Looking Back at God's Grace

A believer, however MUST define himself, or more accurately, is defined by his relationship to Christ. What Christ did for him and in him defines and determines him — he is a new creature in Christ Jesus!
Electing Grace (Gal. 1:15, 16)
I’m going to call his reflection, a recall of “Electing grace…” “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;”
CONTEXT: explaining that his gospel did not come from man and in the course of that explanation and defense, he recalls how God graciously dealt with him by revealing the Lord Jesus to/in him.

When we consider election, I believe some spend raising too many speculative questions. They have their places but that must not be the substance of our reflection. Here we see how best to view it.

1. He sees his life as being changed by God’s initiative and intervention — “who called me”.
2. He saw his life changed “by grace.”
3. He saw his life as changed in terms of God revealing Christ to him — “reveals his Son to me”.
4. He sees his life as being directed —“that I might preach him among the Gentiles”.
5. He saw his changed life as being the effect of God’s sovereign electing grace — “But when he who had set me apart before I was born…”