“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:10

“I am what I am by God’s grace,” Paul concluded. What was Paul? He was a believer in Jesus Christ, an apostle, a mighty preacher and evangelist. He endured tremendous sufferings for the cause of Christ, and was faithful to the end. Wow, what a man! But, this same individual earlier in life was a hater of Jesus Christ, a persecuting religious zealot, a self-righteous man. What could such a drastic change be attributed to but the powerful, transforming grace of God?

What a powerful thing is the grace of God! Grace still transforms lives today. It transforms people who are blinded in sin and darkness to those who love the sight and sound of Jesus Christ. But, it doesn’t stop there. It continues to work in us after we have been brought to Christ. It transforms selfish people into those who look to serve others. It takes stingy people and makes them generous. It causes people to hate the sins they once loved so fondly.

What is your response to grace? Paul said it caused him to labor abundantly in God’s service. It caused him to want to burn his life out in faithful service to Christ. May we respond likewise.