By the Grace of God, I Am What I Am
But by the grace of God, I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10, KJV)
Paul, the apostle of grace, declared boldly that he was a product of grace—grace made him what he was. Do you remember Jesus telling Peter, “follow Me and I will make you fishers of men”? (Matthew 4:19). In this verse, Paul presents a vivid example of what grace does to those who come to it.
What did grace make of Paul, or rather, of Saul, the fierce persecutor of the Church? Though grace bestows many divine gifts upon us, grace upon grace, Paul had a specific gift in mind in this verse; he was referring to his calling as an Apostle, graced with the glorious revelation of Jesus and God’s grace. In the ninth verse, he said: “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:9, KJV)
While Paul was persecuting the Church, Jesus not only saved him but called him to be an apostle. Paul was stunned by God’s kindness. He knew his high calling as an apostle, and the abundance of revelation was nothing short of God’s undeserved kindness. Moreover, he also knew that his strict observance of the Jewish law as a Pharisee was worthless.
Just like Paul, grace has made us who we are: He has called us to be His children and given us ministry gifts.
Meditate
Did you realize that both who you are and what you do in Christ are products of God’s grace?
Apply the Word
You are a child of grace: born of grace, empowered by grace, living by grace, and ministering by grace. Be conscious of this truth, that it is not by your merit nor by your power.
Pray
Thank the Father for His grace in your life.
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