Exceedingly Abundant Grace

In one of my favorite Andy Griffith episodes, Barney struggles to stay awake while listening to a visiting preacher present a lesson on the importance of slowing down.  After the service, Barney meets the preacher and (clearly not having paid attention) says, “That’s one subject you just can’t talk enough about: sin.”  As they walk away, Andy tells Barney, with a hint of exasperation, “He didn’t talk about sin!”

In the Bible we find that the Apostle Paul often spoke on the subject of sin. Within his letters to the early churches he defined sin, warned against sin, and offered his own confessions of sin.  Memories of how he persecuted the church, before becoming a Christian, plagued his mind and he had to remind himself to forget what was behind and continue pressing on toward the ultimate goal.  His past haunted him.

To a mob in Jerusalem before being taken to the barracks Paul said, “I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.” (Acts 22:4)

To King Agrippa, he said, “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  This I also did in Jerusalem and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.  And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” (Acts 26:9-11)

Paul felt the suffocating guilt of sin.  In his first letter to the church in Corinth, he wrote, “For 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)

Paul questioned his worth, but he knew he was forgiven and he acted forgiven.

This man, who formerly consented to the death of Christians (Acts 8:1), also earnestly expected and hoped to magnify Christ, without shame, through his life or by his death (Philippians 1:20-21).

This man, who committed men and women to prisons for practicing Christianity (Acts 8:3), also became an ambassador in chains for the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20).

This man, who tried to destroy God’s church (Galatians 1:13), also told the saints in Rome that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus for those who walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1).

This man, who had been deceived by sin (Romans 7:11), also approached the end of his life “having fought the good fight” and “having kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

This man, who considered himself to be “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), also wrote about a crown of righteousness that would be given to him by the Lord on Judgment Day (2 Timothy 4:8).

How could Paul feel unworthy but have such confidence in his salvation?

The answer is: his faithful response to God’s exceedingly abundant grace.

“And 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.  And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 1:12-14)

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

In Acts 22, Paul recounted the story of his conversion before the Jewish mob.  He described how he had been traveling the road to Damascus and had heard the voice of the Lord.  He explained how the Lord had instructed him to go into the city where he would be told what he needed to do.  He remembered how Ananias had come to him, restored his sight, and declared that he had been chosen by God to be His witness to all men.  Ananias had said to him, “And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of Lord.”  And Paul did.

Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus.  He was saved when he became obedient to God’s grace by washing away his sins through baptism.  He believed in his forgiveness.  He felt sure of his salvation.  He never denied his sinful past, but he never let it hold him back from living for Christ in the present. It was because of Paul’s faithful response to God’s exceedingly abundant grace that he, the chief of sinners, was able to become—and is forever remembered as being—a chief apostle.