(1 Cor 15:10 ERV) But, because of God’s grace, that is what I am. And his grace that he gave me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God’s grace that was with me.)
Yesterday I shared a message entitled entitled, “What are you going to do with God’s grace?”, and this morning I feel led to continue to flow in that vein. I am using the Apostle Paul as our main example. In Paul we see a man who spent years on the wrong side of God, who persecuted the church and the followers of Jesus with bulldog tenacity, and God chose him anyway. God called Paul in spite of his past. God took the church’s #1 enemy and called him to be it’s #1 proponent. This could not have happened had God been focused on Paul’s past. This only happened because God was focused on Paul’s future, a future He planned from the foundations of the world by His unearned grace. When Paul received the grace of God he was determined to make the most of it. He worked hard, by God’s grace, for the rest of his life; tirelessly pursuing God’s divine assignment.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- You have been forgiven of much – never forget it. One night Jesus had dinner in the home of Simon the Pharisee. During dinner a sinful woman with a checkered past came and fell at Jesus’ feet. She had been impacted by Jesus’ ministry and she could not help but do something with the grace shown to her. She brought very expensive perfume in an alabaster box and she poured the perfume on Jesus’ feet. She washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. She even kissed Jesus’ feet over and over. Simon the Pharisee questioned Jesus as to why He was allowing such a sinful woman do this to her. Jesus responded with a parable of two people: one who had been forgiven of little and another who had been forgiven of much. Jesus asked Simon, “Which one would be more thankful, more appreciative?” Simon responded, “The more who had been forgiven of more.” Jesus then explained that the woman’s actions were birthed out of her appreciation for what she had been forgiven of. She had done much wrong and instead of receiving judgment, she received much grace. Guess what? You are like that woman. Instead of holding your past again you, God put His divine future before you. You have been forgiven of much. What are you going to do with God’s grace?
- Be thankful for the grace of God. Paul was forgiven of much and like the woman with the alabaster box, he was determined to show his appreciation for God’s grace. Are you?
- Your past is not the issue. When you came to God He did not hold your past over your head. God did not break out a list and begin to rattle off all the wrong you had done. No! God welcomed you with open arms, completely by His unearned grace, and He then began to reveal to you all the plans He made for you before the world began. The question for you now is: what are you going to do with this amazing grace?
- You only get one shot at life. If you are Born-Again you can’t say that your past is holding you back. God has forgiven you on your past. The question is: what are you going to do with your future? What are you going to do with the grace God has extended to you? Don’t waste it looking back. Embrace it and look forward. Forward ever, backward never, the best is yet to come!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You do all You do for me by grace. You then expect me to do all I do for and with You by faith. When I came to You for salvation You could have easily focused on all the wrong I had done. But instead of focusing on my performance and my past, You were focused on Your performance and my future. My past is not the issue. You are not holding my past over my head. My future is now the issue. And I want my future to be the future You planned for me from the foundations of the world, by Your unearned grace. So I accept Your grace. I embrace Your grace. I embody Your grace. I have been forgiven of much, so I am extremely thankful. I put my hands to the plow and I don’t look back. Forward ever, backward never, the best is yet to come in my life. I will make the most of the grace You have given me Father. Not because I am so good, but because You are! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
