1 Corinthians 15:8-10. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
In the verses above, Paul is the one talking. The Apostle Paul. He is one of the most important people in not only all the Bible but in all of history. Paul changed the world. Why? Because Jesus changed Paul.
Before Paul was Paul, he was Saul. Saul of Tarsus (a town in Turkey). Saul was a very religious Jew. He was a Pharisee, someone who knew the Bible really well and tried to obey everything in it. Saul loved God’s Laws so much that he thought could be saved and go to Heaven by obeying the Law. That means that Saul hated Jesus, and Christians, and the Church. Why? Because the Christians believed that you go to Heaven by trusting in Jesus, NOT by obeying the Law. And that really bothered Saul. It bothered him so much, that he started arresting and even killing Christians. Yikes!
But then one day Saul saw Jesus. While Saul was travelling down the road, suddenly a bright light blinded him. Yes, it literally blinded him for three days. Then Saul heard the voice of Jesus. He said, “Saul why are you persecuting me?” Saul said, “Who are you, Lord?” And Jesus said, “I’m Jesus. Now go to the city and wait for instructions.”
And that’s when Saul trusted in Jesus and decided to follow him with his whole heart. God changed his name to Paul and the rest is history. Paul will become the greatest Christian missionary of all time. He will write 13 books in the New Testament (can you name any of the books he wrote?). And Paul will take the good news of Jesus to Gentiles (anyone who is not a Jew) all over the Roman Empire.
Paul is a pretty big deal.
Yes, Paul becoming a Christian is one of the most incredible and surprising stories in the Bible. But you becoming a Christian is also an incredible story.
Paul had to realize how sinful he is in order to be saved…so do you.
Paul was saved by hearing the good news of Jesus…so were you.
Paul had to change what he thought about being good…so do you. (We aren’t saved by being good, we are good because we are saved)
Paul had to rely on God’s grace alone…so did you.
Paul’s whole life was changed by Jesus…so is yours.
Towards the end of his life Paul said this about himself, and we can say it to:
1 Timothy 1:15-16. 15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
You: Do you think you becoming a Christian is a big deal? Why or why not?
You with Jesus: How does knowing that we are saved by God’s grace change how we see our good deeds? Do good deeds make God save us? Then why do them?
Prayer: Father, I too am a sinner like Paul. But I am saved by grace just like Paul was too. Help me to do good things because you saved me, not to be saved. Amen.
TLICfamily 