Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians. Let’s get into it.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Scripture(s) we will study today:
Galatians 1:21-23 TPT
“After that I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. But I remained unknown by face to the Messianic congregations of Judea. The only thing they kept hearing about me was this: ‘The one who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy!’ And they gave glory to God because of me.”
Galatians 1:21-23 ERV
“Later, I went to the areas of Syria and Cilicia. The churches in Judea still did not know me. They had only heard about me. People told them, ‘This man was persecuting us. But now he is telling people about the same faith that he once tried to destroy.’ And these believers praised God because of what had happened to me.”
Setting the Stage:
Here is what is mind-blowing about this passage: Paul became famous for what God’s grace accomplished through the most unlikely candidate imaginable. Think about this: the churches were celebrating a man who had been their greatest enemy! They didn’t know Paul personally, but they knew something supernatural had happened. Only the overwhelming power of God’s grace could transform Christianity’s public enemy number one into the leader of the movement.
This is the amazing reality of grace: God intentionally chooses the most unqualified people to do the most extraordinary things. Paul wasn’t just a little religious—he was violently opposed to everything Jesus represented. He wasn’t neutral or ambivalent; he was actively hunting down Christians and having them killed. And yet, this same man became the author of most of the New Testament and the greatest missionary in church history.
God’s grace doesn’t just work despite our disqualifications—it often works BECAUSE of them. The bigger the impossibility, the greater the glory when God shows up. Paul’s transformation was so dramatic, so impossible, so supernatural that it could only be attributed to the overwhelming power of God’s amazing grace.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God Specializes in Using the Most Unlikely Candidates.
Paul’s story shows us one of God’s favorite plot twists: taking the chief enemy and making him the chief apostle. This wasn’t an accident; it was intentional. God loves to choose people who make everyone else say, “If God can use them, He can use anybody!” That’s the point!
This is God’s consistent pattern throughout history. God chose a coward (Gideon) to lead warriors in the revolution. He chose a barren couple (Abraham and Sarah) to become the parents of nations. He chose a shepherd boy (David) to become a king. He chose a murderer (Moses) to lead millions out of slavery. He chose a virgin teenager (Mary) to give birth to the Son of God. He chose fishermen to become apostles, a tax-collector to write a Gospel, and a persecutor to become the greatest missionary in history.
How this applies to you:
— Your disqualifications might actually be your qualifications in God’s Kingdom. Paul’s violent past made him the perfect messenger of radical love and grace, just like Moses’ experience with murder (thinking he had ruined his life, spending 40 years in the wilderness) made him empathetic and compassionate for others when they failed. What disqualifies you in man’s eyes often qualifies you in God’s eyes.
— God’s grace is so powerful it can transform even intentional rebellion into purposeful ministry. Paul wasn’t just confused about God—he was actively fighting against Him. If grace can transform intentional opposition, it can certainly handle your unintentional failures.
— The more impossible your transformation seems, the more undeniable God’s power becomes. When people see your life, they should have to conclude that only God could have done this. Gideon went from hiding in a winepress to leading 300 men against 135,000—that’s God showing off!
— God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called. David had no royal training, Moses had a speech impediment, and Paul had no ministry experience for the gospel. Yet God equipped each of them for history-changing assignments.
— Your worst season might be preparation for your greatest assignment. Moses’ 40 years in the wilderness prepared him to lead Israel through theirs. Paul’s time persecuting Christians gave him unique insight into both religious legalism and grace-based freedom. God was developing their résumés even when they didn’t know it.
— When God chooses you, your past becomes proof of His power, not evidence of your disqualification. Your mess becomes your message when God gets involved.
— God’s grace is so overwhelming that it can turn your greatest failure into your greatest ministry. Abraham’s childlessness became the platform for demonstrating God’s miraculous power when he became the Father of Many nations! Paul went from being Christianity’s biggest threat to its most effective evangelist. Nothing is too bad or broken for God’s grace to redeem and repurpose. Gideon went from being a coward to a champion. Don’t be ashamed about it, and when you tell it, you showcase the grace of God!
2. Grace Doesn’t Just Cover Your Past—It Transforms It Into Purpose.
Paul didn’t hide from his past or apologize for it. He embraced it as part of God’s grace story. His experience as a persecutor became his platform for preaching grace. God took Paul’s dark history and wove it into his divine destiny.
How this applies to you:
— What you consider your worst chapter, God considers preparation for your best assignment. Paul’s persecution experience gave him credibility with both Jews and Gentiles.
