51. Wala ka sa Lolo ko. He is a sinner, like Apostle Paul, he has been shown mercy.
5 November 2020
Conversion (of Saul, later to be called Apostle Paul) on the Way to Damascus (1601), by Caravaggio
Caravaggio • Public domain
Acts 9
Saul’s Conversion
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”
Mercy. Not getting the deserved punishment or penalty; forgiveness.
God's mercy turned around the worst of sinners.
Let me share what I wrote earlier, 20 August 2017.
“The Apostle Paul is regarded as having written much of the New Testament.
Saul is no other than the Apostle Paul, as referred to starting in Acts 13:9. Saul was a Pharisee, he approved of the stoning of Stephen, one of the first disciples (Acts 8:1). He would later write: “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16).
Grace is the other side of God's coin of unconditional love. Amazing grace how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me.... Such was the life of John Newton, from slave master from the 1740's to a revered preacher up to the 1800's, and author of more than 280 hymns.
In our time, there is a sweet singing Pastor in Olongapo named Basilio Clark (Heroes, authored by Dr. Harold Sala, a copy given to me as birthday gift by our Pastor in Lipa). Son of a US serviceman, born of a Filipino mother, he as a teenager was a gangster, head of the gang that terrorized Olongapo, robbed, plundered, murdered and pillaged at will. Later, the law caught up with him and his eight companions; they were all sentenced to die on the electric chair. This man, who had been without fear, feared the electric chair, smuggled into prison insecticide and mixed with paint thinner, and the gang took the poison. He had failed in life and he failed in death, he was the only one left alive and became blind. Not by accident, in prison he got hold of a portable missionary or PM radio and started listening to DZAS, and was later discipled by the American missionary Olga Robertson; he was later pardoned to live as a freeman, forgiven for his sins to be a servant of God.
Lord, I thank You, for great is Your mercy and grace, You redeemed me from my sins, or I suffer in eternity. Thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross, I am saved by faith not by deeds. In the words of the Apostle Paul: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Merciful God, Beautiful Savior, there is no one like You. Among the gods there is none like You, Lord; no deeds can compare with Yours (Psalm 86:8). Only You, Lord, deserve the honor and the praises, in Jesus' name. Amen."
(in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.
From Wikipedia.
Before his conversion, Paul, also known as Saul, was "a Pharisee of Pharisees", who "intensely persecuted" the followers of Jesus. Says Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians: "For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians 1:13–14), NIV
Paul also discusses his pre-conversion life in his Epistle to the Philippians,[3:4–6] and his participation in the stoning of Stephen is described in Acts 7:57–8:3.
Paul's writings emphasized the crucifixion, Christ's resurrection and the Parousia or second coming of Christ. Paul saw Jesus as Lord (kyrios), the true messiah and the Son of God, who was promised by God beforehand, through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. While being a biological descendant from David ("according to the flesh", Romans 1:3), He was declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.”
My children's children will one day say, wala ka sa Lolo ko, he is a sinner, like Apostle Paul, he has been shown mercy.
May you be blessed.
Maraming salamat.
Thank you for your blog Picoy. Also for sharing the story of Basilio Clark. I am so grateful for our Heavenly Father is gracious and merciful to me.
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