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. (1 Timothy 1:12-16, NASB)
In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to his protege Timothy, he addresses some problems in the church at Ephesus that he wants Timothy to try to correct. It seems the Ephesians had strayed from certain fundamental precepts of the Church, and Paul wants Timothy to apply correction with “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) But Paul also gives us a glimpse of his own salvation, of God’s mercy and grace in his own life, in the passage above.
He begins by thanking “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.” Paul, then known as Saul, had been present at the stoning of Stephen (the first martyr after Jesus), and was on his way to Damascus to deliver more Christians to prison, torture and death, when he met the Lord Jesus, and was converted. Paul seems to be saying that if someone with his track record can be saved, anyone can.
Moreover, Paul says he was shown mercy because he “acted ignorantly in unbelief.” Saul had been a Pharisee, with great zeal for God, yet like most others, he missed the physical visitation of God Himself on earth due to ignorance. Today, many people share a similar ignorance; many have not even heard of Jesus! But in Saul’s case, “the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.”
Further, Paul says that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” He says that for this reason he was given mercy, so that “Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” So Paul was such a notorious character that God used him as an example: If he can receive grace and mercy, and be saved, then so can I!
Paul had one thing wrong. He might have been the foremost sinner of his time, but now it’s me. And I say to you now, if God can show His favor, mercy, and grace on me, He can do so for all people. The Bible says that God desires all of us to be saved. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sins. All we’re required to do is acknowledge His death on the cross, believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness of our sins. If God can forgive Paul and me, He can forgive you!