He Considered Me Faithful
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that
he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once
a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I
acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me
abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Here
is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I
was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display
his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and
receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only
God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:12-17
Paul,
when he was Saul, tried to find Christians, so that he could kill them. Then he
literally saw the light. He became a changed man. If God can take the worst and
make him among the best, think about what God can do to change our lives.
We
too were once separated from the Lord because of our sin and were considered
His enemies. But we confessed our sin and acknowledged our need for His
forgiveness. He cleansed us and made us new.
Those
of us who have known the Lord for many years may have the tendency to forget
what we have been rescued from and forgiven of. Sharing about our past and
current failures and giving praise to God for forgiveness will help us not to
come across with an attitude that we are better than others. We are not.
The
truth is we’ve been guilty of plenty, and God deserves the glory for His mercy
toward us.
Grace is everything for those who deserve nothing.
Our Daily Bread –