Christian Living

Abundant Mercy of His Grace

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
08/02/21
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“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:12-17)

The Apostle Paul was one of the most prominent Church planters, the leading missionary and light to the Gentile world, a highly educated minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and an example of all believers in Jesus could exemplify. Paul could take a large amount of self-pride in the amazing accomplishments of his career both before the road to Damascus and after. But on the road to Damascus, Paul was challenged and ordained by the Lord and Savior Jesus, and his life took on a whole new direction. Which in the power of the Holy Spirit, he had even greater reason to boast. Paul was not in the service of the Lord for his glory but the glory and honor of his Master. Paul here begins his letter to Timothy was all praise and thankfulness to Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul was a Pharisee who was a believer in strong obedience to the laws of God, those who tried to destroy the gospel of Jesus Christ by crucifixion and was in the participation of persecution of those who were followers of Jesus. Paul had proven his faithfulness to the Word; he was dedicated to its teachings and now was empowered by the Spirit to do the good work prepared beforehand. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) Paul’s faithfulness showed in his apostleship; he does not credit himself but to the power of Jesus living through him. For the good work that the Lord is doing through him, Paul is devoutly thankful.

Paul, in his previous ministry as a Pharisee, not only blasphemed the name of Jesus, but he was a persecutor of those who followed the way of Jesus. He went about trying to persuade those to forsake their newfound way and return to the Jewish way of worship for God. It was no small task for Paul to delight in violence towards and to lay guilt upon those who followed the teaching of Jesus. But what we do not see is Paul boasting of his old self as now he knows the guilt of his own sinfulness. Paul may have in the past, but now he knows the shame of his sinfulness and no longer seeks glory for himself. Neither does Paul excuse his ignorance and unbelief but exalts the mercy of God who found him and gave him pardon.

God found Paul, not as One who knew not where he was but as the One who knew what Paul could be in His power. Those of the way, the followers of Jesus, did not trust Paul as he tortured and persecuted them. Jesus Himself testified to Ananias that Paul was now His chosen. “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16) The Lord chose one of His bitterest enemies and transformed him into His warmest friend.

God’s grace is more than sufficient for any condition that a man may fall into. Sins Paul was held in bondage to were effaced, and the weight of the guilt he bore was released by the forgiveness that the Lord had given him. His unbelief blinded Paul, but now his mind was opened to the bright vision of faith in Jesus Christ. As a Pharisee, any faith that Paul had was confined by the law. He could not see the freedom found by faith in Jesus. “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.” (Galatians 3:23) The grace of God cannot be confined, and His goodness is never exhausted.

All of the creation of God was blessed by the appearance of Jesus the Christ into the world. His purpose was to save the world from its bondage to sin and to save the sinners. So great is the grace of God it is impossible to exaggerate the importance of either His coming or the purpose of His coming. Humanity tends to believe that favor from the Savior is needed as an application of His grace. We should not look so much upon the purposes of God but His tenderness towards all repentant sinners. “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) Paul focuses on the one wonderful truth that “Jesus came to save sinners.” Paul himself declared that he was the foremost.

When one realizes the sinful behaviors in their life, the guilt becomes overwhelming. The burden of this guilt is burdensome and weighs down the conscience of a soul, and the need to be free of it is necessary for peace in the spirit. No one should desire to live in the shame and sorrow that sin brings upon them. Repentance is the choice one is driven to make for the relief of it. This world is filled with sorrows for the many things that have happened in life, but the sorrow one has for past sins comes according to the will of God. This sorrow is known as Godly sorrow. Godly sorrow brings a man to repentance without looking back to their old behaviors. Godly sorrow leads to the path of salvation. “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

If Paul saw himself as the chief of all sinners and received the mercy of God, then God’s mercy is an offer to all. Too many people I have spoken to and have heard from believing that they are not good enough to receive the free gift of salvation from the Almighty God. It is not the truth found in God’s Word. The worst of us as the very best are sinners in the eyes of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Jesus died for the sins of the world, and He declared that the work of the cross was finished. The world walks the condemnation of sin, which has been paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. All because that will not accept His grace, they will not turn away from the desire of their worldly ways, and they will not call upon the name of Jesus to find forgiveness.

As the chief of sinners, Paul is the example so we can see to repent and seek the forgiveness of God. As the example as the chief of sinners, Paul is the eternal promise that God’s love and His grace towards the repentant sinner that all can accept God’s free gift of salvation and be justified in it by their faith in His Word. Paul ends this passage with praise and thanksgiving for the grace and mercy of the God of his salvation. In the love of God, our Creator, whose divine wisdom renders the wisdom of the world as foolishness, has provided the only way that His creation can find redemption. Those who reject the grace of God eternity will be in horror, but those who believe and act in the faith of their belief will be delighted because of His grace. “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:8-10)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant, December 22, 2018