Ephesians 1:2--Grace be to you....from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. When we think of it in relation to salvation, we say that Jesus overlooked all of our meanness and ugliness and saved us anyway. That is correct. NO MATTER how sinful we have been, Jesus blots out those sins and loves us anyway.
He had to do that to save Paul. Before he met Jesus, Paul beat Christians, threw Christians in jail and voted to have Stephen stoned. Most people would have done their best to stay out of Paul's way. But, listen to grace. Jesus overlooked all of his past to meet him head on and challenge him to a new and powerful future.
When Paul first got saved, he immediately preached Jesus to the Jews he used to run with. They didn't like him. Then he tried to get acquainted with some Jesus people and they didn't like him. Thank God for a man named Barnabas that stood up for Paul and eventually became his traveling companion.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul writes that Jesus wouldn't remove his thorn in the flesh because, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." When just about everybody was against him, Jesus threw His grace in front of Paul and let him run. Paul is credited with starting somewhere between 14 and 20 churches throughout Asia and Europe. And those churches started others. Acts 19:11--God performed special miracles through handkerchiefs and aprons that Paul prayed over. People were healed and demons were cast out. One time, Paul spoke blindness to a man and then healed him when he repented. A poisonous snake got a hold of him but Paul wouldn't die. He raised a boy from the dead. He endured beatings and saved the lost. He was stoned and left for dead but got up and started a church in another city. He was shipwrecked twice. He was beaten with rods and whips and still started churches. He wrote 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament. It was God's Grace that brought Paul to and through these things.
God's grace saw much, much more in the apostle Paul than anyone else did. God saw and planned Paul's exploits before He met him on the road to Damascus. That's why God saved him in such a dramatic fashion. God had some great plans for Paul. God's grace had more plans for Paul than Paul had strength, imagination, hopes or dreams of ever doing.
AND HIS GRACE HAS MORE FOR YOU AND ME THAN WE CAN EVER ENVISION.
Pray with me:
Father, like I prayed in the lesson before, I'm ready for whatever You have called me to do. After thinking about what you had for Paul, I'm excited about Your plans for me. I am ready to see miracles. I am ready to be challenged. I submit my life to You knowing full good and well that You will stretch me to the uttermost. My faith will be put to the test, but test on. Like Paul, my integrity will be assaulted but Your grace is preparing something for me. I am ready to reach the lost. I am ready for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. I am ready to see and experience the fire of God falling once again. I am ready to see lives changed by the awesome power of an Almighty God. I'm ready to see homes put back together and relationships restored. Lead me day by day into a greater experience with You, Lord, in Jesus Name, Amen
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