Getting Job-ed
For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 CSB
I hesitated to put the title of this page as such because it’s the same thing all the secular self-help gurus are telling people today. However, this section of Scripture has a different ring to it. That’s what I wanted to cover today: you’re not special because of you. To some people, that may sound a bit harsh and mean. To other people, I hope it’s life-giving. This section shows me, also, why we ought not to view Bible characters as superheroes. Because, in doing so, we can lose sight of the One that should get the glory.
Paul, the New Testament Heavyweight
Paul is a New Testament heavyweight if you’re thinking in terms of the ‘superhero’ mindset of the New Testament. He was: the first missionary, largest (bookwise) contributor to the New Testament content, rebuked the apostle Peter for the wrong he was doing at one time, etc. He was a big deal in that sense, but Paul never forgot one thing: he was the least of the apostles. How could he say such a thing? I mean, he was chosen by God specifically. He was sought after by God, knocked off a horse, and converted by Jesus Himself (Acts 9:1-9). Paul knew he was the least of the apostles because he never forgot who he was: a murderous terrorist persecuting the church. Paul knew that this was who he was, deep inside. He knew that unless God sovereignly intervened on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), he would have been still persecuting and killing the church. Paul completely understood that if there was anything special about him that it was not credited to him, but to God alone.
Conclusion
This is why Paul’s echoing theme throughout Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians is that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. He understood that it was only by sovereign grace that he was knocked off his high horse and effectually called to God. This is true of believers as well: you are saved by grace alone, through faith alone. You’re not special because of anything you are or by what you’ve done, you are special because of God and who He has called you to be. Once called by Christ, your past doesn’t define you, your identity is in Him. Self-help gurus will tell you you’re special because of you and that trajectory is off. You are special because of God and His calling to the praise of His grace (Ephesians 1:3-14). Let that define who you are, not your past or what our culture says.
-Austin
