Chief of Sinners

At craft time in grade school, our art teacher wouldn’t just show us the project we were making. She’d demonstrate it for us. She’d take the clay or tissue paper or pipe cleaners and walk us through the project from beginning to end. When she did that, it helped us understand how the project came together. But there was another benefit, too: As you saw the transformation from raw “stuff” into the completed project, it helped give a little patience as you worked on yours, too!

Do you want to see how God puts a Christian together? Do you get frustrated with your own life and expect a wonderful, completed “project” but see a mess instead? Look at St. Paul. He’s the example God gives us. He’s what to expect as God works in our lives. There are some important points we need to remember:

God pours out his grace abundantly on sinners. We can’t minimize who we are or what’s in our past – but it doesn’t define us anymore. Paul said, I was once… That’s what we say, too. Were you once an adulterer? Someone filled with anger or bitterness? A liar? A drunkard? A bad husband or nasty wife? That’s who you were, but our Lord poured out his grace abundantly.

You are someone different now. Insofar as you are a Christian, the Lord who’s called you from that past has called you into present service. So often Christians are heard to say, “I can’t speak to my friend / my child about that sin, because I used to do it.” Believer, that’s why you can! God showed mercy to you so you can proclaim forgiveness and new life to others!

You still will struggle with sins. Paul said, “I once was a blasphemer and persecutor and a violent man.” That life was behind him, but he still says, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” He still struggled with sin, and he still realized his guilt.

This is your example. Do you think your past sins define you? Think of God’s grace that forgave Paul, the murderer. Do you think they disqualify you from serving? Think of God’s grace, that was magnified by calling Paul into service. Do you get frustrated and ashamed when you still sin? Think of God’s grace, that daily took a sinner like Paul and displayed his patience with and in him. He’s your example of God’s grace at work in you, and will be until the day you receive eternal life – on that day, you’ll finally see the “finished project!”