“BUT GOD, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles.” – Galatians 1:15

 

GOD WAS TRACKING HIM;

God’s eye was upon him; His heart was for him. He knew the time and place He would confront him and open up the eyes of his understanding and grant him repentance and faith and adopt him into the Family of God. What audacious love, what outlandish grace, what a wonderful God!

  •  God had his eye upon him in the womb.-“…who set me apart from the womb.”
  • God has his eye upon him when he was a babe.
  • God had his eye on him when he was a young man.
  • God has his eye upon him as he entered into the study of the law
  • God had His eye upon him as he climbed the ladder of Pharisees.
  • God had His eye upon him as he sought to murder His people.
  • God has His eye upon him as he zealously with a heart filled with hatred walked on the road to Damascus. Then THE DIVINE INTERRUPTION, Jesus, the LORD confronted him and knocked him down and Saul of Tarsus, unbeknown to him, God had been TRACKING him and it pleased Him to reveal Himself to Saul convert him and Saul became Paul- lover of the Lord Jesus, preacher of the Gospel.
  •  God’s eye had been upon him.
  • God’s heart was for him. God’s Son died for him.
  • GOT GOT HIM!

 GOD GOT HIM!

At the right time, God intervened and plucked him from the dangers of sin and its eternal consequences and transferred him to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, where he became a child of God, accepted in the Beloved, a new creature in Christ, fully pardoned, declared right  and By God’s doing this amazing grace was lavished upon him who would later call himself, “the chief of sinners!” People glorified God upon the change that took place in Paul’s life. It was radical! The rebel was redeemed and preaching Christ! He who once tried to destroy the church now sought to strengthen the church of the Lord Jesus.

 PAUL’S PASSION;

Paul’s passion changed. Thirty years after the Lord Jesus saved him, while incarcerated he penned these words.” That I might KNOW HIM and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of  His suffering,..” Yet, his enthusiasm was JESUS CHRIST and to know Him better! {See Phil 3:8,10}.  The years of suffering, hardship, rejection, times of hunger, homelessness, and beatings within an inch of his life, all these and more were his story! His master passion for the Lord Jesus was not dampened.

PAUL’S TESTIMONY…TO…GOD!

Years later Paul testifies to the Galatians of …God, ...“BUT GOD, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles.”

  •  Paul did not know God’s eye was on him from the womb throughout his life.
  • Paul did not know God’s heart was for him.

It was upon the glorious INTERRUPTION that God revealed His Son to him and from that moment THE LOVE OF CHRIST constrained him…

A. – TO TRUST  HIM – Gal 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who LOVED  me and gave Himself UP for me.

 B. -TO TESTIFY TO HIM- 1:15- 2 COR 5:14 – “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

 Looking back he traced the heart of God, from the womb to his conversion and so begins his God-honoring testimony of what God had done in saving him, revealing His Son to Him and the call of God not only in salvation but to His Son and to serve!

CONSIDER and CELEBRATE GOD- WHO TRACKED…YOU

How amazing there has been and is a “But GOD…” in your life!

  • God’s eye was upon you in your mother’s womb.
  • His heart was for you.

He knew the time and place He would confront you with your sin and open up the eyes of your understanding and grant you repentance and faith and adopt you into the Family of God.

What audacious love, what outlandish grace, what a wonderful God- who loves you!

Thank God He has been TRACKING you and there has been a “But God….” in your life – and that, from before you were born!

  • God was Tracking you.
  • God Got you.
  • God Motivates you to Trust Him and to Testify to Him.
  • God changed your Passion to Know Him.
  • God Loves You- The Cross of Jesus Christ “proves” it! {See Romans 5:8}

PERSONAL APPLICATION;

1. THINK Back to the amazing grace and love of God for you. That when you were in your mother’s womb…GOD knew you and that he would set you apart from yourself to Him for salvation and service.

2. THINK BACK TO YOUR YOUTH. HE KNEW ALL ABOUT YOUR SIN and yet this glorious “BUT GOD…” moment when He intervened convinced you of sin and showed you His answer was His Son!.

3. THANK HIM- for His amazing grace.

4. TRUST HIM – He knows you, and chose you. He is faithful to preserve your soul, empower you to rest in His love, and follow Him. He will not abandon you, He cannot, for He is faithful to HIS Word!

5. TELL SOMEONE Today- of His Amazing Grace. Remind some believers of the amazing grace and love of God that he was tracking them and He goes to them and He loves them and is for them! SHARE with someone today of the God who pursues them in love.  What an amazing story, that God would track Paul… that God would track you. That God would reach out to others with His amazing Grace. Think, Thank, Trust, and Tell others of Him! The God who Tracks us is to be praised, worshiped, and adored!

6. MEMORIZE – As”fuel for your faith and worship,” Hide Galatians 1:15 in your heart. Write the verse down on a 3 by 5 card. Cary it with you and when you have time look at it. Think about it word for word, phrase by phrase, and ask God to help you understand so that you may worship Him who aloe is AWESOME!   God’s eye is still upon you {See Matthew 6:6;1 Peter 3:12} God loves you!

Consider and CELEBRATE God who TRACKED YOU, CONVERTED YOU, SUSTAINS YOU, LOVES YOU- HE IS AMAZING!