“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
1 Timothy 1:12
The Lord works in mysterious ways. Look how He fixed His eyes on Paul—a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man. How could such a person be an object of God’s forgiveness, let alone someone God would choose as an instrument of His will?
The answer lies in this phrase: “I was shown mercy.” Paul did not gloss over his sin; he was painfully aware of the depth of it. Though religious, he had so misunderstood God and His ways that he believed it was right to put Christians to death. But for Jesus who paid the penalty for Paul’s sin, he surely would have been condemned. God granted him mercy, not only forgiving him, but also using him mightily to bring many to saving faith.
If God can forgive Paul, He can forgive you and me. If God can rescue such an opponent of the gospel and press him into kingdom service, no one is too far from the reach of God’s mercy. Do not despair of your failures today. Instead, call out for God’s forgiveness through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Cast yourself on His mercy, and He will meet you with His grace.
The answer lies in this phrase: “I was shown mercy.” Paul did not gloss over his sin; he was painfully aware of the depth of it. Though religious, he had so misunderstood God and His ways that he believed it was right to put Christians to death. But for Jesus who paid the penalty for Paul’s sin, he surely would have been condemned. God granted him mercy, not only forgiving him, but also using him mightily to bring many to saving faith.
If God can forgive Paul, He can forgive you and me. If God can rescue such an opponent of the gospel and press him into kingdom service, no one is too far from the reach of God’s mercy. Do not despair of your failures today. Instead, call out for God’s forgiveness through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Cast yourself on His mercy, and He will meet you with His grace.
Scripture Focus
1 Timothy 1:12-13
Insight
Father, we confess our failures to You. Do not cast us away, but forgive us, and even use us for Your good purposes today. Amen
Bible In A Year
- 1 Samuel 7-8
- Psalm 123
- 2 Corinthians 1