— God’s grace is so powerful that it can take your greatest shame and turn it into your greatest strength. Paul’s guilt over persecuting Christians became compassion for everyone who felt disqualified. Your deepest pain often becomes your most powerful ministry.
— The enemy thought he was destroying your future, but God was actually preparing you for it. Satan may have thought that he was winning when he was leading you to do what you did (like with Paul). But God can take the passion (the same energy) that you were using in one direction and turn it around for His glory!
— Nothing in your life is wasted when grace gets involved. Every mistake, every wrong turn, every season of rebellion becomes part of your testimony. God specializes in turning your test into your testimony and your mess into your message.
— God’s grace is so complete that it makes your past work for you instead of against you. What once disqualified you now validates your message.
— The bigger your mess, the bigger your message. Paul was the chief persecutor, which made him the perfect messenger of grace. God loves to use people with the darkest pasts to shine the brightest light.
3. God’s Grace Produces Impossible Results Through Impossible People.
The churches weren’t just surprised by Paul’s conversion; they gave God glory for it because it was so obviously supernatural. When grace is operating, the results are so amazing that everyone knows it can only be God.
How this applies to you:
— When God’s grace is working through you, the results will exceed your natural ability. You’ll accomplish things that shock even you when grace is flowing.
— Your transformed life will become God’s advertisement to everyone around you. The churches heard about Paul through the grapevine because his transformation was too dramatic to keep quiet.
— People will give God glory because what they see in your life can only be explained by divine intervention. Paul’s ministry was so effective that no one could take credit but God. Your success will point people to grace, not to you.
— The fruit of grace is so undeniable that it silences critics and attracts believers. Paul’s results eventually convinced even his harshest critics. When you’re walking in grace, your fruit will do your talking.
— God’s grace doesn’t just change you—it changes everyone who witnesses the transformation. Your transformation becomes a catalyst for other people’s faith.
— The impossible becomes inevitable when God’s grace is involved. If God is leading you to do something that seems impossible, but you know He is leading you and His grace is on you, success is inevitable. The only way you can lose is if YOU decide to quit because satan cannot stop God or His grace! You can, however, stop grace when you take over, get your flesh in the way, get in your feelings, and choose to quit.
4. You Don’t Need to Manage Your Reputation When Grace Is Managing Your Life.
Paul never tried to control his narrative or spin his story. He did not hide his past. He simply walked in obedience and let grace do the talking. His transformation was so authentic and his ministry so effective that his reputation managed itself.
How this applies to you:
— Focus on faithfulness, and let God handle your fame. Paul concentrated on preaching the gospel, and God took care of his recognition. When you’re faithful to your calling, God will take care of promoting you.
— Authentic transformation doesn’t need artificial marketing. Paul’s changed life was so dramatic that it promoted itself. When God truly transforms you, the evidence speaks louder than any advertisement.
— God is a better publicist than you’ll ever be. God knows how to get the right message to the right people at the right time.
— The difference between human promotion and divine promotion is that when God promotes you, it carries supernatural power. Human promotion impresses people, but divine promotion changes them into the image of Christ. Human promotion exalts YOU; divine promotion makes it ALL ABOUT HIM!
— Trust God’s timing over your timeline. Paul spent years in obscurity before becoming famous. It takes time to develop your character to the point where it can match your calling. Don’t rush the process—grace has perfect timing. If God releases you before your character is ready to handle the blessing, then what should have been a blessing will become a burden. Handling success is often harder than handling failure! You need the grace for both!
— God will see to it that the right people discover you at the right time. The churches heard about Paul exactly when they needed to hear about him. God orchestrates divine connections that human networking could never arrange. God will make sure that you meet who you need to meet when you need to meet them.
— When you are committed to living #TheGraceLife, your reputation becomes God’s responsibility. Paul didn’t have to defend his calling or prove his legitimacy. The fruit his life was producing validated everything. Focus on obedience, and let God handle the outcome.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that Your grace specializes in using the most unlikely people for the most extraordinary purposes.
I embrace my past as preparation for my future.
My disqualifications in man’s eyes are my qualifications in Your Kingdom.
I trust that Your grace is so powerful it can transform even the things I did wrong, on purpose, to become part of Your purposeful ministry and use of me.
I don’t need to manage my reputation—Your grace will make my name great, once my character has been developed to the point where I can handle it.
I declare that tests are part of my testimony. My mess has become my message. I am not ashamed of my past. It displays the power of Your amazing grace!
I am living THE GRACE LIFE, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
