Galatians 1:22-24

And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.

I was hopeful for a deathbed conversion. Christopher Hitchens died from complications associated with his oesophageal cancer in December of 2011. He had been an ardent and outspoken “anti-theist” (or atheist) for years and had become a thorn in the side of not just Christianity, but all organized religion. But behind the scenes, he had become a good friend of Alex Taunton, an evangelical author and speaker, and I knew of many gospel conversations that they had shared together. Additionally, Christopher’s only sibling had become a Christian many years before and debated his brother both publicly and privately. Did Christopher bow the knee before he took his last breath? I don’t know. Most likely not…and that saddens me.

Paul, on the other hand, did not bow the knee as much as he was knocked to his knees by Jesus Christ himself.

As a result, the persecutor of the church had become a preacher to the church and his reputation preceded him. Thankfully, as we read in today’s passage, many of the churches he visited in the early days of his ministry did not know him by sight. Imagine finding out—after a powerful message had been shared—that the visiting preacher was the same person who once had been an outspoken critic and abuser of Christians. Although your first reaction might be skepticism, the power of the preacher’s message and his deeply held convictions about Christ would quickly turn your negative thoughts into praises for the Living God who brought about such a change.

“And they glorified God because of me.”

The most famous question in the Westminster Shorter Catechism is, “What is the chief end of man?” The answer is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Paul’s conversion had resulted in both. Has yours? Has mine? I am not saying that we need to become modern-day Paul’s as not many of us have his kind of radical conversion nor the same calling…but certainly we need to become more like him in general. The further we get from our conversion the more sanctified we should be, and the more removed from the fallen sinner we were prior to being saved. This glorifies God in and of itself, but when we are open with our faith journey—the good, the bad, and the ugly—others will glorify God as well when they see and hear of the great things He has done.

“Brothers and sisters, may you and I so live that Christian people may glorify God in us! May they often wonder at the mighty grace which has wrought such a change in us; and as they see us zealous and fervent, may they marvel at the amazing grace of God which has brought us to be so consecrated to Christ!”  – Charles Haddon Spurgeon