Chief of Sinners
Eph. 3:8: Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (NIV).
If there was a man who deserved to be proud of his "church work," it was the apostle Paul. Yet, he realized that he, and all of us, needed a reality check. No matter what we do, we still need God's mercy and grace. We cannot out-give God and our efforts will never save us or our kids.
However, this very truth made Paul rejoice because the gospel he preached was available to all who trust in Christ, regardless of their contributions (1 Tim. 1:15). In fact, he reasoned that if Christ could save a man who labeled himself the chief of sinners, than His grace ought to be sufficient for us. Paul's humility is a great example. Note that Paul did not say "of whom I was the worst", but rather, "of whom I am the worst."
When we start to feel proud of accomplishments, let's look at Paul and rest in the grace of God. Grace is sufficient!
