Galatians 1:15-17

But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

In verses 13-14 Paul read us his resumè of accomplishments…how HE had persecuted the church…how HE had violently tried to destroy it…how HE had advanced in Judaism beyond his peers…how HE had been extremely zealous. Human pride can be a deadly poison and if left un-checked, it will always lead to destruction (Pr 16:18). Paul’s enormous ego was checked by Christ himself on the road to Damascus, and that is what caused the shift from verses 13-14 to the redeemed perspective in today’s verses. Have you made that shift, yet?

Hey Paul! Who set you apart?

Hey Paul! Who called you out by grace?

Hey Paul! Who was chose to reveal his Son to you?

Hey Paul! Who got you ready to preach Jesus among the Gentiles?

The great apostle was no longer the center of his own universe, and that changed everything for him. He was no longer in charge. He could no longer claim credit for anything good in his life. John Calvin noted that, “He wanted to show that his calling depended on the secret election of God, and that he was ordained an apostle, not because he had fitted himself for undertaking such an office by his own industry or because God had discerned that he was worthy of having it bestowed on him, but because, before he was born, he had been set apart by the secret purpose of God.” If you are reading this as a born-again Christian, the same is true of you. Did you know that?

The irony of Paul’s calling should not escape our notice. God called him specifically to “preach the gospel among the Gentiles,” the very group of people he grew up hating. There was a Jewish saying back in Paul’s day: The only reason God created the Gentiles…was to fuel the fires of hell. Nice, huh?

Is there a group of people that make you sick to your stomach? Maybe it’s their sexual lifestyle or political views or beliefs about who they are and even what they are. Perhaps it’s the flamboyant homosexual or the transgendered activist. Maybe it’s the progressive liberal socialist or the ardent defender of abortion. You might hate some people because of their country of origin or the color of their skin. It might even be a group of people who claim to be Christians and gather in churches but don’t hold to clear biblical teaching.  What would you do if God called you to share the Good News with them, specifically? Would you take the next ship to Tarshish (see Jonah) or would you obey the command of your Lord?

When The Big Shift takes place in your life…activated, fueled, and driven by God himself…the old passes away and behold…all things become new (2 Cor 5:17). What happened to Paul was not unique in many ways. The conversion that God brought into his life is the same conversion he brought into yours and mine. We didn’t ask for it and we couldn’t earn it. It was given to us by God’s grace, as it was to Paul. The only question left for us to wrestle with is this: What will we do with it?