August 20, 2021: God’s Love for a Sinner

“This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” (Acts 9:15, NIV).

God loves us very much. No matter what we do, He will still forgive us because His love for us is unconditional.

Before the apostle Paul became a follower of Jesus, his name was Saul. Saul thought he knew all about God and that Jesus was a false messiah. He even convinced people to kill Stephen. Saul was angry that the disciples were preaching about Jesus.

On his way to Damascus, Saul was confronted by a voice in heaven. It was Jesus—the One he was persecuting. As a result of this encounter, Saul became blind. There was a man named Ananias in Damascus, and, in a vision, Jesus appeared to him and told him to baptize Saul. When Ananias asked why, Jesus said: “This man is My chosen instrument to proclaim My name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit after his baptism, and he was no longer blind. How could God give a person like Saul, now Paul, a second chance? Because God’s love was and is unconditional. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

Paul used his second chance to become a vessel for God, writing 13 books in the New Testament. And, as a result of his ministry, many people have come to Christ.

Dear Lord, please help us to work for You, not against You. May others be drawn to Your love by how we live. Amen.

Josue Ayala is an eighth-grader at Vienna Adventist Academy in Virginia.