Friday, February 1, 2019
EXTREME MERCY!
1
Tim 1:12-15
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who hath enabled me, for that
he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained
mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
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.
Yesterday we looked at the idea of being made WORTHY and today we
will peer in on Paul as he explains his transformation through mercy. Like
Paul, I often question whether God got a good deal when he saved me and placed
me in the ministry.
The enabling that Paul mentions is that ability that he did not have and
could not have developed without having received it from God. It is the ability
to accomplish more than your strength and more than your wisdom. It is one of
those every day miracles that we often discount as normal.
Paul refers to his former state as injurious.
It is the Greek word hubristes (hoo-bris-tace’) and it
means “an insulter; a maltreater; one who is despiteful and disrespectful.” Our
English word “hubris” is not
commonly used but it sounds like our Greek word. Hubris means “having extreme
pride or self confidence. Hateful Saul
was on a collision course with loving God.
As Paul
looked at God he could find none more Holy. As he
looked at himself he could find none more “injurious”. He, the chief of
sinners, was the recipient of grace he did not ask for and mercy he did not
deserve.
He took my sins and my sorrows
He made them His very own
He bore the burden to Calvary
And He suffered and died alone
He made them His very own
He bore the burden to Calvary
And He suffered and died alone
Dear Lord, thank you for the changes
you have already made in me. There is much more work for you to do, I’m afraid.
Let me yield to your influence and cooperate with your efforts. Make me into
something useful and beneficial. AMEN
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