1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
If there were ever anything worth believing, it is this; Christ Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus came from Heaven, of his own will, with a purpose and a mission. The eternal Son of God entered into His own creation, born of a virgin to save sinners. Big sinners, wretched sinners, young sinners, and old sinners. He came to lift up the poor in spirit and save the lost and undone. Jesus came to seek and save the unworthy, the unloved, the undeserving. Christ came to save sinners and Paul rejoiced, because he was a sinner. Are you a sinner? Have you committed great crimes against God? Good news! Jesus came to save sinners.
Paul knew this to be personally true because he received mercy as the chief of sinners. You don’t earn mercy and you don’t deserve grace. God gives mercy to the wretched, to the poor in spirit, to the destitute, and to the depraved. Jesus provides salvation to the dying, mercy to the sinner, grace to the filthy, help to the hurting, and healing to the sick of soul. Jesus doesn’t save those that help themselves nor does he look for the best and brightest. In fact, there is no one good enough and no one deserves God’s mercy and forgives. All are guilty before God. Perhaps one imagines they are too dirty to be saved or too ugly inside to be cleansed or perhaps too used to be loved and too shamed to be accepted. Well, Paul has some news for you. Paul said he was the chief sinner, the worst of sinners, and God saved him. You are a sinner? So was Paul. Have you have rejected Christ? Have you have blasphemed? So did Paul and God saved him. God forgave him, gave him repentance, faith, love and cleansed him and made him pure and clean. Paul can stand righteous before God, in Christ. God, in Christ, offers full and free and forever salvation. Saved from your sins, saved from Hell and preserved to have a blessed eternity with Jesus Christ. This salvation is not found by turning your life around, but faith in Christ, the substitute on the cross. Jesus took upon Him the sins of His people on the cross and there received the wrath of God due sinners. Christ paid for the sin of His people and laid down His life in my place. Christ victoriously rose for our justification. All who come to Him in faith receive forgiveness and pardon. Paul was asked by a terrified sinner what he had to do to be saved. Paul’s answer in Acts 16:30-31, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
This is a glorious message and one worth believing. Christ Jesus saves sinners.
