1 Timothy 1:12-17
What Makes God’s Grace So Amazing?
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. (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
“If your God is so powerful and so loving then why doesn’t He do something about all the terrible things that we see taking place in our world today?” As you are sharing your faith with others, have you ever been asked a question like that? I have. Sometimes people are so bitter and so angry that they get upset with God because as far as they are concerned God isn’t doing what they think He should be doing.
“I can’t come back to church. My life is in shambles. I have done things I am ashamed of. I’m pretty sure that if I were to come inside the church the roof would fall down. And besides, the people there know me. They know what I have done. I doubt that they would even want me to come back to church.” Have you ever heard someone say something like that? I have.
Our sermon text for today comes from a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to a young pastor named Timothy. The purpose of Paul’s letter was to encourage this young pastor as he carried out his work of proclaiming God’s grace to others. Since our dear Lord and Savior has given to all of us the commission to share with others what God has done for us, and since it is not unusual for us to encounter the two scenarios I just mentioned, let’s see how these inspire words of Paul equip us to address the question: What Makes God’s Grace So Amazing?
If someone had asked the apostle Paul to answer that question he could have easily answered by pointing to this portion of his letter to Timothy. What makes God’s grace so amazing? Paul answers that question in a variety of ways. First, Paul reminds us that God’s grace is so amazing because He freely showers His grace upon us— even though we do not deserve it! Paul openly confesses how much he did not deserve God’s grace by openly confessing what he was like before God poured out His grace on Paul. Look at how Paul describes himself before he received and experienced God’s grace. Paul says, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man…(I was) the worst of sinners.”
We recognize that these words describe Paul back when he was still known as Saul. Saul was brazen when it came to blaspheming both Christ and the Christian church. The entire focus of his life centered on persecuting every single member of “the way” that he could find. Every time Saul found someone who believed in in Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Promised Messiah he took great satisfaction in arresting them and throwing them into prison— even if that meant being “violent.” Saul was so intent on doing everything he could to eradicate Christianity that looking back on that chapter of his life Paul now sees that he is indeed “the worst of sinners.” The Greek word that is translated here as “worst” very literally means, “leading, foremost, prominent.” If there had been an award for being a “leading blasphemer,” a “foremost persecutor,” and a “prominent violent man” Saul would have easily taken it home.
Most of us here today would probably shy away from describing ourselves as the “worst of sinners.” Most of us here today would probably be offended if someone said that we were a “blasphemer” or a “persecutor” or a “violent person.” But if we were to take a long, hard, honest look into the mirror of God’s holy Law we would have no choice but to agree with the apostle Paul when he says, “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20); “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). While we have a tendency to try to “minimize” the sins we have committed, while we have a tendency to downplay our sins as not being “all that serious”— deep down inside we know, don’t we. Deep down inside we know that like the apostle Paul we do not deserve to receive God’s grace!
That, my friends, is exactly what makes God’s grace so amazing! Paul understood that even though he did not deserve to enjoy God’s grace, even though his sins were so horrible and so numerous that he considered himself the “worst of sinners,” God’s grace was much higher and much wider and much deeper than all of Paul’s sins! Look at how beautifully Paul brings that truth out here in our text. First he says, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
When Christ Jesus confronted Saul on the road to Damascus Saul was quickly brought to the realization of just how pitiful he was in his own spiritual weakness. In His amazing grace Jesus not only brought Saul to faith in Jesus as this world’s only Savior from sin, but Jesus also empowered Saul to become Paul! In His amazing grace the Lord Jesus then “appointed” Paul to be in His “service.” There is no denying the great power that Paul exhibited in his service as a missionary to bring the saving message of God’s amazing grace to others. There is no denying the power that Paul exhibits right down to this very day as his inspired letters continue to proclaim God’s amazing grace to sinful people like you and me.
Paul then goes on to proclaim what makes God’s grace so amazing when he says, “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.” Paul knew that the dramatic change that took place in his life was the result of the dramatic change that had taken place in his heart. In His amazing grace God bestowed His “mercy” on Paul. In His amazing grace God mercifully removed Paul’s passion for persecuting the people of “the way” and replaced it with a passion for sharing Jesus with as many people as he could. In His amazing grace God quenched Paul’s white-hot rhetoric towards God’s beloved people. In His amazing grace God calmed the “violence” that led Saul to give approval to the execution of Stephen and to throw as many Christians as he could into prison. In His amazing grace God freely forgave everything that Paul had done when he was acting in “ignorance and unbelief.”
Now look at verse fourteen of our text. Here Paul gives us yet another answer to the question, What makes God’s grace so amazing? He says, “The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly (this word very literally means, ‘to overflow, to be present beyond measure’), along with the faith and the love that are in Christ Jesus.”
God’s grace is so amazing, my friends, because of the sheer magnitude of its abundance. The abundance of God’s grace is seen in the fact that it not only forgives all of our sins, but it also envelopes us in “the faith and the love that are in Christ Jesus”! Think about what that means for us. We have faith in Jesus and what Jesus has done for us— purely because of the abundance of God’s amazing grace! We enjoy the agape love that can only be found in “in the sphere of” Christ Jesus — purely because of the abundance of God’s amazing grace!
What makes God’s grace so amazing? After giving us three wonderful answers to that question, Paul puts a crown on what he has said by showing us how all of this applies to you and to me. He says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into this 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.”
Paul is an object lesson, a real-life example, of what makes God’s grace so amazing. Paul is undeniable proof that the Son of God came into this world for just one reason: to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). If you want to see what makes God’s grace so amazing— look at Paul! Look at the “unlimited patience” that Christ Jesus displayed in Paul! And then remember. Remember that Paul is “an example for those who would believe on him (Jesus) and receive eternal life.”
As we journey through this sin-filled world our enemy Satan attacks us over and over again. He takes all of our sins, shoves them in our face and says, “See! See what you have done! You don’t deserve to be forgiven! You don’t deserve God’s grace!” And he is absolutely right. We don’t deserve to be forgiven. We don’t deserve God’s grace. But that’s exactly what makes God’s grace so amazing! Even though we don’t deserve it, God’s amazing grace gives to us the absolutely free gift of “eternal life”! Even though we don’t deserve it, God’s amazing grace guarantees that the instant we come to the end of our journey here on this sin-filled world we will be ushered into the fullness of God’s amazing grace as we are welcomed into our heavenly Father’s Kingdom!
How do we respond to God’s amazing grace? Paul gives us the perfect response when he says in the closing words of our text, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.” God’s amazing grace leads us to praise our King! We praise our King because He is eternal. We praise our King because He is immortal. We praise our King because He is invisible. We praise our King because He is the only true God. We praise our King because all honor and all glory rightfully belong to Him forever and ever. We praise our King for His amazing grace.
So let’s go back to where we started, shall we. How do we respond to the person who asks us, “If your God is so powerful and so loving then why doesn’t He do something about all the terrible things that we see taking place in our world today?” We point them to the cross (Pointing to the cross) and say, “He already has! In His amazing grace He sent His own Son to die for us so that when this temporary sin-filled world comes to an end our faith in Christ guarantees us a glorious eternity!”
How do we respond to a fellow member who is afraid to come back to church because they are ashamed of what they have done? We point them to the cross (Pointing to the cross) and say, “In His amazing grace God’s Son has completely paid for all of your sins! Come back to His house and enjoy His amazing grace!”
When we understand what makes God’s grace so amazing, my friends, we will always be able to say:
To God be the glory!
Amen