1 Timothy 1 (The Message)
15-19Here's a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I'm proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.
I love these verses. With Paul's history, he was pretty tough on himself as "Public Sinner Number One". Maybe we should all be that hard on ourselves. I don't know anyone who has persecuted christians like Paul. But, we're all sinners and none of us deserve the great mercy we've been given. At first glance, the next sentence really bothered me. Could I ever think of myself as worthy of being the type of person that God could "show off"? I can't even imagine it. But if you look at what is being said, it makes more sense. God can use me and my bent toward sinfulness. He can show me off to say that I am not anywhere close to being worthy of his love. Yet, he still loves me and blesses me beyond my wildest dreams. He is infinitely patient with me. He know my weakness and yet he also knows my heart. I truly desire to please him. I am woefully poor at doing it! Even though I can never live up to the blessings, God doesn't care. He just wants to me.
When I am sharing my faith, it's important for me to be open and honest about who I really am. I need to be real and let those who are on the edge of trusting Christ know my weakness and my sinfulness. When you look at Paul, or the Disciples, or Moses, or Noah, or Abraham, or David, or many of the greats from the Bible, it's easy to say I can never live up to that. Yet, they were all weak. God used them to say, "My grace is sufficient. My mercy is exceptional. If I can grant that grace and mercy to these weak and sinful people, I can provide it for you." What a great way to show off his love for us!
Dear Lord, Thank You for the grace and mercy you grant me and my family. I know I truly don't deserve your love. Thank You Lord. Thank You for my life. May I use it to bring others closer to you. Amen!
I love these verses. With Paul's history, he was pretty tough on himself as "Public Sinner Number One". Maybe we should all be that hard on ourselves. I don't know anyone who has persecuted christians like Paul. But, we're all sinners and none of us deserve the great mercy we've been given. At first glance, the next sentence really bothered me. Could I ever think of myself as worthy of being the type of person that God could "show off"? I can't even imagine it. But if you look at what is being said, it makes more sense. God can use me and my bent toward sinfulness. He can show me off to say that I am not anywhere close to being worthy of his love. Yet, he still loves me and blesses me beyond my wildest dreams. He is infinitely patient with me. He know my weakness and yet he also knows my heart. I truly desire to please him. I am woefully poor at doing it! Even though I can never live up to the blessings, God doesn't care. He just wants to me.
When I am sharing my faith, it's important for me to be open and honest about who I really am. I need to be real and let those who are on the edge of trusting Christ know my weakness and my sinfulness. When you look at Paul, or the Disciples, or Moses, or Noah, or Abraham, or David, or many of the greats from the Bible, it's easy to say I can never live up to that. Yet, they were all weak. God used them to say, "My grace is sufficient. My mercy is exceptional. If I can grant that grace and mercy to these weak and sinful people, I can provide it for you." What a great way to show off his love for us!
Dear Lord, Thank You for the grace and mercy you grant me and my family. I know I truly don't deserve your love. Thank You Lord. Thank You for my life. May I use it to bring others closer to you. Amen!
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