called him into His service although Paul had been “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Timothy 1:13). Despite this, “The grace of our Lord was more than abundant” to the apostle (v. 14). Grace overflowed to Paul. It came in waves. Elsewhere he described the flow this way: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). Our concern here is God’s grace in salvation, but we need to note that God is gracious to all people, including the lost. This is called “common