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Paul was not ashamed of his past. He wasn't proud of it either in the sense of boasting about what he did and who he was. But, he was not ashamed of it in the sense of not wanting to talk about it or admit it. He used it to point to Christ. He used it to point to God's mercy and forgiveness. He used it to put his foot down and say, "Yeah, my past was bad. But God's mercy and forgiveness are bigger than my past and He showed me mercy, forgave me, and now is using me."

My past may not be as bad as Paul's from a human perspective. I mean...in the eyes of man, a mass murderer is a worse sinner than someone who steals a pack of bubble gum from the store or blames his little sister for scribbling on the bedroom wall. I am the kid who stole the bubble gum (and the tootsie rolls, and sunflower seeds and the wax finger tips and the candy necklaces and the...). I am the one who blamed his little sister for scribbling on the bedroom wall (and then watched as my mom spanked her and not me which was okay until my mom found out the truth!)

BUT...in the eyes of God we are all DEAD and need His LIFE. Sin is sin. All sin breaks God's heart and violates God's perfect standard. Break one sin (even something as small as stealing a .05 tootsie roll) and I have broken them ALL. I am a sinner. I am the one Paul wrote to Timothy about just a few verses earlier ... the ungodly, the sinful, the rebels, the unholy, the perverts, the liars, the perjurers... I am the sinner who needs the law. I am the sinner who needs the mercy and forgiveness of Christ - just like Paul did.

And then God showed His mercy to me and forgave me and is now allowing me to be part of building His kingdom by serving others, being Jesus with skin on, inviting others to church, talking to others about Him, praying for others.

I need to use my past and my sinful state to point to Christ and His forgiveness and mercy. To point to the fact that is it bigger and more powerful than my past, Paul's past, and anyone's past. To point to the fact that when He forgives - He also invites us and wants us to be on His team to serve others, improve the life of others, pray for others, invite others to church. He doesn't use my past to hold me back from serving Him! He uses my past to put the spotlight on Him!