Paul Never Forgot That He Had Persecuted The Church, But He Refused To Let His Past Become Greater Than The Grace Of God

Paul’s testimony is one of the greatest encouragements in the entire word of God, because Paul is not presented to us as a man who had no past. He is presented as a man with a terrible past, a religious past, a violent past, a Christ-rejecting past — and yet a man who found mercy in Jesus Christ. That is what makes Paul’s testimony so powerful. He was not merely a sinner who lived carelessly in the world. He was a sinner who sinned while thinking he was serving God. He was religious, zealous, educated, separated, serious, and completely wrong. Saul of Tarsus had Bible, religion, tradition, authority, and zeal — but he did not have Jesus Christ.

“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 (KJB)

Paul never forgot what he was when Jesus Christ found him. He was not looking for the Lord. He was not seeking truth. He was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. When Paul says he was “the least of the apostles,” he is not denying his apostleship. He is remembering the mercy that made him an apostle. He knew he was called by the risen Christ, but he also knew he had once persecuted the church of God. This is why he calls himself the “least of all saints”, and the “chief of sinners”. Paul’s authority was real. His calling was real. His office was real. But none of it produced pride in him, because grace always points back to the One who gave it. If God can do all that that through Paul, he can do it through you, too. If you are discouraged today, this message will give you a real hope that God can give you a better future.

SUNDAY SERVICE STUDY NOTES: Chief Of Sinners

Chief Of Sinners

“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:9 (KJB)

“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;” Ephesians 3:8 (KJB)

“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 (KJB)

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13,14 (KJB)

I. Paul Remembered What He Had Been

Paul never tried to rewrite his testimony. He had been a persecutor, a blasphemer, and injurious. He had dragged believers out, consented to the death of Stephen, and fought against the very Lord who would later save him.

“Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:13 (KJB)

Paul did not hide his past, but neither did he let his past define his future. He remembered it only as a monument to the mercy of God.

Application

Some sinners think they are too far gone. Some Christians think they have ruined everything beyond repair. Some carry memories that still accuse them when they lay their head on the pillow at night. But Paul’s life says otherwise.

If God could save Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christians, He can save anyone. If God could put Paul into the ministry after what Paul had done, then no sinner should ever say, “There is no hope for me.”

Closing Challenge

Do not let the devil preach your past louder than Christ preaches His blood.

II. Paul Humbled Himself Under Grace

Paul’s spiritual progression was downward in self and upward in Christ.

He said:

• “I am the least of the apostles.”
• “I am less than the least of all saints.”
• “I am chief of sinners.”

That was not despair. That was humility born from grace. Paul knew exactly what he had been, but he also knew exactly what Christ had done.

“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 laboured more abundantly then they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:10 (KJB)

Application

Grace does not make a man proud. Grace makes a man useful.

Paul did not say, “Because I sinned so badly, I cannot serve God.” He said, in effect, “Because God had mercy on me, I will spend my life preaching the One who saved me.”

The same grace that saves the sinner also strengthens the servant.

Closing Challenge

Your past may explain where grace found you, but it does not have the authority to cancel what God has called you to do now.

III. Paul Refused To Be Chained To What Was Behind Him

This is the missing piece:

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13,14 (KJB)

Paul had much to forget.

• He had the memory of persecuting the church.
• He had the memory of opposing Christ.
• He had the memory of wasted years in religion.
• He had the memory of blood, rage, blindness, and pride.

But Paul did not live looking backward. He looked forward. He reached forward. He pressed forward. This does not mean Paul denied what he had done. It means he refused to let what he had done become greater in his mind than what Christ had done for him.

Application

There are sinners who need to hear this plainly: you cannot undo yesterday, but Jesus Christ can save you today.

There are Christians who need to hear this just as plainly: you cannot serve God while dragging the chains of forgiven sin behind you as though the blood of Christ was not enough.

Paul did not forget his past by pretending it never happened. He forgot it by refusing to let it control the race set before him.

Closing Challenge

Are you reaching forth unto those things which are before, or are you still reaching backward into the graveyard of sins Christ already judged at Calvary?

IV. Paul’s Past Became A Testimony, Not A Tomb

Paul’s sin was great, but God’s grace was greater. Why did Jesus chose Saul to be the leader of the Church? Because He wanted to give us a living example of the power of the grace of God. He took the worst person He could find, a man whose whole live was devoted to killing the followers of Jesus Christ, and saved him and showed him grace.

“I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.” Acts 22:3-5 (KJB)

“And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:14 (KJB)

That phrase “exceeding abundant” is the answer to every sinner who thinks he has sinned too much, fallen too far, or waited too long. Paul was not merely forgiven quietly in a corner. God made him a public display of long-suffering mercy.

“Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” 1 Timothy 1:16 (KJB)

Paul became a pattern. His life says: “Look what Christ can do with the chief of sinners.”

Application

That is the encouragement for sinners.

• The drunkard can be saved.
• The blasphemer can be saved.
• The religious hypocrite can be saved.
• The immoral sinner can be saved.
• The bitter rebel can be saved.
• The backslider can be restored.
• The ashamed believer can get back up and press toward the mark.

Paul’s past did not become his excuse. It became his pulpit.

Closing Challenge

Will you let your past be the place where the devil buries you, or the place where God displays His mercy?

V. Paul Pressed Toward The Mark

Paul did not merely stop looking back. He started pressing forward. Ceasing to do a negative resets you back to zero, and that’s good but not good enough. Once you are able to stop living in the negative, there must be a pressing forward into the positive!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14 (KJB)

That word “press” matters. Paul’s life was not passive. He ran. He reached. He laboured. He endured. He followed Christ with urgency. Grace did not make Paul careless. Grace made Paul determined.

Application

The answer to a sinful past is not self-pity. It is not denial. It is not pretending sin was harmless. It is bringing it under the blood of Jesus Christ and then getting up to follow the Lord.

The sinner needs salvation.
The saved man needs cleansing.
The discouraged servant needs to press on.
The ashamed believer needs to stop staring at the ashes and start looking at Christ.

Closing Challenge

You cannot run today’s race while living in yesterday’s failure.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1,2 (KJB)

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