WHY PAUL WAS PRETTY CONFIDENT ABOUT LIFE AFTER DEATH.

Paul was a different man after the Divine encounter. He is a man to be admired by any purposeful Christian. He talks strongly of his new found life and faith. Much of his Apostolic work is recorded in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

How Paul writes his letters makes you envisage his love for God and for the ministry, and for God's people. For all the passion with which he hated and persecuted the church, most evidenced in the cheering of the stoning to death of Stephen (Acts 7:54-60) prior to the Divine encounter, God turned it into the passion to love and serve the LORD. When he attempted to grumble before the LORD for his sufferings, the LORD told him; "....my grace is sufficient for you" (2Corinthians 12:9).

Paul was known as Saul. He only assumed the name Paul after he was visited by the LORD (Acts 9). The name Paul means the least. Paul was taken to be the least of all the Apostles (having not been one of the twelve, and having been formerly a persecutor turned into an Apostle of the LORD). He testifies of being the least of all the Apostles (1Corinthians 15:9).

Paul had falsely thought that by persecuting the church, he was doing a service to God. Jesus had forewarned His disciples about this very fact (John 16:2). But upon the Divine encounter, Paul became the total opposite of what he was. For the Divine encounter transformed him into a committed, devoted, and accomplished man of God.

There are a number of reasons why Paul must have spoken so confidently about his life after death among which are the following;

• Encounter with Jesus Christ

• Living a transformed life

• Witnessing for Christ

Encounter with Jesus Christ:

Paul's Divine encounter on the way to Damascus gave him faith in all God's promises (Philippians 1:21-22). Thus, this great man of the Faith speaks so confidently of his reward for his labors after this earthly life (2Timothy 4:7-8). Paul says this and exhibits unprecedented confidence and unequaled faith because he had a Divine encounter with Jesus. This encounter gave him assurance that he could not have gone wrong. He was rightly focused.

Jesus gives us unprecedented and concrete promises and assurances of hope of life after death like no other (John 6:47), (John 5:24), (John 3:36), (John 11:25), (John 3:16), (John 14:1-10).

Jesus did not only give us assurance of life after death, but He became the first man to have died and rose again from the dead Jesus prophesied His death and resurrection. This was indisputably witnessed (Mark 16:9), (Luke 24).

On account of the above, Paul was pretty sure that having given himself and submitted to the Lordship of Christ, he could have never gone wrong. Equally so, every Christian will if they are steadfast in their faith. Have you given your life to Christ?

Living a transformed life:

When Paul was converted to Christ, he never looked back. For he was totally transformed from formerly a known persecutor of the church to a passionate preacher of the gospel. His personal life too had been transformed. For the sake of Christ, he gave up his status as a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin, an expert in the law and the zeal to keep it (Philippians 3:3-8). 

Paul denied himself the freedom of the pleasures of this world (1Corinthians 9:27). Paul was pretty happy with having chains on his hands for the sake of Christ (Ephesians 4:1).

Paul and Silas broke into praise when they were put in a cell for the sake of the gospel (Acts 16:16-40). With such evidence of a purely transformed life, Paul was pretty sure that there was surely a reward for him after this earthly life.

Witnessing for Christ: 

Paul surely witnessed for Christ, for he preached the gospel with passion. For the sake of the gospel, Paul denied himself all the freedom he could have had (1Corinthians 9:19-22). His passion for the gospel is further evidenced in everything he did. For him, it is a pity if one neglects the gospel (1Corinthians 9:16), (Romans 1:16). Paul was right fulfilling the word of God as is said and written (Revelation 12:11).

Paul kept on making sure he testifies for the LORD, whether he had an opportunity or not, he would speak out no matter what. For the sake of the gospel, Paul feared nobody. Paul fearlessly and fiercely witnessed for Christ before the king Agrippa (Acts 26). Paul and the gospel were always identified with each other. He had a strong intuition for the gospel.

In conclusive terms, though it is surely undeniable that the fear of death is with everyone. And because He was dressed in human flesh, Jesus had equally feared it (Matthew 26:39). But if we live our lives after the pattern that Paul did live it, we surely stand to reduce this fear by very significant degrees.

For our hope is in the reappearance of our LORD, not in this perishable world. Endeavor to avoid being like the rich fool (Luke 12:13-21). There is only one earthly life to live, do not mess it up. How terrible it is to fall in the hands of the Almighty God (Hebrews 10:31). But if you have fully given your life to Jesus Christ, and does exhibit the yearn to be justified by God, then rest assured that you have a life after this earthly life.