Steve Brown escreveu:
“Filhos fogem da Lei, e fogem também da graça, mas, aqueles que fogem da lei nunca mais voltam. A graça, ao contrário, sempre traz os seus de volta para casa”.
Que história maravilhosa, a história de Paulo. Um homem cheio da chamada “ira santa”, tomado por um desejo de morte para com aqueles que criam diferentemente dele, e disposto a tudo para eliminar o que ele acreditava ser uma heresia maligna que corrompia o povo judeu.
Acontece que, a caminho de Damasco, ele encontra aquele a quem perseguia: Jesus Cristo.
Paulo cai do cavalo literalmente, e numa conversa franca, Jesus o perdoa e o recruta para que fosse o maior pregador do Novo Testamento.
Os homens que o acompanhavam o levaram para uma casa na Rua Direita, onde ele esperava confuso, atemorizado e cego, por aquele que seria o instrumento de Deus para prepará-lo para a grande jornada da sua vida. O homem recrutado por Deus se chamava Ananias, cujo nome significa “A graça de Deus”.
Interessante as coincidências de Deus. A graça abriu os olhos de Paulo, e se tornou o cerne da sua mensagem.
Ananias impôs-lhe as mãos, e Paulo recuperou muito mais do que a visão; ele foi batizado pelo Espírito Santo e saiu dali para transformar o mundo.
Ainda que Paulo tivesse se convertido, e recebido a extraordinária revelação da graça de Deus na pessoa de Cristo, foi somente por meio dos anos que essa tremenda verdade foi penetrando os recônditos da sua mente, sentimentos e até as entranhas.
Para exemplificar melhor, no início da carreira apostólica, Paulo ainda apresentava ranços do velho homem, quando afirmava estar à altura dos demais apóstolos, afinal, havia recebido o evangelho do próprio Cristo, e não de homens.
Acontece que os anos passaram, e quanto mais a revelação da graça se aprofundava em sua vida, mais ele percebia o quanto precisava melhorar. Nesta época, Paulo já não se via como um grande apóstolo, mas como o menor deles.
O paradoxo dessa verdade é que, ainda que a glória do evangelho estivesse evidente na sua vida, manifestando-se por meio de milagres, conversões, sabedoria, revelações, essa mesma glória fazia com que ele se enxergasse pequeno diante da grandeza de Cristo.
Ao final da vida, Paulo faz uma declaração linda: “Jesus Cristo veio salvar os pecadores, dos quais eu sou o maior”.
Não creio que, a essa altura, Paulo tivesse uma autoimagem negativa ou fosse tomado por culpa. Muito pelo contrário! Neste tempo, ele sabia que havia feito um grande trabalho.
Na carta de despedida ao seu discípulo e amigo Timóteo, ele diz:
“Combati o bom combate, acabei a carreira, guardei a fé”.
A verdade é que quanto mais nos aproximamos de Cristo, mais somos constrangidos pela sua graça, pelo seu amor, pelo seu perdão, pela honra que temos de proclamar o seu nome, e mais enxergamos quem somos diante da perfeição do nosso Salvador.
A graça nos convence das nossas limitações, sem nos trazer o peso da culpa.
A graça revela o nosso valor, sem nos tornar inchados ou soberbos.
A graça nos faz chorar e rir ao mesmo tempo. Ela nos encoraja a sonhar com o impossível, mas também nos ensina a nos alegrarmos com as pequenas coisas.
A graça que nos eleva é a mesma que nos torna humildes.
Sobretudo, a graça nos embriaga do amor de Cristo, do amor a Cristo, e do amor por aqueles a quem Cristo ama.
A história de Paulo é uma história de graça por excelência! Mas ela pode ser a minha; pode ser a sua.
O segredo para esta graça, acho que você já sabe: é conhecer o amor de Cristo, que segundo Paulo, tem comprimento, altura, largura e profundidade.
Agora, isso é uma tarefa para a vida inteira. Está interessado? Vamos juntos!
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É termendo o que a graça de Deus faz !