As I was scrolling recently, a Facebook meme jumped out at me: “The people Paul killed welcomed him into heaven.” That’s an amazing statement.
If you were a Christian in Israel just after the time of Jesus, Paul was your worst enemy. Paul zealously persecuted Christians, threw them in jail, and killed them. He was directly responsible for the deaths of believers in Jesus.
But then Jesus did something unexpected: He changed Paul’s heart and life. Jesus turned Paul from being a persecutor of Christians into the greatest Christian missionary. In fact, after sharing the good news of Jesus all over the world, Paul was executed for his faith. Paul’s life shows the fullness of God’s grace—God’s undeserved love for sinners.
What do you think happened next? When Paul went to heaven by faith in Jesus, what do you think the Christians he had executed did? I bet the people Paul killed welcomed him into heaven.
Because they understood God’s grace too. We’re all saved by grace. It’s that grace that led Paul to write: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). God’s grace can reach into the sinful heart of a violent persecutor and melt it. God’s grace can reach into the hurt heart of an executed martyr and heal it. The people Paul killed welcomed him into heaven. That’s the fullness of grace!
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