We get to know the apostle Paul via his epistles. We learn that his awareness of his sinful past accompanied him through life. <\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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). <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
We are all individually responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. In that regard we all received the same "amount" of forgiveness.<\/p>\n
Let's love God much and be motivated by this awareness to serve God, as was the case with the apostle Paul.<\/p>\n
With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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