This week we will continue our study with Ephesians 3:7-9:

First and foremost, Paul was a servant of the gospel. Everything in his life was focused upon his mission to share the unsearchable riches of Christ, the wonder of God’s grace. His goal was to "make plain" the mystery of God’s plan that had been kept hidden until that time. Paul certainly accomplished his purpose. He is without peer as champion of the gospel of God’s grace. He excelled to the point that he is still today almost certainly the most studied author in the world.

It could be argued that the epistles of Paul are the most powerful letters ever written by a human being. Countless millions have embraced Christ because of the clear exposition of the gospel that is found in these letters, which are forever preserved as canon Scripture. Possibly no other man or woman of God will have as much fruit in heaven as Paul. Yet, remarkably, he calls himself here "the least of all God’s people." How could this be?

It was of course the grace of God by which Paul was converted. He was a persecutor of the church, and raged against the saints of God in his youthful zeal. As a Pharisee of Pharisee’s, everything in his own reasoning had led him into direct conflict with the truth. Paul knew he could claim no credit for his apostleship. He owed everything to the grace and mercy of God. This he never forgot, and it was certainly the reason why he is the greatest champion of the gospel of grace to yet walk the earth.

Paul was also quite possibly one of the most brilliant men of all time. Yet, he profoundly knew that all of the truth he possessed he owed to the grace of God. Man’s reasoning can never lead to salvation. Yet, even the worst enemies of the gospel, which Paul once was, will be welcomed by God and helped if they will humble themselves. As we read in James 4:6, "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Paul walked in God’s grace to the end because he never forgot the mercy God extended to him. Therefore, in genuine humility he really did consider himself the most unworthy of all of the saints. Because he credited all that was accomplished through him to God, the Lord was able to trust him with extraordinary power for his task.

Interestingly, Paul did not start his ministry quite this humble. Even when he was young and his conversion still fresh, a progression of humility can be seen in the chronology of Paul’s letters. In one of his earliest letters he claims to not be inferior to even the greatest apostles. A few years later this attitude had changed and he called himself "the least of the apostles." In this letter he calls himself "the least of all God’s people." In one of his last writings he calls himself "the greatest of sinners."

Because God truly does resist the proud and gives His grace to the humble, those who are progressing toward true maturity, which is the true grace of God, will also be progressing toward increasing humility. This is all about grace, and therefore those who are pursuing God’s grace are also pursuing humility. Those who walk in humility can be trusted with power, and the gospel is meant to be accompanied by power.