1-Timothy-1:12-14
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant.
What of Today’s Verse…
By His bountiful grace, Jesus Christ transformed Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul. The Lord did this by enabling Paul, making him a man of faith, and putting him into ministry. As we consider what Paul was before the Lord began to change his life, we will see even more on exceedingly abundant grace for transformation.
Before he became a follower of Jesus Christ, Paul engaged in blasphemous behaviour. “I was formerly a blasphemer.” Through uninformed religious zeal, he said and did much that insulted and opposed the Lord. “Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (Act_26:9). Part of his sin of blasphemy was incurred attempting to force Christians to speak evil of the Lord. “And I punished them often . . . and compelled them to blaspheme” (Act_26:11).
Related to this, Paul severely persecuted believers in Jesus Christ before he came to salvation. “I was formerly . . . a persecutor.” He aggressively searched out anyone he could find who followed Jesus, hoping to imprison them. “As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Act_8:3). He was so enraged against the followers of Jesus that he even obtained authorization to pursue them into distant cities beyond Israel. “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Act_9:1-2).
In light of such brazen aggression, it is no surprise that Paul confesses to becoming an arrogant man before he was saved. “I was formerly . . . an insolent man.” His religious success clearly led him to a prideful estimation of his own spirituality. “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Phi_3:4-6).
Nevertheless, all of this godless religiosity could be transformed by God’s bountiful grace. “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant.”
Let us Pray:
Lord Jesus, what marvellous grace this is! What encouraging words these are! Yes, I see that my own disqualifying failures can be turned around by Your exceedingly abundant grace! Transform me Lord, I humbly pray!
Words of Wisdom
Walking In God’s Commandments
This is a great deal more than a new heart. This a heart filled with the Holy Ghost, the Divine Spirit, and the power that causes us to walk in God’s commandments.
This is the greatest crisis that comes to a Christian’s life, when into the spirit that was renewed in conversion, God Himself comes to dwell and make it His abiding place, and hold it by His mighty power in holiness and righteousness.
Now, after this occurs, one would suppose that we would be lifted into a much more hopeful and exuberant spirit, but the prophet gives a very different picture. He says when this comes to pass we shall loathe ourselves in our own eyes.
The revelation of God gives a profound sense of our own nothingness and worthlessness, and lays us on our face in the dust in self-abnegation.
The incoming of the Holy Ghost displaces self and disgraces self-forever, and the highest holiness is to walk in self-renunciation.
“I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them.” Ezek-36:27
