Trophies of Grace

When I was younger, I tended to think of Paul with a sort of saintly glow.  He wrote half the books in the New Testament, he preached powerful sermons, he traveled all over planting churches and discipling leaders.

And then there's Peter.  Such a pathetically perfect specimen of humanity.  Quick to speak (without thinking, often!), confident and cowardly, up and down, back and forth, mistakes in full view.  I always figured most of us could relate more to him than to Paul, the Great Apostle.

Until I realized they were on an equal plane: trophies on the shelf of grace.

Both of them talk a lot about grace, and as I thought back over their stories, I realized why it was so precious to them.  Why they wanted their readers to grasp its impact.

So Peter – we all know his story.  The denial.  The redeeming.  The second chance.  When you've messed up so very badly (after becoming a follower of Jesus, no less!) and then experienced the fullness of God's forgiveness, it only makes sense.  You're going to want to others to grow in grace, too.

But Paul?  What makes him so passionate about grace?  I mean, he was a good guy.  A religious, educated, cultured guy.  Respected.  You don't get the impression that he was always getting himself into trouble and needing second chances.

Or…did he?

His life before Acts 8 was full of practiced "goodness" and spiritual zeal.  Like a plowed field of orderly rows – and an insidious weed hiding throughout.

Self-righteousness.

Grace and self-righteousness are mutually exclusive.  Hold onto your own righteousness, your own goodness, your own efforts, and you ignore grace.  Or misunderstand it.  Or think grace is just for the Peters and the tax collectors and the thieves on crosses.

And then, when Jesus shatters that self-righteous shell and you're blinded by grace that says He's done it all and you don't need to – can't – do anything to gain His love…

When you look back over the years spent striving to be good, thinking you were somehow getting closer to Him…

When you realize how that very trying was actually a wall that kept you from being close to Him…

When you experience a true freedom you'd never had before…

When in spite of years wasted – partially by choice, partially by ignorance – you get a second chance…

…You can't possibly keep it to yourself.  It's too big, too wonderful, too amazing.

So Paul, a trophy of grace, wrote.

And I write.

I'm on that same shelf, after all.