From sinner to saint

1 Timothy 1:12-17 NASB

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

My thoughts -

What are we saved from? Paul seems particularly aware of who he was outside of a restored relationship with God through Jesus. Paul was a blasphemer. Paul was a persecutor. Paul was a violent oppressor. Paul presided over the stoning of Stephen and was, when he met Jesus on his way to Damascus, looking to arrest and imprison many more believers.

Paul knows who he was. Paul knows that, as far as grace goes, he was not a worthy recipient. And yet he was shown grace. Though he was not the kind of man to show mercy he was shown mercy by God through Jesus. Although he was a sinner such that, in hindsight here he declares himself to have been "foremost of all" or in the King James "chief" or the NIV "the worst".

Paul considers himself to have been as bad as it gets. Whether or not this is objectively true is beside the point. Paul did not deserve the mercy he was shown. Paul did not deserve the grace he was given. Paul did not deserve to be restored to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Grace is something that can't be earned. We don't deserve it. It is a gift too precious and valuable for us to be able to pay for. We can't afford it. That's what Jesus is for. We don't deserve it and yet it is freely given to us by God through Jesus. We can't afford it and yet that's not an issue with a gift. The best gifts are things that are given by the giver that we couldn't get on our own. If we could we'd probably already have it.

Grace is a gift from God. It can't be earned or bought. It can only be received with thanksgiving and praise. Grace is a gift that is precious enough that it restores us to God and enables us to live within that restored relationship free from our sins. It enables us to be restored and remade, to be recreated in God's image free to live in God's will.

Paul knew what this precious gift saved him from. Paul knew who he was. And Paul was free to no longer be that guy through the grace we have in Jesus.

In the same way we know our sin. We know who we've been. We know how we've failed. I can't speak for anyone else but I am acutely aware of all of my shortcomings, failures, and secrets. I know how I have not lived how I should. I know how I have willfully disobeyed. I know my sin. And I know that I do not have to be held captive to it any longer.

We like to say that we "accept Jesus". I think the beautiful thing about grace is that Jesus accepts us. Jesus loves us before we love him. Jesus accepts us as we are before we are worth accepting. Jesus loves us before we are lovable. And then Jesus exhorts us to be who we were made to be and restores us to God and enables us to be free from sin. Through Jesus we no longer have to live in sin. Through Jesus we no longer have to be who we were. Through Jesus we are no longer the chief of sinners but instead disciples and apostles. Through Jesus we move from sinner to saint.

Through Jesus, though we can't earn it, can't afford it, and don't deserve it, we are free to live again in grace and peace in a restored relationship with God.

Praise God.