Grace Empowers

Pastor Tim Keller tells the story of a woman who started attending the church he pastored and wanted to meet with him. One day at work, she made a fairly substantial mistake and thought she’d get fired for it, but instead, her boss took the blame. When she pressed him for the reason why, he told her he was a Christian, and at the center of his faith is the fact that Jesus took the blame for his sins on the cross (Tim Keller, in “Making the Most of Every Sunday Opportunity,” August 13, 2019, SharedChurch [blog]). Paul says that although he is the worst sinner out there, God has restored him to be faithful and appointed him to serve him (1 Timothy 1:12–13). The same is true for each and every one of us. That’s what is so amazing about God’s grace: it doesn’t just save wretches like us; it empowers us to serve him.