Appointed for Service: Acting on the Poured out Grace, Mercy & Love of Christ
The Pause before the Go: Finding the Presence and Faithfulness of God in Hard Times
Lesson 2: Appointed for Service: Acting on the Poured out Grace, Mercy & Love of Christ
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 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. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Timothy my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight holding onto faith and a good conscience. 1Timothy 1:12-19a
Read and study Acts 7:54 – 8:3; 9:1 -31; 1 Timothy 1:12-19 for this lesson.
The time was October 29th, 1941; it was the darkest of days for Great Britain. Hitler was perched on their doorstep, England was being bombed, America had not joined the war, and the United Kingdom stood alone. Winston Churchill stepped to the podium of the Harrow School for Boys in Central London (his old Alma Matter) and gave this simple speech:
“Never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy!” (Winston Churchill, 1941)
Winston Churchill was marveled as a hero of the British (and many American) people. Who are your heroes today as our Country and our World battle this Corona Virus? Whom do you admire and why? Last week we discussed the Providence of God and how it was the starting place for returning God’s wayward children back to him… Esther and Mordecai recognized the invisible hand and unnamed God orchestrating the events and times around them and how their obedience and actions were critical for their survival and welfare. We discussed how this was a place to start but not where Believers are supposed to live in their walk with God; instead we are to live daily in a growing understanding of His love and faithfulness… Paul shows us in his letter to Timothy the wonder and admiration (continuous praise) he has for the saving grace, mercy and love of Christ bestowed on him and the lifelong service and faithfulness to Jesus and His Gospel that came about in his life as a result. Let’s take a look at this verse by verse…
Verses 12-14: First, Paul is thankful to and for Jesus. Paul had a rough life as a minister (you can read about his hardships in 2nd Corinthians 11) he was even martyred for his Faith, but did he complain? Did he start with all the evil and persecution he endured and then come up with a rationalization and defense for following God (this is what Theologians call a theodicy)? Absolutely not! Paul started with Jesus and his mercy, grace, and love; and how Christ’s virtues, plan, and actions saved him, strengthened him and set him apart for service. Paul always begins and ends with his salvation in Christ Jesus. It is the same place he wants Timothy, and us to begin and end too. It is easy in hard and difficult times to start with our circumstances, to start with the confusion of the events around us, or even with a belief in ourselves, our own wisdom, and our own abilities to solve every problem and then be frustrated because it doesn’t work. Paul tells us earlier in the passage that this is exactly where the false teachers and even he used to start (using his understanding of the Law as a Pharisee to elevate and justify his own position) but no longer! In great humility and an honest sense of shame over his past Paul calls himself a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent man who acted in unbelief and ignorance.
Paul understood how lost and far away from God and hope he really was and how far Christ came to get him. Do y’all remember that old Gaither song, Without Him? What’s the only plea for our lostness according to the song? What’s our only hope? KNOWING JESUS! Paul does a contrasting play on words here that is quite powerful: the blasphemer receives mercy, the persecutor is given grace, and the violent man is shown love by Jesus! Paul knew he didn’t deserve any of it- Jesus gave it. It is easy for us to puzzle and ask why God is allowing bad things like the Corona virus, but it is much more beneficial in our walk with Him and for our spiritual welfare to marvel at our own blaspheme, persecution, violence, and sinfulness being forgiven by Jesus in His virtuous actions of mercy, grace and love through the Gospel…Without Him how lost we would be! We must always start with the grace of God shown to us instead of our current circumstances if we are to have any hope of overcoming adversity and persevere in our daily walk.
Verses 15-16: Verse 15 is the first of five ‘trustworthy sayings’ that occur in the Pastoral letters (1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus). Paul wants Timothy and us to know WHY Jesus came and what’s to be the foundation of Paul and Timothy (and all of our) ministerial emphasis: the saving of sinners. Jesus didn’t come to show off His glory or to prove His sovereignty (though the scriptural record testifies to both) Jesus’ glory and sovereignty are givens. Prideful man (a former Pharisee named Saul/Paul) false teachers (the earlier passage) like to show off their supposed knowledge and skill. Jesus came to save sinners (Luke 19:10) of which Paul claims to be the worst! Last Sunday we talked about our nation’s motto- our ‘trustworthy saying’: “In God we Trust” what’s the most important thing (for us) that we should trust about God? That He is sovereign and all-powerful-LORD over all? Crucial? YES, but even Satan and the demons know and believe that Jesus is sovereign, and LORD (if they had any doubts the cross and resurrection verified His LORDSHIP forever!) no, the difference for us is not just that Jesus is mighty to save and LORD- HE IS , but that HE CAME TO SAVE- save sinners (Paul, Timothy, the false teachers-if they would repent, you and me)- displaying the very heart of God! Paul’s heart and ministry of service, our heart and ministry of service is forever changed because of this fact. We are to love and minister to the lost like Christ came to love and minister to the lost- it’s not about us- anymore because we once were lost but now am found, was blind but now we see (sound familiar? Amazing Grace) A large part of our being found, and seeing is now wrapped up in our serving others as we live in the light of the deep spiritual contrast of the glory of Christ’s provision on our behalf… we who once were lost now found, once were blind but now see desiring that for others like Christ’s passionate desire for us- to want to save us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8).
