Devotional Day 49

Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:3–10

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Devotional

This is such a beautiful passage of scripture in which we see a wonderful example of humility and grace. Remember yesterday how we read in James that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble? We would have to look pretty far to find a better example of this than the Apostle Paul.

Paul was previously known as Saul, and was a Jewish teacher, an expert in the law. He was so vehemently against Jesus and his church that he actively hunted down and killed christians, even participating in the martyrdom of Stephen. That is until Paul was stopped in his tracks on a dirt road out to Damascus by an appearance of Jesus himself, who said ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me’. Any persecution against the Church is a direct persecution of Jesus because we are his own body, his bride, one spirit with the Lord. Saul repented, got renamed to Paul, was baptised, filled with the Spirit and was appointed an Apostle. However, Paul considered himself not even worthy to be called an apostle, and considered himself the least of them because of how he persecuted the church. However, for all of his persecution of the church, 2000 years later the church remains forever indebted to Paul for his service to us, and I for one honour him and esteem him greatly.

Interestingly for our purposes of understanding God’s grace this week, Paul gives us a wonderful example of two of the different aspects of God’s grace. Firstly, in verse 10 Paul says: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.” This is an example to us of the forgiveness aspect of God’s grace. It is because of his grace that God saved Paul, and forgave him of all his sins. Paul also indicates that this grace of salvation shown to Paul was not in vain because of Paul’s laying down his life for Christ and his church.

Secondly, Paul speaks of the empowering side of God’s grace when he says: “On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

As Christians we can tend to act as a pendulum quite often and think that hard work is opposed to depending on God’s grace, and whereas I do think this is a very big challenge, and most christians need to learn how to stop striving and rest, we also need to see a redemption of our work for the Lord. Paul is a great example of this, telling us that he worked harder than all the other apostles, but that he did not do so in his own strength but by God’s grace. This is something that you and I can take encouragement from today, that we don’t have to abandon our relationship with the Lord when we work hard, as though it were unholy. Rather we can actually have a wonderful partnership with the Lord in our efforts for the kingdom as we depend on his grace.

One of the reasons that we can so often turn to sin is because of emotional and physical exhaustion, part of the reason for this is because we struggle to depend on God’s grace when we feel depleted. If you are feeling run down today, tired, emotionally depleted and stressed, come to the Lord and ask for his grace. Ask for his help, his empowerment and strengthening. Give your burdens and challenges to Jesus and seek an infilling of the Spirit. Instead of medicating with sexual sin or food, or doom-scrolling instagram, bring your need to the Lord and ask for grace. You’ll be amazed at God’s ability to fill up your tank as you rest in him and depend on him.

Prayer

Lord, we come to you today asking for your grace. Thank You that you saved a wretch like me, that even though I did not deserve it you showed me mercy and compassion in saving me. And Lord thank you for the gift of your grace in strengthening and empowering me to run the race that you have marked out for me. Fill me up today Lord with a fresh infilling of your Holy Spirit, and may your grace be with me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.