(Read Acts 22:11-21)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to learn more about the amazing life of the Apostle Paul. Last week I introduced you to young Saul and this week we will learn about his conversion. In Acts 22 Paul recounts the story of his conversion experience. Later in the week we will look at the actual account in Acts 9, but today I want us to hear from Paul, as he looks back on what happened.
Paul said, “I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him! “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.’ For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ ” Paul’s conversion was Supernatural. He was on his way to Damascus, to persecute the Church of God, when God knocked Him off of his high horse (literally) with a light and a sound from heaven. Paul was blinded by the light and he remained blind until Ananias ministered to him. Notice that within a few hours of hearing God for the very first time, Ananias told Paul that he had been chosen to receive a visitation from Jesus and that he would be a witness of what he would see and hear. Paul did not earn this assignment. As a matter of fact, one could make the argument that his actions should have disqualified him from it, but God called him by Grace, not because Paul was so worthy.
Paul continued and said, “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.” It was during this trance that Paul received the visitation from Jesus. Paul said, “I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’ ” But Paul was not quick to receive the assignment. Like many of us, when God tells us to do something we are more apt to tell him why we are not worthy, then to simply accept the assignment by Grace. Paul argued, “But Lord, the people certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.” Paul told God — as if He did not know — that he had been responsible for beating and imprisoning Christians. Furthermore, he was an accomplice to the murder of the first Christian martyr. But the Lord called Paul by Grace, not by merit, so the Lord responded, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!”
So what does this mean to you today? A few quick things:
1. God picks people by Grace, not by merit. God picked Paul when he was actually persecuting the Church and He then used Paul to lead the church He was persecuting. Paul, thinking about this, wrote, “Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:26-30 MSG).
2. Don’t try to disqualify yourself from what God qualified you for. Moses, Jeremiah, Paul and others, all tried to argue with God about their calling; all making the argument that they were not good enough for the assignment. Don’t you think God knew everything about you BEFORE He called you? Your faults, failures and flaws are NOT news to God. Don’t even bring them up. He knew about them and He called you anyway, because He called you by Grace. He knew you were not qualified, so He sent His Son to qualify you with His blood!
3. When God uses the seemingly unworthy He gets all the glory. Every Christian knew who Paul was. Paul literally terrorized the Church of God. Paul was Enemy #1 against the Church, so when God called him and when the news got out that Paul was actually preaching the Gospel, who do you think got the glory? God did! And that is the same thing that will happen when God uses you. People know you are not perfect, but if you will submit to God, He can use you to manifest the SuperNatural and He will get the glory. Will you let Him?
Closing Confession: Father, I look at the background of the Apostle Paul and suddenly my background does not look so bad. It’s not that I am comparing, but I do recognize the fact that Paul was not worthy of his assignment. If I were the one doing the picking, I would not have selected Paul to be an Apostle, and that recognition gives me hope and peace. Just like Paul, I am a person that should not have been selected for my assignment, but You chose me anyway. You did not choose me because I was so good. you did not choose me because I earned it. You did not choose me because I had a righteous background. No, You chose me by Grace and Grace alone. When You started to reveal to me what You want to do in, with and through my life, I was overwhelmed and I pushed back on You, because I did not feel worthy. Thank You for helping me to understand that I am not worthy, but Jesus was worthy for me. I am not righteous in and of myself, but Jesus made me righteous. I can now accept the assignment with confidence, knowing that You called me by Grace. I did not earn it then and I don’t have to attempt to earn it now. All I have to do is receive it and walk it out by faith. So, by faith I declare that I shall access the Grace to fulfill my calling and by Grace I shall leave an indelible mark on this generation! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
