Called by his grace.

Galatians 1:15. But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace,

In terms of his value for the gospel of grace, Saul of Tarsus (Paul) was surely a lost cause. He was violently persecuting the church and actively trying to destroy it (see verse 13). As far as we can tell, he exhibited no signs of having an open mind toward Jesus. No seeker sensitivities. No softened heart. Saul was an “anti-Christ.” A terrorist to the church. A pawn of Satan. As Jesus himself said, Saul was “kicking against the goads” (Acts 26:14).

So when Paul’s life was shattered on the rock of Christ, and he was brought out of religions bondage into the freedom of faith, it was clearly all of grace. This is something that Paul would never forget – he was saved from sin purely by grace, and he was called into the service of Christ purely by grace.

And, Christian, so were you.

All is grace. There is nothing that we receive from God that is not because of his goodness and grace. We have never earned a thing from God. From our very breath to his eternal life in us, all is grace.  

But what is grace? Grace is undeserved favor. God’s grace alone is what inclines his heart to give us gifts. Not our good deeds. Not our high character. Not our solid efforts or good tries. Grace is always free and it is always undeserved.

But grace is more than forgiveness and countless second chances. It is God’s power for living. Look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 9:8. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

God’s abounding grace to us is all sufficiency in all things. Wow! My guess is that most of us don’t see ourselves in this way. You see, God’s grace doesn’t just call us out of sin, it empowers us for service by giving us everything that we need. How? By giving us everything that is Christ’s by our union with him. Called by grace is an act of God that empowers us by the force of divine love, changing our desire for the things of God, and even our capacity to endure suffering and serve the world around us.

Christian, God is calling you by his grace today. Are you listening?

You: What makes it easy/difficult to see God’s calling on your life as “all of grace?”

You in Christ: How does union with Christ give us “all sufficiency in all things?”

Christ in you: What might “all sufficiency in all things” look like for you today?

Pray: Father, from every breath I take to every good deed I do, it is all because you called me by your grace. Let me live in that same grace every day. Amen.