I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Once a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians, Paul believed that God’s mercy was shown to him, the worst of sinners, as an example to other sinners who would later believe on Christ.

Whenever we testify that God has forgiven us and provided eternal life through faith in Christ, we are declaring that God is a saving God. Even when we see destructive lifestyles of friends and family, we should not write them off. Instead we should look at them the way Christ does. He had compassion for them, and so should we. Jesus came into this world to save it, not condemn it. We have no right to condemn others, especially when God forgives us.

God delights in using forgiven sinners to reach other sinners.

Our Daily Bread – January 25, 2005