I am what I am – 13th November 2006

In a best-selling book, Philip Yancey has helped us in recent years by asking the question, “What’s so amazing about grace?” Most church gatherings finish with the grace or a blessing. Perhaps it has become so familiar to us that it is a bit like saying “that’s the end now” or “goodbye, see you next time.” In fact, it is a prayer asking God to touch our lives. This week I want to start with Paul’s teaching about grace but to try to dig a bit deeper and try to uncover some of the secrets of grace.

There are many New Testament passages we could begin with, but the following passage from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth is especially powerful.

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” 1 Cor 15:9-10

When Paul wrote these words, he was deeply ashamed of his past. He had persecuted the church but God had now called him to be an apostle. He knew he didn’t deserve to be accepted and loved by others, yet he knew that God had forgiven him and given him a new start. Because of what God had done, he was a new person with a new life.

I am what I am by the grace of God.

So much of the time, we take the credit for our achievements and our successes. Paul was a man of incredible humility and acknowledged that it was all down to the grace of God. He spoke with total dependence on act and with total gratitude for what God had done.

But it wasn’t just that God had given him a new start, a new identity, a new life. Paul didn’t even dare to take credit for the work he was now doing. He put it down to the grace of God that was with him. Even though he was working hard, his view was that he was only effective because the grace of God was at work, God’s power was operating through him.

I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Whatever we are doing today, let’s take time to acknowledge that it is God who sustains us, enables us and helps us in what we do. And can we pray that His amazing grace will be revealed in us and through us.