I Should be disqualified…But God!

“For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am. I Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬

1. By the grace of God I am what I am!
2. Like Paul when we look at our past is disqualifies us from any sense of demand that we may place on God!
3. We have no room to think we are deserving!
4. Paul said I am the least
5. Paul said I am not worthy

1. “When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
2. “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭‬‬‬‬
3. John 8:1 woman caught in adultery
4. Before she was caught she wasn’t thinking about being guilty or worthy
  1. But when she was caught and when she was going to have to be made accountable fear gripped her soul

1. Because He persecuted the church
2. Paul said He was not worthy of a position of an Apostle in the church because He persecuted the church
3. The devil will always bring up your past sin to try to disqualify you from your place!
  1. I am the least, I am not worthy, because!

1. The grace of God overrides Paul’s guilt!
2. Paul battled his guilt daily
3. His guilt for his past plagued him and would have paralyzed him if he would have believed it
4. But instead he trusted in the grace of God
5. Grace comes thru the death of Christ Jesus

1. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
2. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬
3. I am what I am
4. A new creation in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17
5. “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬

1. “Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalms‬ ‭100‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬
2. Paul said I am what I am by His grace
3. Your past does not define your position
4. Only through unbelief can we be disqualified
5. When we believe the doubts and do not trust in Christ’s grace