Worshiping God for His Grace Part V

1 Timothy 1:12-17:

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 the foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, that in being 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.

The next two verses of our text really bring out the heart of Paul’s testimony, the heart of this message, the heart of our Savior, and the reason we preach the Gospel. These verses show us the Mission of Christ. 1 Timothy 1:15-16

“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.”

Vs. 15 is a strong comparison to Jesus’ words in Luke 5:29-32:

And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax-gatherers and other people who were reclining at the table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” and Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Remember our previous verse, “there is no one who is righteous, not even one”? Here Jesus is specifically saying, if you don’t see yourself as a sinner, then you cannot see your need for a Savior. Only an openly honest sinner can repent. The sinners that Christ calls to repentance are those whom by grace He has made aware of their sins, they are drawn irresistibly to the Son, and truly do repent of Their sins.

Next, I want to take a minute to show you how Paul’s thinking progressed. Jesus told His disciples “he who wants to be great must become the servant”, and His point, His example, and His desire for us is a growing humility and dependence on Him alone for our salvation.
With this in mind I want to show you Paul growing more and more humble as his walk with Christ progressed:

• 1 Cor 15:9 Paul says “For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” This was written in the first half of 55 AD.

• Then between five and seven years later he wrote the following in Ephesians 3:8 “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ”

• Then in our verse here, written near the end of His life, probably between 62-64 AD, Paul calls himself the foremost of sinners, or chief of sinners.

Do you see the pattern?:
-First, he’s the Least of the apostles
-Then the Least of the saints
-And finally the Chief of sinners

Now, it’s one thing to look at Paul’s salvation and Christ’s patience as an example for the working of the grace of God, but it is an entirely different thing to look at this picture, in contrast with our own sinful lives, and see just how far this grace of God can stretch, to cover our sinfulness, to wash each of us individually clean.

I love what Matthew Henry writes about this verse:

“No man, with Paul’s example before him, can question the love and power of Christ to save him, if he really desires to trust in him as the Son of God, who once died on the cross and now reigns upon the throne of glory, to save all that come to God through Him.”

That is the mission of Christ, to save all that come to Him. Listen to these amazing words of Christ and know, that if He has truly given you a heart to come to Him, a desire for forgiveness and submission to His will, then He will by no means reject your cries for forgiveness and salvation. He will welcome you, and strengthen you, and put you into service, just as the scriptures during this study has shown us.

John 6:37-40: A

ll that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I myself will raise him up on the last day.”

We know very well that Christ Jesus came to die on the cross for sins, we know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and I am writing today to share the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person who will read this article. No matter what you have done, no matter where you have been, no matter what your present circumstances are, Christ’s death on the cross is most certainly sufficient to pay the penalty for your sins. It is God who holds salvation in His hand, and He alone has the power to save you.

No wonder Paul breaks out into this Doxology, this praise song in the midst of this letter; and our final verse of study. Paul takes everything that we have looked at, every aspect of the grace of God, and he can't contain it any more, it is time to worship God in light of these tremendous truths. Looking at verse 17:

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen”

Paul looking back at his sinful life and horrible offenses, looking back and seeing God’s sovereign intervention, God’s amazing grace, His saving power and eternal plan, he then sees truly, especially when our salvation is concerned, that it is God alone who deserves all the glory honor and praise for His wonderful, merciful beautiful work of redemption, that He so freely extends to us, even to us, this glorious Gospel of grace.

When you stand back and observe salvation, in light of the grace of God, there is nothing left to do, but worship Jesus for His sacrifice, worship the Father for His grace, worship the Spirit for the drawing of our hearts, we worship God, for His grace, in our salvation.

May God bless you, as you seek His will, His kingdom, His glory, In His service,

Brian Bivens