Have you ever messed up “big time”? When we first meet Paul, Paul’s life reveals even when we mess up, God will forgive us and continue to use us.
- God has a purpose for our lives before we are born.
Remember Saul was very religious, but he had no personal relationship with God. Nothing in Saul’s heredity, background, experience, or training would go to waste. God had a plan for Him.
God made you and allowed the experiences-good and bad, glad and sad-and you need to fulfill His purpose for your life. God has a purpose for allowing every hurt you have ever had – It’s part of His wonderful plan for your life. All the part of the puzzles of our lives come together to help us fulfill God’s purpose.
- God can use us in spite of our worst mistakes (Acts 6:8-8:3).
There were many Old Testament saints who faltered in faith, had doubts, and committed terrible sins. How about Moses and David and yes-Paul?
Remember: No matter what we have done, God can still use us in a mighty way! Like Stephen in the Bible, we never know how God is going to use our hurts and suffering to touch others.
Paul made no excuses but instead considered himself the chief of sinners.
When we mess up “big time”, God demonstrates His LONGSUFFERING and offers us the same forgiveness, so we too can be used of God.
These principles are true because Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. Religion teaches what we need to do for God. Christianity teaches what God in Christ has already done for us on the cross by taking our “minuses” and changing them to “pluses”. Religion says DO. Relationship says DONE. We all have regrets and we have all messed up “big time”. But God can still use us.