"When God’s Grace Steps In…"

Good day people. Hope you had a good weekend.

We’ll continue looking at Paul’s epistle to the Galatians to learn some more about the grace of God. 

Galatians 1 from verse 13 to 15 (KJV):

“For ye have heard of my manner of life in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and made havoc of it: and I advanced in the Jews' religion beyond many of mine own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me, even from my mother's womb, and called me through his grace…”

In these verses the Apostle Paul was making a reference to his dark past. He had been a persecutor of the church. He had been opposed to Christianity to the highest possible degree and had even been leading an assault against believers in Christ Jesus. Details of some his “exploits” back then can be found in Acts 8 and 9. Paul’s education, behavior, principles, practices and manner of life were all in a different direction but then God’s grace stepped in!

That was Paul’s story but you know what folks? Every single believer in Christ has a story to tell.

Peter was a brash fisherman who at his first encounter with Jesus confessed “I am a sinful man”¹. He vowed not to deny Jesus, in fact he vowed to die with Him². We all know how the events went- Peter eventually denied Jesus thrice. But that wasn’t the end of the story- God’s grace stepped in! Peter became a fearless preacher of the gospel, a leader of the saints and at the end of his earthly life was martyred for his faith.

A woman was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law after she had been caught in adultery. According to the Law of Moses, the sentence should have been death by stoning. But Jesus told her “Go and sin no more”³. God’s grace stepped in! Another woman was afflicted by “7 devils”⁴. Jesus delivered her from her affliction and she became the first messenger of our Lord’s resurrection⁵. God’s grace stepped in! Her name was Mary Magdalene.

I grew up in a Catholic home, well tutored in the Catholic faith. As I grew up, on the outside I may have seemed like a pious nerd but on the inside I was nothing more than an angry confused boy held in the firm grip of sin and death. But God’s grace stepped in!

What’s your own story? You don’t have to share it with me or put in public domain. However it’s good for us once in a while to take a look back in our minds and trace the working of God’s grace in our lives. Consider it an avenue to celebrate the grace of God and do it again and again.

We all may not have had a murderous past like Paul, a demon-afflicted past like Mary or an adulterous past like the unnamed woman in John 8 but as scripture says, we were all like sheep going astray but we’ve now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls⁶. We each have a story, an undeniable testimony of God’s grace stepping to our lives!

Remember Paul’s story, Peter’s story, Mary’s story, my story and your story of when God’s grace stepped in are all snapshots of God’s overflowing grace. Have a lovely week.

Notes

1.       Luke 5:18

2.       Luke 22:33

3.       John 8:1-11

4.       Mark 16:9; Luke 8: 2

5.       Mark 16:9; John 20:1

6.       1 Peter 2:25