God’s Amazing Grace | Galatians 1:10–24
Grace isn’t just the moment we first come to faith — it’s an ongoing power at work in us for a lifetime. This episode closes out Galatians 1 by looking at Paul’s own testimony as living proof of the gospel’s power, framed by the story behind the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
Scripture Read: Galatians 1:10–24 (NASB)
The Story Behind “Amazing Grace”
John Newton, an English slave ship captain, converted to Christianity in 1748 after nearly losing his ship in a violent storm at sea. But grace didn’t finish its work instantly — Newton continued captaining slave ships for six more years, and it would be nearly a quarter-century, in 1772, before he wrote “Amazing Grace.” His transformation was slow and messy, not an overnight event.
Main Points
1. Paul Was Not a People-Pleaser Paul opens this section by making clear he wasn’t seeking human approval — a signal that what he preaches carries divine, not human, origin.
2. A Radical Transformation Paul’s biography is the evidence: from Saul the persecutor to Paul the preacher, from a murderer to a missionary. He was living at the height of religious prowess and zeal, yet was fundamentally at odds with Christ.
3. Set Apart Before Birth God chose and set Paul apart before he was even born — his calling wasn’t a reward for good behavior but a sovereign act of grace.
4. Independent Confirmation of the Gospel Paul deliberately did not consult with anyone at first, staying away from the Jerusalem apostles for three years — underscoring that his gospel came from the risen Christ Himself, not secondhand from other people.
5. The Purpose Behind It All God was working through Paul’s transformed life to bring glory to Christ.
What Holds Us Back
The quiet suspicion that grace is for people whose story isn’t as complicated as ours — that our past, whatever we’ve done or whatever’s been done to us, has created damage even the gospel can’t reach.
How Christ Sets Us Free
Paul’s own story is Exhibit A for the gospel’s power. He wasn’t transformed by religion or self-improvement, but by the intrusion of Christ’s divine revelation. Christ came to Paul at his worst, not after he’d cleaned himself up — and the change wasn’t just behavioral, it reoriented his entire life from the inside out.
Where We Can Stand
The same grace that reached Paul can reach us. Our worst chapter is not our final chapter. The power of salvation rests in what Christ has done, not in what we do.
How We Should Walk
Stop editing your story — whether to sound more broken or more deserving than you are. Grace is amazing precisely because it’s a gift to sinners who don’t deserve it. We can’t lose what we never earned. God loves us simply because God is love, and He holds us fast by grace.
Reflection Question
How will you respond to Paul’s claims about the divine origin of his calling — and what might it mean for the parts of your own story you assume grace can’t reach?
Closing Thought
Just as Newton’s transformation unfolded slowly over decades, God’s amazing grace is still at work in us — growing us from grace to grace, long past our conversion. Because Christ rose from the dead, He has the power to keep writing our redemption story too.
Coming Up Next
Read ahead! Episode 4 moves into Galatians chapter 2!
