By the Grace of God
The late Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, was one of the infamous “President’s men” during the Nixon White House era. He was a key figure in the Watergate scandal. Colson was known as the “hatchet man” for his skill in making the enemies of Nixon look really bad in order to achieve questionable ends. He was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in federal prison for his smear campaign against Pentagon analyst Daniel Ellsberg.
Colson was once driven by worldly ambition and success. Winning at all costs was the lens through which he viewed the world. Then, in prison, his life changed. He experienced a total transformation. He later wrote unashamedly about a different lens that gave his life a new focus:
Jesus is the origin and the end of all things, the Alpha and the Omega. Nothing has meaning apart from Him. Nothing exists apart from Him. He is the agent of creation, author of all that is and ever will be. Christ is Lord over all of creation, from the human soul to the vast reaches of the cosmos.
[From his book, How Now Shall We Live?]
Chuck Colson lived out the rest of his earthly existence driven by the truth about Jesus. His life had been transformed and multitudes of lives were changed through the ministry God had given him. The change in his life was so dramatic, many had a hard time believing he had really changed. After all, people often “get religion” while incarcerated. To some, Colson was no different. But even the critics had a hard time denying the clear evidence of the subsequent years of unwavering commitment to Christ on Chuck Colson’s part. He had truly changed.
It is human nature to be skeptical concerning people’s ability to change. For example, when hiring someone we might say, “past performance is the best indicator of future performance.” In most cases, that assumption proves to be true. But our God is a God of second chances, and He can help people change in ways that are nothing short of miraculous.
Imagine being Ananias, a first century Christ-follower in Damascus. You have received information that Saul of Tarsus, a ruthless persecutor of Christians, who has legal paperwork allowing him to arrest and drag off believers, even from places of worship, has come to town. You could be next. Your goal is to steer clear of Saul until he leaves town.
Then you have a vision. In that vision God is speaking to you: “Get up, go to Saul and pray for him.” You would likely give the same “motorboat response” that Ananias did: “But, but, but...” God is insistent: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine...” (Acts 9:15). “Saul?! A chosen instrument? Of Yours?!! Are we talkin’ about the same Saul?”
Could you bring yourself to believe that someone might possibly change that much? It’s impossible, isn’t it? Fortunately, Ananias trusted God, prayed for Saul and the rest is history. That same Saul, who sought to wipe out followers of Jesus, later wrote as the Apostle Paul:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-7).
The Apostle Paul, like Chuck Colson, lived the rest of his life driven by the truth about Jesus. His life had been transformed and multitudes of lives were changed through the ministry God had given him. The Holy Spirit through the grace of God, the same power that later transformed Colson, had transformed Paul. Do you have any doubt He can transform you?
Contrary to popular belief, past performance is not always the best indicator of future performance. Future performance can be completely altered by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.
“…even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy…and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” –1 TIMOTHY 1:13–14