In Spite of Us / David Jeremiah

In Spite of Us This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 1 Timothy 1:15 Before Semere came to Christ, he was a leader in the Muslim community in his Ethiopian village. Semere was adamantly opposed to Christianity and “since [he] was a young man, [he] wanted to persecute and even kill Christians.” But after burning the house of a Christian woman in another village, God crushed him and drew him to Himself. Since his conversion, Semere has been used by God to bring more than one hundred people to a saving knowledge of Christ.1

Recommended Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-16

Like the apostle Paul, Semere’s story is just one of countless stories of how God uses those who were opposed to Him before they became Christians to bring many to Him after they accept Christ as Savior.  In His sovereignty and goodness God uses our past mistakes and failures to bring glory to Himself. Don’t disqualify yourself from serving your Heavenly Father because of what you have done in the past. Remember: He uses us in spite of us.   The greatness of sin is no bar to our acceptance with God… nor to our being employed for him, if it be truly repented of. Matthew Henry