Amazing Grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch
like me
How amazing is God’s grace? Is it potent enough to rescue a
murderer? A terrorist? An extremist for hate?
We find in Acts 21 that God’s grace is indeed powerful
enough to pursue the hardest sinner and transform them into a kind-hearted,
self-sacrificing saint and disciple of our King Jesus.
If you think I am exaggerating,
this is the second account of Paul’s conversion. It is so important to Christian
history and the book of Acts that it is recorded THREE times in these 28
chapters.
This time Luke is not recording
it with his words, but rather recording Paul’s testimony that he himself gives
to the Roman authorities and to the angry mob of Jews ready to murder him. What
an audience!
Paul is clear from the beginning
that he does not reject the Old Testament and the God of His Fathers (like they
so fanatically accused him). Rather, he shares that he is a Hebrew of Hebrews!
He was a Pharisee trained under Gamamiel (an eminent Jewish teacher) that, like the crowd, was zealously
persecuting the church.
BUT GOD INTERVENED. Saul was on his
way to ravage the church like a wild animal seeking to destroy it. He was NOT
seeking God. But God was pursuing HIM.
Let me just take a moment to
reflect on that point…God was pursuing Saul – a terrorist. He was a man who hated
Jesus & the church. Does this surprise you? Romans 5 says that ‘while we
were still his enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son’
(Romans 5:10). We were enemies like Paul, but God pursued us and opened our
eyes to the reality of what He did for us. We didn’t do anything to earn this!
WE WERE HIS ENEMIES.
I know this experience well. I
was not pursuing God, but He was pursuing me. I was living my own life with my
own dreams – and I had no desire to know this God ‘who had a wonderful plan for
my life’. I had a wonderful plan for my life, thank you, I didn’t need any
direction.
BUT GOD INTERVENED. The greatest
blessing in my life is that GOD INTERVENED. I would have never come to Him, but
He pursued my heart and showed me that HE CREATED me. HE ALONE knew what I was
created for, and Jesus died on the cross for my rebellion, so that I might be forgiven and enjoy eternity with a
God that loves me. I didn’t deserve that love. I still do not deserve that
love. I was His enemy. We all were. ‘But God shows his love for us in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
Let this reality speak to you this
morning: “We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, yet more
loved and accepted in Jesus than we ever dared hope.” –Tim Keller
God pursues hard hearted sinners.
He opens our eyes to who He is and what He has done, He cleanses us and He calls
us to a world changing mission more glorious than we can even imagine.
He is calling right
now. Will you answer Him?
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