Grace's Billboard: A Life That Points to God

By: Pastor José Flávio Macieira — 2025

The goal of your testimony is not for people to admire you, but for them to glorify God because of you.

“Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they praised God because of me.” (Galatians 1:21-24 NIV)

We all have a reputation, a story people tell about us. Paul, concluding the defense of his gospel's divine origin, presents the final, irrefutable proof: the impact of his own story on the lives of others. He didn't need letters of recommendation or an endorsement from the apostles in Jerusalem. His transformed life was his most eloquent argument, a living testimony that traveled faster and farther than he did.

Paul makes a point to emphasize that he was "personally unknown" to the churches of Judea. They were not influenced by his charisma, his oratory, or his physical presence. They only had a report, a piece of news that seemed unbelievable: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." The power of Paul's testimony lay in this absolute contrast. It was not the story of a good man who became a little better. It was the story of a 180-degree turnaround, of the number one enemy of the faith becoming its greatest defender. This is the mark of a true conversion wrought by the power of God. The transformation is so radical and inexplicable in human terms that it points to a supernatural cause.

And here is the climax, the ultimate goal of all Christian testimony. What was the reaction of the churches upon hearing this story? They didn't say, "Wow, what an incredible man Paul is!" or "What impressive willpower he has!". The text is clear: "And they praised God because of me." Paul's life became a window through which people could see the magnificence of God's grace, power, and mercy. He became a living billboard for the gospel, a sign that pointed not to himself, but to heaven.

This is our deepest vocation as followers of Christ. Our stories, with all their dark pasts and all the transformations grace has worked, are not for our own exaltation. They are instruments for the glory of God. The purpose of sharing what God has done in us is not for people to admire us, but for them to be in awe of the God we serve. As Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount: "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). A life transformed by grace is the most powerful and irrefutable argument for the truth of the gospel, an argument that doesn't generate applause for the messenger, but worship for our God.

Challenge

Think about your own conversion story or a specific area of your life where God has worked a great transformation. Today, share that story with someone. As you tell it, make a conscious effort to emphasize not your strength or change, but what God did. End your story in a way that the only possible response is "Glory to God!".

Time to Reflect

1. What "report" do people who know you tell about your life and your faith?

2. What is the greatest contrast between your "before" self and your "after" self, transformed by the grace of Christ?

3. When you share your testimony, does the focus tend to be on you or on God? How can you change that?

4. Beyond words, how can your daily actions cause others to "glorify God because of you"?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me a new story. Take the chapters of my past and present and use them as a powerful testimony to Your transforming power. Help me to live and speak in such a way that people don't look at me, but through me, and see You. May my life be a billboard for Your grace, provoking praise and worship to Your name. In Jesus' name, amen.

Your life is the loudest sermon you will ever preach. Make sure it points to the right God.