“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15
When I hear the apostle Paul speak these words, some part of me wants to correct him. “O, Paul, you’re not such a bad guy.” “Come on, Paul, you might feel crummy about yourself sometimes, but you are better than you think.” I wonder if these vague urges are really about Paul. Could it be that I am really seeking to defend myself? Think about it—if Paul, one of the greatest teachers to ever live, whose influence spread across the entire Roman world in the first century, is such a magnificent sinner, then what does that say about me? If this man who sacrificed so much in service to others is worthy of condemnation, where does that leave me? The truth is, Paul’s words here go against the grain of how we like to think of ourselves. I like to think I’m a pretty good guy. Sure, I’m not perfect. But I don’t “cuss, smoke, chew, or go with girls that do.” It’s our natural tendency to derive our sense of self worth by comparing ourselves with others. What we fail to recognize is our inherent bias for ourselves. We naturally judge others more harshly than we do ourselves. Combine this with our amazing powers of self-justification, and the end result is a self-assurance that helps us feel better about ourselves but is not grounded in reality. For there remains this nagging tension that goes unresolved. We know, in our heart of hearts, that the image we seek to portray, even to ourselves, simply isn’t reality. When we seek to deal with our sin by cover-ups and clichés, we do nothing to address the real issue. We can repeat mantra’s like, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it…people like me,” until we are blue in the face, but even if we are somehow able to conceal the truth from others, deep down we know better. So, you might ask, how does Paul’s self-deprecating statement above help? If I just say and think bad things about myself, won’t that only make it worse? Well, you must read his statement in context, for the very next verse states, “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” (1 Timothy 1:16). Paul’s point is a simple one—in spite of the sinful life he led BC (Before Christ), which included blasphemy against Christ and persecution of Christ’s people (v.13), Jesus poured out His grace and love on Paul (v.14), saving Paul from himself. Through Christ, Paul was able to give up the charade, to stop pretending that everything was ok, and to admit his sin and need for a Savior. When we are able to admit that we are included in the “all” of Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” then we are on our way to the gift of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The Gospel is the great unmasker of the lies we tell ourselves. The Gospel declares that there is no one righteous, not a one, except the righteous Savior who died on the cross to pay for our sins. It is the very opposite of the world’s response to the reality of brokenness. The world says, “Believe in yourself!” The Word says, “Believe in Jesus!” For many of you who are reading this, you may feel like I am simply preaching to the choir. This is Christianity 101. True. But if Paul felt the need to repeat this truth for the benefit of a young pastor by the name of Timothy, then I think we could probably use the reminder as well. The Gospel, the Good News of salvation in Christ, is not something we need to hear just once, it is a sermon we must preach to ourselves over and over again. The world tells us to repeat false mantras of our own, inherent goodness, based on wishful thinking. God’s Word tells us to embrace the wonderful truth of righteousness in Christ, based on His sin-conquering death and resurrection. This Easter, may we learn not to put any confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3), that is, in our goodness, but to daily place our confidence in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. For in Christ we are forgiven of our sin, which frees us from sin’s penalty, and we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who frees us from sin’s power. Let us trade in our cover-ups and clichés for a life of faith in the one who has conquered the power of sin once and for all! “Heavenly Father, you have led me singing to the cross where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish, where my mountains of guilt are leveled to a plain, where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist, and are more in number than the grains of fine sands. For there is power in the blood of Calvary to destroy sins!” Valley of Vision
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
June 2022
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