Jesus Restores All

This morning I read 1 Corinthians 15:9–11, where the Apostle Paul wrote:

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

As I sat with this passage, I reflected on what it means for my own life — and I realized that my testimony mirrors Paul’s testimony in ways I never expected.

Paul’s Story: From Persecutor to Preacher

Paul openly admits he persecuted the church of God.
He went after believers.
He approved of their deaths.
He denied Jesus Christ with his actions.

Yet God’s grace transformed him.

Paul was blinded for three days, and his sight was restored when he encountered Jesus Christ through Scripture. His entire identity was reborn through the Spirit of Christ.

My Story: Blinded for 18 Years

For me, I didn’t persecute the church — but I killed my relationship with God when my dad died.
The same evil that tempted Paul tempted me.
We both denied Jesus Christ in our own ways.

Paul was blinded for three days.
I was blinded for eighteen years.

My sight came back through repentance, and through God’s grace and mercy.
In the end, both Paul and I were reborn into the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Peter’s Story: Denial, Fear, and Restoration

The same pattern appears in Peter’s life.

On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Him three times.
This is the same Peter who:

• walked with Christ
• ate with Him
• witnessed miracles firsthand
• saw the glory of God up close

Yet when fear came, he denied knowing Jesus.

The same evil that tempted Paul and me also tempted Peter.

Our Stories Are More Similar Than We Think

I’m not saying I am on the same “level” as Paul or Peter.
But our journeys — yours and mine — are more alike than we realize.

We all go through seasons where:

• we know of God
• we believe in God
• yet circumstances (like mine)
• fear (like Peter)
• or personal truth (like Paul)

lead us to deny God’s love, grace, and mercy.

God’s Faithfulness Never Fails

But here is the truth that changes everything:

God is the God of restoration.
God is the God of redemption.
God is the God of love, mercy, and forgiveness.

Even when Paul, Peter, myself — and yes, even you — have given up on God,
God has never given up on us.

The Heart of the Gospel: You Are Worth It

John 3:16 says:

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God loves you so much that He gave Jesus to save you from the sins and burdens you carry.
What God is saying is simple:

You are worth it.

Despite:

• where you are
• what you’ve done
• the fears you carry
• the circumstances you face
• the truth you’ve lived

Jesus Christ is willing to wipe the slate clean and forgive you.

Jesus Restores What We Break

• Jesus restored Peter after the resurrection.
• Jesus restored Paul’s sight and heart.
• Jesus restored my life after I repented of my unfaithfulness.

And He can restore yours too.

Paul said, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy…”
But God still used him.

You are never too far from God to be restored.

No sin, no action, no fear, no circumstance, no personal truth can stop God from:

• forgiving you
• loving you
• redeeming you
• restoring you

This is the beauty of God’s grace and Jesus Christ’s peace.

Your Testimony of Restoration Begins Now

Paul ended the passage with:

“Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.”

These testimonies — Paul’s, Peter’s, mine — exist to encourage you to find the grace, mercy, love, and peace that Jesus Christ offers.

You can be:

• the least, like Paul
• close to Christ, like Peter
• or someone like me

Restoration and redemption are always possible through Jesus Christ.

It’s your turn to return to grace
and begin your own testimony of restoration.

With love,
Brian