(Read Acts 9:1-19)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to learn more about the amazing life of the Apostle Paul. Yesterday I put a modern twist on the story of Paul’s conversion. I trust you enjoyed it. Today we will discuss the actual account.
Acts 9 starts out with Saul eager to “Kill the Lord’s followers.” Saul was ‘playing for keeps.’ He went to the high priest and requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of Jesus. Saul wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. As he was approaching Damascus on his kill-or-capture mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked. The voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Can you imagine what must have been rushing through Paul’s mind? He thought Jesus was a farce, a phony, a false prophet; and it turned out that Jesus was the real thing. The person he had been fighting against, thinking that he was some sort of fake Messiah, actually wound up being the real one. This was no minor error, but rather an egregious mistake. What Saul had done to followers of Jesus, in the name of the Lord, thinking he was right and helping God, was completely wrong and he was actually fighting against God. I am sure Saul felt terrible as the enormity of his error sank in. But then again, wait a minute, the Lord Jesus had just told him to go to Damascus in order to receive instructions. Why would Jesus, the one Saul was fighting against, find it in His heart to use Saul? The answer is found in one word… GRACE!
The men with Saul stood speechless. They heard the voice, but they could not see where it was coming from. As Saul picked himself up off the ground he realized he had been blinded by the light. His companions helped him get to Damascus. Saul remained there blind for three days and he did not eat or drink. I am sure that he played his mistakes over and over in his mind during this time. But while Saul was rehearsing his past, God was focused on his future. God needed someone to minister to Saul and he selected a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to Ananias in a vision, saying, “Ananias! Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.” Ananias argued with God. He knew how terrible Saul was. Ananias started telling God all the bad things Saul had done, as if it were news to God. But God was not interested in discussing Saul’s past. God was only interested in discussing his future. So the Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name’s sake.” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Satan and people are quick to focus on your past, but God is quick to focus on your future. When God looks at you He sees who you are now, but He also sees down the road, to whom He has destined you to be. While your past may be interesting to you, your future is more interesting to God. God wants you to develop a “Forward ever, backward never” mentality. That way you won’t allow your past to keep you from your future.
2. When you consider the enormity of your past mistakes, all you can ask for is Mercy. Mercy is when God does NOT give you what you deserve. In other words, by His mercy God withholds from you the bad you earned as a result of bad decisions/actions. When Paul learned that Jesus was actually the Messiah and not a false prophet, all he could do was ask for mercy. And when we consider the enormity of all the mistakes we have made in our past as well, as we can do is ask for mercy. Our God, who is rich in mercy, often withholds from us the wrong we should be receiving.
3. We serve a God who goes beyond mercy and extends Grace. In addition to God NOT giving you what you do deserve (by mercy), we also serve a God who turns around and then gives us what we do not deserve (by grace). My mercy God does not discard us when we do wrong, and by Grace God chooses to use us for His glory, even in spite of our wrong. Thank God for His amazing Grace!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for both Grace and Mercy. I acknowledge the fact that You have not always given me what I deserve and I am extremely thankful about it. You have been rich in mercy towards me. I did not deserve Your salvation. You sent Your Son Jesus to die in my place, while I was yet a sinner. You then loved me unconditionally all my life, even when I wanted nothing to do with You. I did not deserve the way You sent people to me, to tell me of Your goodness, kindness and mercy. I did not deserve forgiveness of sin, nor the gift of eternal life, but You gave them to me when I accepted Your Son Jesus as Lord. And since I have been walking with You, the laundry list of things You have blessed me with, that I did not deserve, it too long to mention. You are better to me than I could ever be to myself. You don’t give me justice, You don’t give me fairness, You give me Mercy and You give me Grace! For that I shall forever be thankful and I will never cease to glorify Your name! So Father, as I enter this day and every day that follows, I am open to receive all You desire to give me by Grace. I know You will freely give me everything I need to fulfill my life’s purpose. Not always because I deserve it, and not always because I earned it, but many times by Grace and Grace alone. Your grace is amazing to me. By faith I declare that goodness, Grace and Mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
