"...for he is..."

The sermon on Sunday was from Acts 9, where the apostle Paul encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, where he was going to gather the followers of Jesus to be brought back to Jerusalem and punished. And as we read about this confrontation and blinding by light, we read about God sending Ananias to Paul to return his sight.

ACTS 9:10–15
Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name before the gentiles and kings and the children of Israel...”

And I just couldn’t get past those words from verse 15, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name...”

I marvel at the Lord--the holy, mighty, merciful, righteous, perfect I AM; whose Name is great; whose authority is over all; who is unmatched in beauty, worth, glory and power. This One True Living God made Himself known to Paul, who describes himself and his way of life at the time in these ways:
ACTS 22:3-4 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women...” GAL 1:13 “For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.” 1 TIM 1:12–13a,15b “I thank Him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”

This One True Living God looked upon Paul and called him His “chosen instrument,” deemed him “Mine,” and spoke purpose over him, “to carry My name...” How do I get past that? Here was a man hellbent of stopping the spread of the gospel and the furthering of the kingdom of God; he was violently and zealously persecuting Christ’s Church, killing and punishing God’s people; and he was doing it from a place of pride and insolence while waving the flag of religious righteousness and declaring the name of Yahweh. THIS man...THIS man God looked upon and said, “This one is Mine. I choose him. I am going to put My name on him and he will be My instrument to lead gentiles, kings and Israelites to salvation.”

When I read Paul’s words in 1 Timothy, I can hear the wonder and resinate with the magnitude of his gratitude as it drips from his testimony, “...He judged me faithful, appointing me to His service, though formerly I was...” There is much to marvel at here, and our marveling shouldn’t end with Paul. It should cause us to look beyond the pages of scripture and at ourselves--our failing, faltering, fallible selves; and it should cause us to wonder at the Lord who says to us, “You are Mine. Before you chose Me, I chose you; before you were a saint, you were a sinner, and it was THEN that I died for you. I will set My name upon you and My Spirit inside of you. You are My instrument to bring My Gospel, My light, My love to the world.” He deserves so much better; He deserves pristine, untarnished, whole, holy, beautiful vessels, and yet, He picks through the ashes and He takes us as His own.

And I can’t get past that...and neither should you.