May 7th | Acts 9
Grace Upon Grace
Could God really forgive me? That is a question that I wrestled with before I became a Christian. I had heard the Gospel and heard the testimony of how God had saved others but I still had my doubts. From an earthly standard I had not done anything “too terrible” but I felt this overwhelming conviction over my sin and how I had let God down. This deep grief and conviction over sin put me in a pit of despair. Is the Gospel powerful enough to get me out of this pit?
In Acts 9 we see one of the most radical conversions in Scripture, Saul is saved and given a new name to Paul. Saul the terrorist was undeserving of God’s salvation but this is the point of salvation isn’t it? We are saved by GRACE and not by works. We are saved not because of what we have done but what God has done! From Paul’s testimony we see four amazing things about the grace of God.
1. Grace Saves Even the Worst Sinners
Saul was hunting Christians, threatening them with violence, and fully convinced he was doing God’s work. Yet on the road to Damascus, he met Jesus, and everything changed. In an instant, his misplaced zeal gave way to surrendered faith. This shows us that salvation isn’t about being religious or good; it’s about encountering Jesus and surrendering to Him.
2. Grace Gives Us a New Purpose
When Saul was saved, he was also sent. Jesus told Ananias that Saul was His chosen instrument to carry the gospel to the world. While not all of us are called to be missionaries or pastors, we are all given a new purpose: to be ambassadors for Christ, representing the kingdom of heaven wherever we go.
3. Grace Welcomes Us into a New Family
When Ananias finally approached Saul, he didn’t call him a stranger or an enemy. He called him
Brother Saul. That embrace was more than kind. It was a declaration that Saul now belonged to the family of God. The grace that saves us also surrounds us with community, with people to walk beside us in faith.
4. Grace Sustains Us in Every Season
Paul’s new life wasn’t easy—he faced persecution, danger, and rejection—but God's grace proved sufficient through it all. He wasn’t alone. God provided friends like Barnabas, churches that protected him, and the presence of Christ in every trial. That same grace is available to us. It saves us, sends us, surrounds us, and sustains us.
I felt unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness. But in my pit of despair, I read Romans 5:8, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It was after reading this verse that I understood grace. Grace saves me not because I’m good but because God is good. I’m not loved by God because of my religious actions, but I am loved because God is gracious. He generously offers an open invitation to receive this grace. Would you grab hold of that invitation and accept the grace of Jesus today?
