AN ABOUT FACE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.

Galatians 1:13-24

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Are you the same person that you were ten years ago? Twenty? Thirty?

I know I’m not.

Today, I am writing to you on my thirtieth wedding anniversary, a real milestone for me and my wonderful wife, Grace. Anyone who has ever spent time around me knows that I always say that Grace is my wife’s middle name because her first name is Amazing. And while it gets a laugh from people, I really mean it in a spiritual way.

You see, before I met Grace, you wouldn’t have recognized me compared to who I am today. I had served in the Navy for around ten years and I knew all those profane words that seem to flow so effortlessly from a sailor’s lips. The Lord wasn’t a priority in my life and I, like so many others, was living the lie that I was a good person and that was good enough. The truth of the matter was that I was far from the man I needed to me, the man the Lord desired me to be.

Enter “Amazing” Grace.

We had been dating for several months and I remember being in her company when I let a curse word fly out of my mouth. I’ll never forget the way she looked at me before she told me that the language was unacceptable to her. What she also meant was that it wasn’t language acceptable to the Lord. It was at that moment that I knew if I had any hope of remaining in a relationship with her, I needed to change my ways, and fast.

And so I started to go to church with her and got myself a Bible to study. Slowly but surely, the Lord started to change me from the inside out. It was a complete about face from where I was before meeting and courting Grace. Obviously, I quickly became someone Grace wanted to devote herself to because I asked her to marry me and she accepted. While I was on a deployment in South America, she planned the entire wedding and we exchanged our vows in the sight of the Lord on December 12^th, 1992.

Since that time, Grace and I have grown together in the Lord. I became a Bible teacher, and then was ordained as an Elder when I was in the Presbyterian church and now a Deacon in the Baptist church. The Lord also gave me the gift of singing and I have used it to his glory, currently serving as a worship leader at my church. I even have the privilege to preach a sermon a couple of times a year.

Did I mention I wasn’t the same person as I was thirty years ago?

Well, as we look at the final verses of Galatians, chapter 1, we find the Apostle Paul sharing a testimony of his about face as a Christian believer. Look again at his words here:

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.

Then I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.”

And they praised God because of me.  Galatians 1:13-24

When we go to the Book of Acts, we get a glance at the man he was before his turnaround. Starting at the very end of chapter 7, leading into the opening verses of chapter 8, and continuing in the beginning of chapter 9, we are introduced to the Saul, a fervent Jew who delighted in persecuting and harming anyone who chose to follow Jesus. This was Paul’s “previous way of life in Judaism” as he tried over and over again to destroy the church of God.

So what happened? How did a man who delighted in harassing and mistreating Christians become one himself and then dedicate his life to help others become Jesus followers too?

The about face was all about God.

Paul confesses this telling the Galatian Christians that “God was pleased to reveal His Son” (Jesus) within him so he could “preach Him among the Gentiles”. And with that, Saul gave way to Paul who totally surrendered who he was before to become who he could be in Christ Jesus. He went from being a former persecutor to a present preacher of the very “faith he once tried to destroy”.

What was the end result of this one hundred and eighty spiritual turn?

Those Paul ministered to by sharing the Gospel of Jesus, praised God because of the work he had done in the name of Jesus. In other words, Paul’s missionary work brought honor to God, the very God who had entrusted him with the ability and opportunity to help others find their way to salvation.

I’m grateful God has done the same thing in my life, helping me do an about face to become the man He wants me to be. If you have your own “about face” testimony, share it in the comments portion of this message. I’m sure you will bless and inspire someone through sharing your personal spiritual experience and how you got to where you are today from where you used to be before God changed you through Jesus, His Son.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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