It Can Happen To Anyone

I love Paul. He is a symbol of hope to anyone who thinks they are unworthy of salvation. Just think about it. Not only did he hate Christians, he did everything in his power to destroy as many as he could. He was driven by some sort of hatred for anything related to the faith. And yet God, in His infinite wisdom, pursued even him and led him to become a beacon for all of us. Anyone who feels they have gone too far in sin to ever be accepted by God can look at Paul and know that anyone, ANYONE,can come to Christ. My dad struggled with his own worthiness most of the last years of his life. Dad was raised in a horrible environment. Born to a mother of about 15, he was raised by his grandmother. Everyone spoiled and over protected him. He grew up frightened of everything. He had memories of his father sitting over him as he slept saying he was going to kill him. His home was completely immoral, with criminals, some famous, staying there occasionally. He saw and heard things no chid should ever witness. And yet, many in his family professed to be Christians when living this lifestyle. It gave him a completely messed up view of almost everything. He grew up and became an alcoholic, a family trait. When drinking,my dad fell back into behaviors that he learned in his home. Some of them were pretty awful. Finally, when my youngest child as 18 months old, a man named Babe helped my dad to join AA and work the program to sobriety. Dad never drank again. My father struggled with a relationship with Christ the rest of his life. He expressed time and time again that he didn't think anyone could accept him after all he had done, let alone Christ. He was riddled with guilt and shame. I was a new and struggling Christian the last 13 years of dad's life, and I didn't have the knowledge of the Bible to properly help him with his feelings of unworthiness. I wish I had been in the Bible enough to fully be able to explain Paul to him. Recently I have been studying some of the letters Paul wrote while on his 3 mission trips. I've been reading Romans for a while now, one of his longest letters. It was written on Paul's third mission trip, possibly when he was in Corinth. There is so much for us in Romans that I've been "sitting" there for quite a long time, just feeding my soul on what God had to say through Paul's pen. I'm convinced we could 'hang out' in Romans indefinitely, and if taken and practiced as truth, Romans could lead us to much spiritual growth all by itself. Romans 3:23 is part of the well known "Roman Road" that is used to lead people to Christ. Very simply stated, it tells us: " For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" The big word in that passage is ALL. All means everyone. The deacon, a favorite pastor, my dad, the murderer, Paul the persecutor of Christians, the prostitute, and evangelist. All. Presently in my church there are two young people who are a great example of this. Both were addicted to meth, living a life filled with all that addiction brings. Some might think they had gone too far to be saved. But they were saved by the marvelous grace of our Savior, and you should see them now. They have been "clean" since that day. They are working hard at building a life for themselves and their son. They were married in the church, and attend faithfully. They face criminal charges and possibly prison time, but are willing to accept whatever punishment they are given. They are a classic example of the power of Christ to take us ALL into His kingdom. We all have people we know who are unsaved. Many feel unworthy of salvation, though they may not say or show these feelings. 1 Timothy 1:15 says, " Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of which I am the worst." If Paul is the worst, and God not only saved him but USED him so dramatically, it should show us something. Salvation is there for all of us. You, me, that person you've been praying for meany years, the drug addict, the upstanding member of the community, the murderer. My dad. And all we have to do is ask.