This morning my pastor preached on Colossians 1:24-2:5. While there is much I have yet to sift through and think about, there was something that God "beat me over the head" sort of speak. God has been revealing to me more and more over several weeks an attitude of smug superiority regarding my salvation and today i got convicted again. As I was pulling up into church this morning I happened to see a guy who I knew not to be a believer, and had spoken to him once before. My first reaction was surprise since I didn't expect to see him again. As my mind wandered I thought more about him. and then the all-too familiar thought creeped in: "I really don't see him becoming a Christian". What was I basing this on? Simply the way he looked, that he never listened, that his "brain wasn't wired that way".
My pastor began by talking about paul's background how this guy who was deeply educated in the law and Jewish tradition completely missed that Jesus WAS the messiah prophesied. Leaving for home I started to think what it was like for Christians who knew Paul when he was Saul. Who lived in fear of death by this man who made it his purpose in life to stamp out every christian from the face of the earth. It occurred to me how many people in that time period who were like "that Saul, I really don't see him becoming a Christian". I'm sure people prayed for him and I'm also sure there were people as cynical as me about him, and what happened? Saul encountered Jesus! The gospel penetrated his hard heart and he became one of the greatest missionaries ever, passionate for knowing Christ and shepherding the word.
It seems I have yet to get it through my thick arrogant heart that "it is by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is NOT YOUR DOING it is the gift of GOD". How many of us know someone that we are like "yea ____ can't become a Christian" ? We need to see this attitude as sin, because not only are we saying God is not mighty to save but implicit in this little nugget of cynicism is a positive belief that you were saved because there was something about you that turned God's desire. That you brought about the great change that's in you. Not God. Let's let Paul be an encouragement to us, to pray hard about ANYBODY and continue to preach the gospel. We are on an equal playing field in God's eyes. Let's be reasonable, none of us should should be saved at all, the fact that i am or you are saved is a ridiculous miracle. Let's remember that we serve a God who is mighty to save and it has nothing to do with us. It's all about him who has mercy.
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