Christian Living

Chief of All Sinners

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
01/31/22
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“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.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

I chose this text verse to make a point about all of us in this world. To begin my thoughts is the question I ask myself and share with you, “What is the Bible to you?” Other than the bible, some call it the good book, the rule book, and one in our congregation uses an acronym. “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” I have heard more, and I am sure some of you have heard too. Not that my calling is better or worse, I have a different perspective, as I call the bible when writing the Scriptures and speaking the bible. To myself, I view the Scriptures as the other side of the conversation with God.

I never have, and I am not one to say I have heard the Lord speak to me in a clear audio voice, but He does speak in my conscience. I also believe that God speaks in visions. He spoke to Joseph and the cupbearer to convey a message to Pharaoh. There are many examples of visions in Scripture, and there are those who have had visions to this day. I believe the two primary ways the Lord speaks to us are in prayer and the Scripture. As the other side of the conversation, the bible is God’s answer to our side of the conversation.

My perspective has changed in how I receive the Scripture into my being. The Holy Spirit authors the Scripture. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21) Even as Paul was writing to Timothy and saying he was the foremost of sinners, it was written to us individually. The Scripture is God’s prophecy to all of humanity. When I read “I am foremost of all,” that is speaking to me the foremost of all sinners.

When we read the Scriptures, God is speaking to us personally. I am the foremost of sinners, and you are too. The Scriptures tell me clearly “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Certainly, the unrighteous and the righteous are sinners. We often wonder why good things happen to the unrighteous and bad things happen to the righteous. I often hear the unrighteous who have rejected our Lord say why a God of love causes all this evil in the world. Then I have to explain that God does not cause evil to happen, as evil results from sin.

I believe if it were not for God’s common grace, humanity would have long ago destroyed itself. Our God of love, who is not partial to His creation, treats all justly. As we are told in Psalm, God pours out His blessing on all in His creation. “The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.” (Psalm 145:8-9) God shows His grace to all and desires all to know His goodness and seek Him in times of distress. God desires all of Humanity to become His children. “So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)

By God’s grace, humanity comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus our Christ. God’s Word created all, and by God’s Word, all can live, and all will be judged. To all who will read and believe the Scripture says to each, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8) My prayer is all will experience God’s saving grace. All live in His common grace, but they need the saving grace this verse speaks of.

Grace has different meanings for different people. Some bless their food with grace, name their children grace, and declare generous people as gracious. That’s okay, but it is not the saving grace Ephesians is speaking of. The saving grace is God’s divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in life. God’s saving grace is unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and sanctification. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Responding to the saving grace of God is like Ray Steven’s song “Mississippi Squirrel Revival,” “somethings got a hold on me lyric. Our vision changes from gaining all we can from the world to building our wealth in the Kingdom of God to come. Wealth is not dollars and cents but seeking the presence and approval of God by pleasing Him in our service to Him and seeking His Kingdom and bringing it to the heart of our deeds serving Him and our fellow humans. It is not born of the flesh and its desire but of the Spirit and His desire. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)

What is the purpose of life if we lose it all at death? The Creator creates with purpose, and all His creation has a purpose. Humanity is to glorify God in all they do. When God’s saving grace gets a hold of your purpose, your being becomes revealed. There is a discovery of the good work you were designed to accomplish in this life here, “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)The world is a complex place to live in and holds many mysteries. Jesus overcame the world and its temptations, and His Spirit can counsel us through to the same victory. It is the promise He has given to all of us. “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

The yoke of the Lord is easy to carry, as He has prepared the way before us, and all we do is pick up our cross and follow Him. Our charge is simple to spread the seeds of His truth into every ear that will hear. Water the seeds planted and edify the interest of the willing. His call is to “Go.” “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20) The basic command is love. Love the Lord God Almighty, and share His love with our neighbor. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

God’s desire is all His creation come into harmony with His Word. God does not want any to perish but to have a relationship with Him as their Father. “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

The followers of Jesus are the lights of His truth in a sin-darkened world, a world searching for love, peace, purpose, and reality. Humanity looks everywhere for these values and never finds them. From the beginning of humanity’s history, these values have been there for them, but they have rejected it and been given over to their own desires. The result is a world dying in its futility. In the hope of remedy, they search on, and our prayer is they will see and listen to the truth we share. God’s saving grace gives the satisfaction we’ve helped lift someone from the pit to the pedestal of God’s Kingdom. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

I joined the Army and survived Boot Camp at Fort Jackson S. C. On the first day, I learned why it’s called boot camp, as that was the first thing introduced to me on the backside. After all of that, I went to South Viet Nam with a heat filled with patriot cause. When you step on the battlefield, and total confusion surrounds you, all that parrot cause is gone. The soldiers around you are not people of color; they are not people of different religions, nor are they mixed heritage. The cause becomes protecting the life which is protecting yours. When we walk through the world today with the people around us, that person beside us depends on us to share the Words of Life. “In Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.” (Acts 17:28)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

Son Life Baptist, Valrico, Florida, July 12, 2021