Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Paul stands as an example to us that God’s grace and love extend beyond our sinful past.
Bible Verse
1 Timothy 1:12-14 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.
Grace
We all have the opportunity to experience God’s grace. Sometimes we think that what we have done is so bad that God could never forgive us much less extend us His grace. And yet, God in His infinite love, extended grace to Paul and put him into His service. Paul had a violent past. He was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor toward the early church. He did everything in his earthly power to stop the Christian movement. He had people arrested, beaten, and even executed for their faith. And yet, God by His mercy, extended grace to Paul. Not only did God forgive Paul for his sinful past, but He put him into the service of the gospel. God used Paul, not because of his past, but in spite of it. The place from which Paul came made him the perfect ambassador for God’s kingdom. If Paul could experience God’s grace, then any of us can experience His grace.
Application
Sometimes we think that we cannot experience God’s grace because our past is too bad. We think we are beyond the love of God because of the things we have done. Paul stands as an example to us that God’s grace and love extend beyond our sinful past. In fact, the very things we have done in the past uniquely qualify us to minister to people today. Because I suffered through an addiction to alcohol, I can minister to those who struggle with alcohol today. God has gifted me to do this because I understand what it is like to fight alcoholism. I know the fears and struggles of alcoholics because I fought those same fears and struggles. Each of us has a past that can be used for good in God’s kingdom today. The message we share is one of grace and love. Our God is a loving God who uses our weaknesses to reach out to others who may be struggling with the same weaknesses with which we have struggled.
Does your past still haunt you today?
Have you turned your past over to God and accepted His grace?
Meditate on these verses and ask God to show you how to accept His grace.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You are a loving God who extends His grace even to a sinful person like me. Help me accept Your grace and serve Your kingdom on this earth today.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, see the resources: How to Know God and God’s Plan of Salvation.