PAUL - WORSE OF SINNERS
| Posted On: 09/14/09 07:59:05 AM |
Age 65, OH |
Very good subject Steve. Thanks. Envy and gloating is certainly a terrible sin that we all have in our lives. We should all pray that the Lord Jesus fill our hearts with His love,, of course, but there is even a deeper root of envy. Paul was envied and hated by the Jews and many of the Jews who claimed to be Christians. But Paul did not gloat over their misfortunes when Jerusalem had many troubles. Instead Paul was the one who took up collections for the Christians who lived in Jerusalem. How was Paul able to do this? We can see the key in a letter that Paul wrote near the end of his life; 1 Tim 1: 15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I AM THE WORST. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. - Paul had asked The Lord Jesus to show Paul his sin and the Lord had done this; by seeing himself as the worst of sinners, Paul was able to have mercy and grace for others instead of envy. Paul also loved the Lord Jesus and wanted to see the grace and mercy of the Lord glorified. Paul had seen the great mercy and grace of Jesus extended to him and wanted to see that same grace glorified by it being extended to others, no matter how terrible their sin was. The more terrible their sin was, the more glory the grace of The Lord Jesus would receive by that person coming to The Lord for forgiveness. When we fail to have mercy and grace for others, it is sign that we have only been forgiven for a little of our sin. We have only been forgiven of a little because we have only confessed a little. When we truly see our sin as the terrible thing that it is and we truly deserve hell for all eternity; then we will see ourselves as THE WORST OF SINNERS, as Paul did. When we see ourselves as the worst of sinners, we will not envy or gloat over the troubles of others, but we will desire for them to receive the mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus. - Lou Newton
|
|
|
|
|
