For the past few days I have shared from Norman Grubbs writings on Romans and our being one with GOD through or in Christ. Today I will return to Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace as our resource for Life which is of course the same Life that Jesus, Paul and a few others acquired over the past some 2000 years, as we also are to poses by faith. All of whom have experienced GOD's transformation power within them.
"Exceedingly Abundant Grace for Transformation"
"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry . . . And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant." (1Timothy 1:12, 14)
"The Grace of GOD is "much more" than our sin and our failure. It is "much more" than our personal inadequacy. It is "much more" than our comprehension of it. GOD's Grace is "much more" than necessary to radically change our lives. In the limitless resources of GOD, there is exceedingly abundant grace for transformation. The Apostle Paul is a distinctive example of this transforming grace of GOD. The LORD took him from religious vanity into spiritual service.
Paul was grateful for this work of Grace. "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." God is the one who puts us into ministry. Consequently, for every arena of service we are given, it is appropriate to express thanksgiving to GOD. Paul knew his ministry was anchored in God's will, not man's. "Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father" (Galatians 1:1). Certainly, man can recognize and confirm our callings from GOD. "When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:9). Still, our appointment is from the LORD: "to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles" (2Timothy 1:11). Unlike many of us, Paul was told of his calling at the very beginning of his walk with the LORD. "Rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you" (Acts 26:16). Such callings to service becomes a stewardship from, and unto, the LORD: "of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from GOD which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of GOD . . . if indeed you have heard of the dispensation [same term as stewardship] of the Grace of GOD which was given to me for you" (Colossians 1:25 and Ephesians 3:2).
To put Paul into effective ministry, GOD Himself had to do the necessary strengthening work, as well as making him a man of faith. "And I thank Christ Jesus our LORD Who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful." GOD's Grace is the bountiful resource that brings about such transformation for ministry. "And the Grace of our LORD was exceedingly abundant."
"More on Exceedingly Abundant Grace for Transformation"
"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 . . . And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant." (1Timothy 1:12-14)
"By His bountiful Grace, Jesus Christ transformed Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul. The LORD did this by enabling Paul, making him a man of faith, and putting him into ministry. As we consider what Paul was before the LORD began to change his life, we will see even more on exceedingly abundant grace for transformation.
Before he became a follower of Jesus Christ, Paul engaged in blasphemous behavior. "I was formerly a blasphemer." Through uninformed religious zeal, he said and did much that insulted and opposed the Lord. "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9). Part of his sin of blasphemy was incurred attempting to force Christians to speak evil of the Lord. "And I punished them often . . . and compelled them to blaspheme" (Acts 26:11).
Related to this, Paul severely persecuted believers in Jesus Christ before he came to salvation. "I was formerly . . . a persecutor." He aggressively searched out anyone he could find who followed Jesus, hoping to imprison them. "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church (composed of mainly Hebrews), entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison" (Acts 8:3). He was so enraged against the followers of Jesus that he even obtained authorization to pursue them into distant cities beyond Israel. "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem" (Acts 9:1-2).
In light of such brazen aggression, it is no surprise that Paul confesses to being an arrogant man before he was saved. "I was formerly . . . an insolent man." His religious success clearly led him to a prideful estimation of his own spirituality. "If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the Law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the Law, blameless" (Philippians 3:4-6).
Nevertheless, all of this godless religiosity can be transformed by God's bountiful Grace. "And the Grace of our LORD is to us exceedingly abundant."
"Once More on Exceedingly Abundant Grace for Transformation"
"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." (1Timothy 1:12-14)
"Before Saul believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, he spoke evil of Jesus, oppressed His followers, and exalted himself. "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man." Yet, GOD called Paul from this ungodly religious life and made him a faithful, fruitful servant of the LORD. Once more we will see this can only happen by exceedingly abundant grace for transformation.
This magnificent transformation process began with mercy, the necessary companion of Grace. GOD's mercy holds back the awful consequences that our ungodliness deserves. GOD's Grace brings us the wonderful blessings of godliness that we could never deserve. GOD was merciful toward Saul's ignorant and unbelieving behavior. "But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." The ministry of Grace that GOD would eventually give to Paul (as well as any ministry GOD has for us) was established upon mercy. "Therefore, since we have this ministry [new covenant Grace — 2Corinthians 3:6], as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart" (2Corinthians 4:1). GOD chose Saul to be a distinctive example of His rich mercy. "For this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life" (1Timothy 1:16).
This grand project of transformation then proceeded with Grace. "And the Grace of our LORD was exceedingly abundant with faith and love which are in (through) Christ Jesus." This bountiful Grace brought two spiritual blessings (faith and love) that would be essential for Paul's ministry. Paul had been a man of religious works and self-righteousness. But GOD turned him into a man of faith. "The righteousness of GOD is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith' " (Romans 1:17). He had been a man of cruel hatred and religious prejudice. GOD turned him into a man of love. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love (Galatians 5:6)."
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