June 29, 2025
Morning Service

We are studying the first of the “Pastoral Epistles” which Paul the Apostle wrote to two young pastors so they would “know how they should conduct themselves in the house of God.” (I Tim 3:15) He first emphasized the importance of teaching no other doctrine than what he has taught them.  He then revealed to us the purpose of these teachings is to change us from the inside out creating in us a “love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith.” (I Tim 1:5) Last week we dived deeper and tried to be sure our heart is pure, belongs to God, and is guiding us to follow Jesus out of our love for Him.  If our love for God is not our motivation for what we do (the why), then we saw that in I Cor. 13 that our actions profit us nothing.  God must own our heart and if He does our actions will fall into place.

As Paul continues, he now shares his testimony with us.  Each of us have our own, unique testimony of how we came to answer Jesus’ call to us to “Follow Me.”  Many, like myself, grew up in the church and answered at an early age knowing from the beginning God was offering the things I wanted.  Others did not answer the call until later in life after realizing all this world had to offer seemed shallow and there had to be more.  Some were even harder to persuade and God had to allow them to be like the Prodigal Son finding themselves at the bottom of the pit with nowhere to go but to Him.  I encourage you to take time to meditate and even write down your story with Jesus so you can be prepared to share it with others.  Your testimony is the greatest tool you have in sharing your faith.  They can argue all day about scriptures, but they cannot dispute what God has done for you and through you.  A few years ago we took a few months and had people share their testimonies with the church on Sunday nights.  It was an amazing time to see how our God takes something ugly and terrible and makes it beautiful.  That certainly fits Paul’s testimony, so let’s let him tell it.

1Ti 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,

            First we see the gratitude Paul has for Jesus calling him not only to salvation, but into the ministry as being the apostle called to evangelize the Gentiles.  I believe many Jesus followers, like me, who grew up in the church often take our salvation for granted.  We have known Jesus loves us all our lives and that actually hinders us from being truly and deeply as grateful as we should be.  As I grow in my faith, I can see where that was an issue with me as I went through several “lukewarm” stages in my journey.  Those who call upon Jesus, as Paul did, out of the darkness of sin and despair tend to have the same gratitude that he is displaying here; much forgiven, much loved.  We are all sinners in need of a Savior whether we have one sin or a million of them; without Jesus we are lost.  We should show gratitude to our Lord for all He has done for us and share that in our testimony.  Paul continues:

 

 1Ti 1:13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.    

Paul was the Pharisee’s Pharisee, as he walked the fine line of the Law as closely as anyone; a full blown legalist.  In all good conscience he sought to destroy this new found sect called The Way that lifted Jesus up as the Messiah.  He describes himself quite harshly here as being “a blasphemer, persecutor, and an insolent man.”  Paul persecuted the church and even held the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death as the first martyr for the faith.  He continued his persecution as Luke writes in The Book of Acts:

 

Act 8:1-3 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.  (2)  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.  (3)  As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

            Only God would choose such a one who made himself the biggest enemy of the church to become a chief pillar inside of the very church he persecuted!  Not only that but God used Saul’s (Paul) persecution of The Way to “scatter” the church making it grow bigger and stronger.  Paul truly found out who God was through his conversion.

 

 

1Ti 1:14-16 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  (15)  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.  (16)  However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

            In Paul’s testimony, a great leader of the church, we see three distinct characteristics of the God we serve.  We see His grace (unmerited favor) given to the least deserving person on earth at the time.  Paul explained to the Ephesian church that:

 

Eph. 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast.

            There is no one who can live a perfect life to “earn” their salvation, they need the grace of God.  Nor is there one who has lived a life so terrible that they cannot be covered in the grace of God and saved.  God chose Paul to be that example for us all on both of those fronts.  God’s grace is greater than all of our sin.

            Next we see the characteristic of longsuffering our God shows towards us.  Peter wrote this about God’s patience with us:

 

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

            God is not watching us, waiting for us to mess up so He can punish us.  He is longsuffering and allows us to make mistakes and uses them to draw us to Him.  His Will is that no one “should perish but that all should come to repentance.” I know each of us can think of times in our lives where God had great patience with us when we did not deserve it.  Thank You Lord for being longsuffering and showing patience to all of us who need it greatly!

            Finally, we see that God is able to transform lives and hearts.  He can take a man who proclaims himself to be the “chief of sinners” and make him one who now testifies this:

 

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

            When we give God our heart, we die out to our own desires and now seek to live our lives as a “living sacrifice, holy acceptable to God which is our spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1) God is in the life changing/transforming business and through Paul’s testimony we see the greatest example of that.  “Anyone in Christ is a new creation, old things have passed away and all things have become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17)

.  For us our love and gratitude towards God for His grace, longsuffering, and transforming power is manifested in our giving of ourselves (our heart) to Him for His will to be done in our lives.  He does not ask us to show our allegiance to Him through dying for Him, but through living for and through Him.

            God chose Paul for this unique purpose to be an example for us.  Look however, how Paul includes us in this Divine calling:

 

  Eph. 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, (4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, (5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, (6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

            We are all chosen by God, blessed by God, and adopted into the family of God.  Our story is not Paul’s but it is our own and God is working through us “according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of the glory of His grace!” Paul describes that God created each of us for a purpose.

 

 Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship (NLT masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

With love and gratitude, let’s endeavor together to be all that God has prepared us to be.  May our testimony proclaim how we have seen God’s grace, longsuffering and transforming power displayed in our life.