God’s Grace for Another Plan

Acts 27:23-24

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Paul was a great preacher and Christian, but great preachers and Christians are still sinners at best. Paul's strength was also his weakness. His strength was his burden to see his people get saved, as displayed in Romans 9:3: For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

Paul's mistake was that he let his burden overtake God's will for his life. Paul's burden led him to take a Jewish vow and go to Jerusalem to observe the offering in the temple. Paul had no business observing this offering because Christ was his eternal sacrifice. These Jewish ceremonies were no longer to be observed because Christ fulfilled them all. However, Paul's burden led him to backslide from the truth of Christ being our eternal sacrifice, all for the sake of trying to reach his people with the Gospel.

However, God did not give up on using Paul. Paul was being transferred to Rome, and he said that an angel of God told him, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar. Although Paul messed up God’s original plan for his life, God had more grace to give another plan for his life. God never gave up on Paul, even though he made the choice that messed up God’s original plan. God’s grace for another plan was still a mighty plan. Oh, we will never know what God originally planned for Paul’s life, but we do get to enjoy what God’s grace for another plan did for his life, and for ours. Because of God’s grace for another plan, we have all of the Pauline epistles to read.

God’s grace is always greater than any sin that we can commit. Just because you messed up God’s original plan for your life does not mean that God cannot use you again. Reason with me for a moment. God’s original plan when He created the world was for man to never sin. However, man messed up that plan when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit. Yet, God’s grace came up with another plan to have man’s sins paid for through Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary. God’s grace for another plan has benefited millions of people throughout the ages, and God’s grace for another plan has used many people for His glory.

My friend, you can never go so deep in sin that God’s grace cannot come up with another plan to use you. God’s grace for another plan is seen in the lives of Samson, David, Jacob, and Onesimus, just to name a few. Always remember that sin is never greater than God’s grace. As long as you are alive, God’s grace has a plan for your life. Oh, that plan may not be what He originally planned, but God’s grace is great enough to still use you despite what you have done.

Let me encourage you not to allow sin to waste God’s grace. Though what you have done may seem to whisper in your ear daily to remind you of your failings, you must choose to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit who whispers in your heart that God’s grace is greater than your sin. You must get up, plug your ears to the voices of pharisees who want to condemn you, and listen to the voice of God’s grace that has another plan for your life. You can be used greatly by God again, not in the way you thought, but in another great and beautiful plan that God’s grace has created for your life.