Called By Grace

“But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:” Galatians 1:15-16

We saw yesterday that Paul defended the gospel. Today, we are going to cover Paul defending his calling. We see the gospel that Paul preached was not something he learned from men, nor a philosophy that he had learned through study and debate. It was the gospel that he experienced from Jesus Christ Himself on the road to Damascus. This mattered because Paul’s authority to preach the gospel didn’t come from man but from the Lord.

Paul wanted the Galatians to know the power of God’s grace so he reminded them of who he used to be. Before Christ, Paul was the fiercest persecutor of the Christians. He made it a mission to try and stamp out Christianity. By every measure, Paul was the last person you would think of to become a preacher of the gospel of Christ. But we see the power of God’s grace and how it transformed the life of Paul on that road to Damascus.

We are reminded by Paul’s testimony, that no one is beyond the reach of God’s saving power. Grace specializes in redeeming broken people. God doesn’t wait to call the one who is clean or healed before He calls them. He calls the broken and works in their lives, making them a vessel fit for His service. The same grace that forgave Paul also equipped him to serve Christ faithfully for the rest of his life.

Paul states, “called me by his grace.” He is pointing out that God called him through His grace! Paul didn’t earn his calling through education, family heritage, religious achievements or personal righteousness. Paul’s calling was entirely the work of God. The same is true for every believer. We are saved by grace, sustained by grace, and empowered to serve by grace. Every good thing in a Christian’s life began with God’s initiative, not our own.

After Paul was saved, he spent time allowing God to shape and prepare him for the ministry. He didn’t go out seeking approval from the other apostles. Too often we are eager to rush into the next chapter of life and we often skip the time God needs to prepare us for His ministry. God often works in our lives in the quiet moments. 

We may not have a testimony like Paul’s, but it’s a miracle just the same. We are sinners saved by grace. Our past doesn’t define us, God’s calling does. His grace is greater than our failures, stronger than our fears, and sufficient for every assignment He places before us.

Thank God for the grace that saved you.

Remember, your past doesn’t limit what God can do through your life.

Trust God’s timing in every area and every season of your life.

You are saved by grace.

You are called by grace.