THE SINNER TURNED SAINT.

*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*

*THE SINNER TURNED SAINT.*

*Scripture Treasure.*

1 Tim 1:15 *This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.*

*Insight and Highlight.*

Your sinful and horrible past may be the reason why Christ called you.

*Scripture Commentaries.*

The past Saul became the future Paul, Acts 9:, 13:9, and 'both' were from Tarsus. A Jew born in the Roman city of Tarsus. He was proud of his Jewish heritage, Philpn 3:5, and was also proud of his Roman citizenship, Acts 22:22-29.

The life of Paul tells us that every believer today underwent a transformation. No one was born saint.

Nobody was born sanctified from the womb. We have all acquired sinful flesh from our parents, Ps 51:5.

While those who are born again are born of God, those who are not born again are born of blood and the will of man (ref John 1:13).

Paul teaches us that while we are born again, we still fight against the flesh, Rom 7, and while he became born again the battle to stay alive still continued by daily warring against the flesh, Gal 5:17-26. 2 Cor 12:7-10.

Saul (his Hebrew name) would now be called Paul (his Roman name), but while he now lived as Paul, he shared his sinful past, Gal 1:13, and afterward, how he became *“the apostle to the Gentiles”* (Rom 11:13).

In Rom 7, Paul's life tells us that our past may still fight to gain control over our present life if we do not put it under subjection, 1 Cor 9:27.

Furthermore, our past could be a force to help penetrate the world successfully when rightly applied and managed.

To the same Jews and Gentiles, Paul

became *“all things to all people,”* *a Jew to the Jews in order to win the Jews, weak to the weak in order to win the weak,* etc., *all for the sake of the gospel* (1 Corinthians 9:19–23).

Paul was able to penetrate the most dreaded places to preach the gospel and was not afraid to do so because he had been there as Saul, the destroyer and persecutor.

As Paul (his Roman name)

as he traveled farther and farther into the Gentile world.

So, let us be careful when we become shy and feel bad when we remember who we were.

The more suffering or shame you have gone through in the past will make the suffering you go through in Christ familiar or a common place. It will not be strange!

Every saint has a past. It is because of this past that Christ chose you.

It is what you have gone through that assures Christ that you will have a future. If He could make you survive worldly sin to conversion, you will survive with Him.

When you become a saint, remember you were once a sinner. You are now a sinner turned saint. Stay strong so that you do not reverse from a saint to a sinner.

You will have a future!

*Remorse corner.*

You are now born again. You have a future. Though you have had an ugly past but be encouraged because your bad past may be the very reason why Christ chose you.

*Call to Word action.*

Jesus told Annanias that He chose Saul for the very reason Saul had made others suffer for Him.

Acts 9:15-16

*But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:*

*For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.*

*The Christian clarion duty.*

Are you a saint today? Then you must have had a past.

Were you a sinner before? Then you have a future ahead of you.

*Prayer.*

Lord, l was a sinner turned saint. Let me not go back to sin again in Jesus name.

Good morning all, and have a blessed day today.

God bless you.