The book of 1 Timothy was the first letter the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. In the first chapter, he ventured into his personal testimony. In verse 15 he said, “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.” To fully appreciate the import of this statement, we must go back to where Paul was coming from.
In the book of Acts chapter 7, we see Stephen, one of the seven who were chosen by the disciples to serve the growing church. He was seized and brought before the council on false charges. After he had testified about Jesus, the Bible records that he was dragged out of the city and stoned to death. And those who stoned him laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul (Acts 7:58). That was the first mention of the apostle Paul in the Bible—he joyfully watched on as a follower of Christ was stoned for believing in Jesus. Chapter 8 proceeded to tell us how Saul persecuted the church, throwing many believers into prison.
Chapter 9 shows him obtaining letters of permission to go to Damascus to arrest the believers there. “And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest... (Acts 9:3-5 KJV). The Lord made him blind and he remained that way for three days. But Christ didn’t stop there, He directed a disciple named Ananias through a vision to go and minister to Saul and pray for him. “Then Ananias answered, Lord I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” (Acts 9:13-15 KJV. Emphasis added). After Ananias prayed for Saul and he received his sight, he was baptized and immediately began to preach that Christ is the Son of God.
What great lengths that Christ went for just this one man. If he were a righteous man it would be easy for us to grasp but this was someone who was very zealous in his persecution of the church. He killed, imprisoned and supported the killings of believers. Yet Christ encountered him personally and chose him to proclaim His Name far and wide. What a loving and merciful God we serve.
Christ came that all might be saved. If we were all holy and righteous then He wouldn’t have come just like how the doctor ordinarily does not dispense drugs to the healthy person, it is the sick that need to be made whole, it is the unclean that need to be cleansed, it is those that are in darkness that need to be brought into light, it is those who are in sin that need to be saved. And Christ came for the sinners. Who were the sinners? You and I, and everyone born into this world. The Bible says for all have sinned (Romans 3:23a). Meaning just merely being born into the world automatically makes you a sinner. If you have stolen before or lied before, it doesn’t make you more of a sinner than the next person, Christ came for us all. The same love He has for me is the same love He has for you. This is why there is no discrimination. This is why apostle Paul was not disqualified from being called by Him. In fact, it can be said that the qualification for salvation is to be a sinner and if everyone was a sinner then God wants us all to be saved. This was why He sent His Son, for He so loved the world (John 3:16). While we were yet sinners, Christ died for you and I. (Romans 5:8).
While Paul was still persecuting the Church, Christ died for him. While the thief that was crucified alongside Jesus had spent his life stealing and committing atrocities, Christ went to the cross for him. Jesus was found dining with tax collectors who were commonly regarded as sinners and Christ was very comfortable in their midst because He came for them, He came to save them.
No matter how far gone you think you are in sin, as long as you are still alive, you are qualified for salvation. Christ died for you. He didn’t set a limit as to the number of sins a person may commit. In all His encounters with people, He never asked them how many sins they had committed. He never even asked as to the nature or type of their sins. He forgave all.
God is inviting you today. He says “Come now let us reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18 KJV). The apostle Paul was once among the greatest enemies of the church. His name was known far and wide as a persecutor of the church. And Christ still extended His love to him and used him mightily.
You are loved by God and He is waiting for you to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. No soul is worthless to God, no soul is less important in the sight of God. Seize this opportunity today and surrender your life to Christ. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy that you are too sinful to be accepted into God’s kingdom. Believe in Jesus and your sins shall be wiped away.
No comments:
Post a Comment