Galatians 1:13-16 (ESV)
For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;
God changes people. The grace of God, poured into our lives by the Spirit of God, through the knowledge of the Son of God, changes us. Paul was so bent on destroying the Church and the power of Jesus Christ that he didn’t see the truth of Christ. But then, one day walking down a road (Acts 9), God revealed Himself to Him. Here is what God said to Paul that day:
Acts 9:3-5 (ESV)
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
The phrase in this Galatians’ passage that states, But when He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace, is so powerful. Paul thought his destiny was to persecute the Church and further the influence of Judaism. Yet, even before Paul was born, God set him apart to teach and preach the Gospel of Grace. He was called by grace to teach and preach God’s grace. God’s grace changes everything. By His grace, God changes the worst of people, the worst of circumstances the worst of outcomes into pictures of beauty. Paul, at one time, was killing Christians. But by God’s grace He became one, in order to preach grace to the Gentiles. God’s grace changes everything.
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