Okay, so what’s this whole part about In verse 16, Paul says “for this very reason I was shown mercy…?” Which reason? Because Jesus came to save sinners? Because Paul was the worst of sinners or for God to display His patience and desire for the lost? YES, YES AND YES! Jesus came to save us, we are vile hopeless, and separated from God by our sin, yet God is patient with us and desires all to come to a saving knowledge of Him (1 Timothy 2:3-7) and not perish (John 3:16) though many will reject Him and perish (look at Paul’s discussion of those who have rejected the Faith), but those who do perish will not do so because it was ever God’s desire (John 3:17-18).
A word here about patience and the difference between Jesus’ patience and our patience; we are told in scripture to be patient (the Biblical meaning is long suffering) We are told this for several reasons one of the biggest is we are human and fallible, we have many things we face in life and in our dealings with others that are beyond our control and we must wait upon the LORD to act in His timing and spiritual dealings with others and even ourselves. The spiritual fruit of patience allows us to demonstrate our humility before God and others and our dependence upon Him. Jesus’ patience on the other hand and in this passage is more in keeping with “slow to boil.” The holding back of God’s just wrath upon sin and the sinner in the expectation and desire of salvation for the lost. So many times we see only one side of God’s patience- the withholding of wrath. We think God is watching us like a punishing parent, or a shunned spouse; “Just you wait! You’re so smug! Payback is coming soon! You are gonna get it!” God’s justice does demands punishment for sin, but God’s patience is never about its end, but His desire for us- His heart! God wants people to turn to Him. God’s desire is forgiveness and redemption not punishment. Punishment comes because of people’s rejection of God not because of His patience. Paul is telling us here from his own personal testimony that Jesus’ patience with him made room for Jesus’ grace, mercy and love to save him and not just for Paul’s benefit but for others as well! The patience of God is a blessing meant to lead us to repentance; salvation and redemption through God’s grace in Christ Jesus our LORD. How much of the awful circumstances we see right now are we viewing as God punishing us for our sins when in reality it could be God’s PATIENCE desiring us and our nation to return to Him- His grace and be healed (2nd Chronicles 7:14)? It is as if Paul is telling us, “if God can do such a great work of gracious salvation in my life through His patience- what can’t He do in yours? It kind of takes us back to our Gaither song, “Jesus, oh Jesus; do you know Him today? Please don’t turn Him away! Jesus, oh Jesus… Without Him how lost I would be!”
Verses 17-19a: Finally, Paul’s reflection on his testimony to Timothy makes him break out into worship and praise. Paul names several attributes of God: “King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God…” How important are these attributes of God in our salvation, and in our current days of trouble? They are very important! King eternal means God of the ages (think of that old congregational hymn: God Our Help in Ages Past). Do you feel lately like we’ve come to the end of an age in our Country? Like the way we have known things, the way we have known and participated in the church in the past has come to the end of an age? That the church is on the verge of a new age? I don’t know- but I do know that God is God not just of our yesterdays, but today and our tomorrows- all our tomorrows throughout all ages and we can take comfort in that just as much as Paul took comfort in a new age of the church in the first century (Mt 28:20). Next God is immortal. We know from our current crisis we are not immortal, we are susceptible to disease and decay, but God is not changed He is the same and because He is not susceptible we can trust Him! Invisible- this doesn’t mean we can’t see Him, it means that there is nothing “graven” created, or “conjured up” about our God. No one created Him like people create their idols. He is before Creation, the ONLY God and to Him only can we turn for salvation. Paul was convinced about this, how about ourselves- especially now? Glory and honor are His forever and ever and nothing will ever change that! The way we do church might change, the way we socialize might change, our futures here might change, but God, His honor, His glory, and His mission have not changed nor will they ever! This is where we need to start each day- looking at and marveling Him! Paul closes by reminding Timothy and us that in so doing we establish the prophecy and purpose for which we were saved and are able to hold on- and hang on to our Faith in good conscience- fighting the good fight- never giving in… Even in difficult and hard times!
So gang, thanks for hanging in there with me… Hang on to your Faith this week because God never changes, and He has saved us for a reason, to show others the deep love, and forgiveness offered in Christ to all who will come to Him, especially now! Fight the good fight of our Faith! Please, know that I am praying for you, love you, and desire all of God’s best for you! Be safe out there, and know we will be together soon! Love in Christ, Darrin.