A life that points to Christ
Paul
From Paul we learn that no one is beyond the reach of grace, that God's power is made perfect in our weakness, and that everything is worth losing to gain Christ. His life teaches grace that transforms the worst of sinners, and it points to Jesus, who saves and satisfies completely.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”1 Timothy 1:15
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”Acts 9:4
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”Philippians 3:8
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”2 Corinthians 12:9
Their story, honestly
Paul, once called Saul, was a zealous Pharisee who violently persecuted the church, consenting to Stephen's death and dragging believers to prison. On the road to Damascus, the risen Jesus appeared in blinding light and asked, why persecutest thou me, and Saul was transformed from the church's fiercest enemy into its greatest missionary. He planted churches across the Roman world, wrote much of the New Testament, and endured beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments, and a thorn in the flesh, learning that God's grace was sufficient and His strength made perfect in weakness. He counted all his former achievements as loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and called himself the chief of sinners saved by mercy, before dying a martyr.
What their life teaches us
First, Paul teaches that grace can reach and remake anyone; the man who hunted Christians became their apostle, so no past is too dark for God to redeem. Second, he teaches strength in weakness; God did not remove his thorn but gave grace, teaching that our weakness is the very place God's power shows, so we can boast in our infirmities. Third, he teaches what is truly worth having; Paul threw away status, comfort, and safety, counting everything loss to gain Christ. His life proves that the gospel he preached was true, for it turned a proud persecutor into a humble servant who found Jesus worth more than everything he lost.
How their life points to Christ
Paul's whole life after Damascus was summed up in his cry, for to me to live is Christ, for he had met the risen Jesus and found Him worth everything. He is the great example of the truth he preached, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul called himself the chief. If grace could save the persecutor, it can save anyone. And Paul's discovery that God's grace is sufficient in weakness points to a Savior who does not wait for us to be strong, but meets us in our frailty. Paul points relentlessly to Jesus, the one worth losing all to gain and the one who holds us to the end.
Questions people ask
How could a persecutor like Paul become an apostle?
By the sheer grace of God, who met him on the Damascus road and transformed him. Paul called himself the chief of sinners precisely to show that if grace could save him, it can save anyone. His life is living proof that no past is too dark for God to redeem and use.
What does Paul mean that God's strength is made perfect in weakness?
God did not remove Paul's thorn in the flesh but told him, my grace is sufficient for thee. Paul learned that his weakness was the very place God's power showed most clearly, so he could even boast in his infirmities. It teaches that we depend on God's grace, not our own strength.
What did Paul mean by counting all things loss for Christ?
He considered his impressive credentials and achievements worthless compared to knowing Jesus. Having gained Christ, everything else lost its grip on him. It teaches that Jesus is worth more than any status, comfort, or accomplishment, and that true gain is found in knowing and belonging to Him.