1 Timothy 1:16-17
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. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Paul said he was saved by God's mercy because in the past he was against Christ. He was a member of the Jewish synagogue and was very zealous for his faith. He felt that persecuting Christians was reasonable and should be something he should do. This is why he not only persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, but also took letters from the synagogue to Damascus to take prisoners of the Christians there. He did not feel one bit he was fighting against God. This is the most deadly scheme of the enemy: to blind us so we are unable to know God's will, much less to know our own sinful actions. If there's a criminal in jail and you share Jesus with him, he will easily be touched because he knows what he did was wrong. However, if you share the gospel to an intellectual person, sometimes it can be very difficult, because no matter how he looks at things, he sees himself as a righteous person, he doesn't think he has any sins or any needs.
What is even worse is that these religiously zealous people, for the sake of doctrinal purity but not necessarily for the truth, can abandon their senses even to shed blood. Is this not the reason for all the religious wars in the past? How many people, for the sake of religion, persecuted people, killed the innocent, yet thought they were doing the right thing and doing it for God? This is happening even today. Today's churches also hate and attack each other. The body of Christ is damaged as a result. Paul thought he was a righteous person. For people this may seem like an impossible case. But with God nothing is impossible. When Paul repented, it was so shocking at the time that even the church could not believe it. They thought: Is this real or is this a trap? Does God really have the power to change someone like Paul? Thanks to the Lord, he can! And today he still can!
God's work in Paul's life is to show him grace and mercy. If God can be so patient and gracious in leading Paul, he can also be the same way with us. When God gives grace to you, you should turn back to him as soon as possible and receive his grace. The Bible says, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor,..." God has already opened his arms of mercy to us. We need to turn to him while the door of grace is wide open. Don't close your heart and continue to walk in your own path any longer. Let us turn back to God today!
Pray with Pastor Tong
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