritis. Moses became a successful businessman, but God had more in store for him. Moses said, "The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, asking, 'Has Jesus healed you just to become a wealthy man?'" He said yes to God's call on his life and left his comfortable lifestyle. Along with his wife and children, they moved to northern India to plant their lives among the impoverished people there and share Christ with them. There was severe persecution of Christians throughout India, and Moses knew the dangers of serving Christ. But listen to what he said with tears in his eyes: "My real fear is if these people do not hear the name of Jesus, they will go to hell. Then I have to answer for them before God." God blessed his ministry and he led many Hindus to faith in Christ. Moses stated, "You have to be bold in your faith. On the very first day, you have to start sharing the Gospel. You have to start sharing with people about what Jesus has done for you on the cross." He also said, "The persecution does not matter. Time is short. I must go, pray, and preach the Gospel." (Martha Richards, "Indian Christian Shares Gospel Despite Dangers," Arkansas Baptist News, November 5, 2009, p. 12.)
Paul clearly understood the call God put on his life to proclaim Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. He knew there would be opposition, and he expected it, but this did not deter him in the least. He was determined to share Christ, as this was the clear, overriding passion of his life. And he clarified what that calling was: he was "to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."
Paul completed his task; he finished the race with joy. I encourage you to start the race today; believe and repent. If you know Christ, then get busy serving Him by telling as many people as you can about Him.
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