Amazing, Saving Grace

Tuesdays with Timothy  #9

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

This is one of my favorite passages. Oh, what amazing grace that God would take a sinner, a blasphemer, a religious persecutor and saved him. To call a malicious, arrogant tyrant, who voraciously opposed Him, and then forgive him. But not only forgive him, but give him life and make him a joint-heir with Christ. This was truly exceeding abundant grace.  Not merely grace given, but grace given and overflowing. Grace is a gift we do not deserve and God gives it in an overflowing fashion. Taking into account Paul’s life and his great sin we see the greatness of God’s grace. We are saved by grace, through faith and Paul gives a personal testimony to this fact. There was a great love in the heart of Paul that flows from the love which is found in our union with Christ. No longer found in Adam, or found in his works, or found in the sect of the Pharisee; Paul was now found in Christ. 

This is a faithful saying, worthy and dependably - Jesus came to save sinners, of whom Paul says he is chief.  Paul knew it to be true experimentally because he had experienced the depth of sin and the heights of grace. The Bible declares it imperatively and I can tell you that I know it to be true and trustworthy. This saying is deserving of your receiving its truths. If there were ever anything worth believing, it is this, Christ Jesus came to save sinners. The value and truth of this saying makes it worthy of receiving. He came from Heaven, born of a virgin. He came of his own will and came with a purpose and a mission. It was not first to rule, or to destroy. Not even to judge and condemn. All this comes later. Jesus came to save sinners.  Big sinners, wretched sinners, young sinners, and old sinners. He came to lift up the poor in spirit and save the lost an undone. To seek and save the unworthy, the unloved, the undeserving. Christ came to save sinners and Paul rejoiced, because he was a sinner. Are you a sinner? Have you committed great crimes against God? Are you stained as scarlet with your wretchedness? Jesus came to save sinners. Paul rejoiced that he is now an example for all sinners, in that he acquired mercy.

Paul obtained, or received mercy. You don’t earn mercy and you don't deserve grace. Mercy, according to Thayer, is “to help the afflicted, to bring help to the wretched”. Mercy to the wretched, to the poor in spirit, to the destitute, and to the depraved. To bring salvation to the dying, mercy to the sinner, grace to the filthy, help to the hurting, and healing to the sick of soul. Perhaps one imagines they are too dirty to be saved or too ugly inside to be cleansed or perhaps too used to be loved and too shamed to be accepted. Well, Paul has some news for you, and this is actually why he told you he was so bad to start with; Paul is our pattern and example.  Are you a sinner? Have you committed great crimes against God?  God has given you a pattern to look to.  God has shown us what he does in saving a soul.  You are a sinner? So was Paul. Have you have rejected Christ? Have you have blasphemed?  So did Paul and God saved Paul. God forgave him and gave him life. God gave him repentance, faith, love and cleansed him and made him pure and clean that he can stand righteous before God, in Christ.  Not by works of righteousness because you can't wash yourself enough to clean your soul.  Not by being good, can’t be good enough to make up for the past. Not by turning your life around, because you are already guilty. But God offers full and free and forever salvation. Saved from your sins, saved from Hell and preserved to have a blessed eternity with Jesus Christ. The salvation is not in turning your life around, but faith in Christ, the substitute on the cross. Jesus took upon Him the sins of His people on the cross and there received the wrath of God due sinners. Christ paid for the sin of His people and laid down His life in my place. Christ victoriously rose for our justification and all who come to Him in faith receive forgiveness and pardon. Hear the words of the apostle himself in Acts 16:30-31 Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Trust in what Christ did as an atonement, a substationary sacrifice on the cross, by grace, be saved and live in peace forever with the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory forever and ever. Amen.

This is true, and you ought to believe it!