“The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1Timothy 1:14).
Paul had a lot about which he could have boasted. He was the foremost missionary of the early Church, taking the gospel where it had never before been preached. There have been other missionaries since New Testament days, but none of them have written Scripture.
His printed words have inspired multitudes through the centuries. Much of what we, as Christians, know and believe has been influenced by Paul’s letters. In many ways Paul stands as a man among boys. I am still amazed at the amazing ministry of Paul—a supremely gifted apostle.
To what did he himself give credit for his fruitful life? He credited the grace of God. When he accounted for the Christian virtues at the heart of his experience, he mentioned the faith and love that accompanied God’s outpouring of grace.
Every once in a while we, too, see victories in our lives. At the moment when we are tempted to accept praise for our accomplishments it is important that we remember what Paul wrote. Our honest confession is always to be, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ.” All the glory belongs to Him. His grace has made us what we are.
