We get to know the apostle Paul via his epistles. We learn that his awareness of his sinful past accompanied him through life.

He wrote to Timothy in this regard: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief . . . This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:12-13. 15).

Paul also mentions his past in his first epistle to the church at Corinth: "I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Paul's awareness of his past as a blasphemer and a persecutor motivated him in his service for his Lord Jesus Christ: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (verse 10).

Paul's response to the grace of God reminds us of the sinful woman who washed Jesus' feet with her own tears. A Pharisee criticized Jesus for allowing her to do this, and Jesus made use of the opportunity to explain an important principle: "her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little" (Luke 7,47).

Our zeal for God and His way of life – in other words, how much we love God – depends on our awareness of the forgiveness of sins that has been granted us.

We are all individually responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. In that regard we all received the same "amount" of forgiveness.

Let's love God much and be motivated by this awareness to serve God, as was the case with the apostle Paul.

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!