How sweet the sound
Our current sermon series is on Paul’s prison letters. Each week has brought a better understanding of this remarkable man. Paul was one of the first people to spread the word of Christ and is credited with writing multiple letters in the New Testament. His writings focused on the sacrifice Christ made for the salvation of all people. Paul grew up in a strict Pharisee environment and was known as Saul. He was an extremely zealous Jew who believed that those who followed Jesus were blaspheming God. Saul devoted his life to terrorizing Jesus' followers, hoping to prohibit what he believed to be a false message.
After encountering the resurrected Christ on his way to Damascus, Saul experienced a conversion and devoted himself to Christianity. Saul then changed his name to Paul, which was more in line with what Gentiles would recognize. His conversion story warrants much more time than this simple blog, but I want to point out that Paul’s conversion resulted in a significant and sincere change of heart. It also resulted in a significant change of direction in Paul’s life. When Paul received the grace of God, he was forgiven and became a new man.
God designated Paul as the apostle of grace. Grace is the unmerited free favor of God. It is a love that doesn’t make sense. It is God’s gift. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. There aren’t any bragging points, no negotiations. We can’t do anything to earn it. It is based solely on what He has already done for us.
The gift of grace is a chance to start fresh. It's a chance to be free and let love flow at a new level. Understanding grace is the key to being able to let go. Let go of what others have done to you and let go of what you may have done to others, even unintentionally. Acting with grace is largely about focusing on what you want to happen next rather than what has happened to you. It's about taking ownership of yourself, your emotions, and your response to a situation.
God wants us to grow strong in giving grace to others. Giving grace to another person is to forgive them unconditionally, just as God forgave us through Christ. I know in my own life, there have been times when I dug in my heels and stayed closed-minded over a situation. There have been times when I felt it was easier to move on from a situation and not address the issues. Crossing my fingers and hoping it would go away is unhealthy and not how God wants us to live. We must be painfully honest and be willing to risk pain. We must develop healthy communication skills, perseverance, and, most importantly, trust God.
I think that's why I appreciate this sermon series so much. Paul didn't mince words in his letters and was desperate to get his point across about the grace of God. Paul fully understood that Jesus gave His life as a sacrificial offering for our sins and that he was no longer condemned despite what he had done. No wonder Paul wrote so much about God's grace and goodness. He was a living and profound example of God's grace in action.
God was more than happy to forgive Paul for the innumerable lives he took and for all the horrible things he had done. God gave grace to Paul and made him a different man. God will, like Paul, do the same for us if we just open our hearts to that gift.
Blessings,
Peggy Zumhofe
Executive Pastor
