By the grace of God I am what I am

1 Corinthians 15 is an important chapter on Resurrection. Paul spoke clearly the importance for Christians to believe in Resurrection. In fact, our belief in resurrection is tied to our belief in Christ's resurrection. Without the one resurrection there won't be the other resurrection:
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." (verses 17-19)

Death is NOT the end of things. Spending eternity with our Creator is what offers us hope to live today. Each day I wake up (and still breathing!) I must reaffirm that God has spared me for this day for his eternal purpose. As important as it is, the purpose is not to earn an income to keep my family alive, or to preach the gospel to bring the lost to Christ, or to make disciples of those who already believe, or to live the right life in order to make God happy. The purpose, according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism question 1: "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever".

Now how we can bring glory to God and to enjoy him will look different for different persons. Paul spoke of himself as the worse of sinners (1 Timonthy 1:15-16), or as one abnormally born (verse 8), or the least of the apostles (verse 9). "But by the grace of God I am what I am" (verse 10)! God is able to use any one of us to bring glory to him. It is sometimes hard to believe. But I am convinced that the more we believe in it, the more we will appreciate God's soverign choice (why me?!) and his love for me, and the more we will enjoy him, not just now, but for all eternity.

I recently came to know Brennan Manning who passed away on April 12, 2013. First my wife found a Youtube video of him speaking on "The ABBA Experience". 5 minutes into it I found myself full of tears as Brennan explained the first two words of the Lord's prayer: "Our Father" (or ABBA Father). I have never heard of such powerful explanation on who this ABBA Father is. I walked away learning two important things:
1. To pray regularly this simple prayer: "Abba father, I belong to you"
2. To never forget (from the story of the prodigal son) that when I return to him, Abba father is always running towards me, throwing his arms around me, and CANNOT STOP kissing me!! (Luke 15:20)

Now Brennan Manning is no saint. After finish reading his biography "All is Grace: A Regamuffin's Memoir" I marbled at the grace our Abba father has for every one. He demonstrated this by using Brennan Manning to bring so many back to him, to rediscover who he is and how much love he has for us. I look forward to reading two other books by him:
1. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out
2. Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging

Now Paul is the worse of sinners; Brennan is an alcoholic; and I am... I am what I am. But by the grace of God I will bring glory to him and to experience his Abba father love both now and forever more. AMEN!