On
the museum wall of the concentration camp at Dachau is a large and moving
photograph of a mother and her little girl standing in line for the gas
chamber. The child, who is walking in front of her mother, does not know where
she's going. The mother, following behind, looks knowingly but is helpless to
stop the tragedy.
In
her helplessness, she performs the only act of love left to her. She places her
hands over the child's eyes so she will at least not see the horror to come.
When people come to the museum, most don't whisk by this photo hurriedly.
Instead, they pause and almost feel the pain. Deep inside, they say to
themselves, "O God, don't let that be all there is."
Hopelessness
and helplessness are all that remain in the world today. It’s fitting that we
remember this today, because 15 years ago today the world realized if only for
a short time that it is full of hopelessness and helplessness. Fifteen years ago
today the world witnessed the most horrible terrorist attacks in history. Today
is the 15th anniversary of 9/11. If there was ever an example of the
hopelessness and helplessness that exists in the world today, it is the events
that happened on September 11th, 2001.
God
provided a way out by sending His Son to earth as a child so that He could one
day save the sins of mankind through Christ's shed blood on the cross. The
apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:15, "Here is a trustworthy saying that
deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of
whom I am the worst." This statement is something all of us hear regularly.
It is part of the comfortable words that we hear in the Holy Eucharist liturgy
from the Book of Common Prayer.
Paul
relates his past to highlight God’s mercy and forgiveness. No sin lies beyond
the scope of God’s forgiveness. God forgave a persecutor like Paul and enabled
him for ministry. This should give everyone hope. God’s forgiveness also
provides the basis for people to forgive themselves. This does not mean that
God will redeem everyone from the consequences of every evil -- but it does
imply that none of us is in a position to make flat claims about whom God will
or will not forgive.
Paul’s
previous persecution of Christians made him the foremost sinner because he
hindered others from coming to faith. At the same time, it allowed God to save
Paul as an example of grace. If God could save Paul, he can save and change
anyone and everyone.
No
one expected that Saul of Tarsus-the earliest, greatest enemy of 1st
century Christianity- would turn to Christ and become Christianity’s greatest
missionary. Paul even referred to himself as the chief of sinners, but his
salvation demonstrates three things:
1.
God is merciful
and long-suffering.
2.
His grace can
reach even his worst enemies.
3.
The Good News of
Christ has the power to change lives and hearts.
False
teaching tells us none of these things. Paul’s conversion is an example of
God’s saving grace, which is in contrast to the uselessness of false teachings.
When Paul opposed Christ, he did not have faith. False teachers profess to
follow Christ, but they still live sin-filled lives. Some may say that TV
evangelists such as Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker were false teachers, and some
may say that modern TV evangelists such as Benny Hinn are also false teachers.
Only God knows for certain.
When
Paul wrote to Timothy, he was being honest. He knew who he was. He did not need
to be perfect. He admitted that like many biblical characters he had many
problems. Moses killed a man, Jonah ran away from God, and Paul persecuted
Christians. Because of their encounters with God, they were changed. When we
encounter God, we are pushed to change as well.
Paul
mentions his past, but he does not dwell on it. There is a difference between
testifying to God’s power to change a person’s life and glorifying sin. Paul
was more interested in talking about the grace and salvation of Christ.
Christianity is Jesus himself. Any reference to Christianity that is not tied
to Jesus is not Christian. The gospel is grounded in the mystery of Emmanuel-God
with us, among us, for us and in us. God’s purpose for us comes through
personal faith.
God’s
purpose is for us to spread the Good News. God can use us regardless of our
past. IF he can use an evil persecutor like Paul, he can definitely use us. He can use us wherever we are. It doesn’t matter
if we are a doctor, accountant, lawyer or labourer. The needs of people are
everywhere.
Sometimes
we feel that we are not equipped for the task. God does not call the equipped.
He equips the called. He will give us the wisdom, strength and ability to do
what he has called us to do. We need God’s strength to do his work. We are
weak, human vessels. We might stumble at times, but we have God’s strength and
power. God enables us, but he is also watching us, and he expects us to be faithful.
He opens doors for us when we are faithful, and no man can shut these doors.
Paul was not ashamed of Christ, and we must not be ashamed of Christ either.
Paul urges both Timothy and us to be bold. We need that boldness if we are to
spread the Good News.
God
did come to earth to teach and to set the highest moral example as to how we
should live our lives, but first and foremost His number one reason for
becoming human was to save sinners! Until we trust Jesus for our salvation, we
can’t even begin to follow in His footsteps. If Jesus had only come to show us
how to live, we would have been frustrated and doomed, wallowing in our own
constant failure! God loves us and welcomes us with open arms when we ask for
forgiveness and surrender our lives to Him. He knew our greatest need is for
forgiveness, so he sent us a Saviour.
There
is nothing we can do to earn salvation. The only thing we have to do is accept
that we are accepted. God welcomes us just as we are and right where we are, as
it says in the hymn, “Just as I Am:”
Just
as I am, without one plea,
but
that thy blood was shed for me,
and
that thou bidst me come to thee,
O
Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Paul
was so overwhelmed by God’s grace that he broke into a doxology, or a short
expression or outburst of praise and worship to God based on who He is and what
He has done for his people. Paul gives God all honour and glory. No one
deserves or earns salvation. It is all about God and His grace. Jesus did
everything right so we could be made right. In spite of our sins, he continues
to reach out to us. He continually promises to heal and help those who come to
him.
Bibliography
1.
Jeremiah,
David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood,
TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1704)
2.
ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 11 Bible software package.
4.
A.K.M. Adam,
“Commentary on 1 Timothy 1:12-17.” Retrieved from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=687
5.
Demarest,
G.W. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s
Commentary Series, Vol. 32: 1,2 Thessalonians/ 1,2 Timothy/Titus (Nashville,
TN; Thomas Nelson Inc., 1984)
6.
MacArthur,
J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
16. Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2016, Year C.
(Toronto, ON: The United Church of Canada, p. 8)
18. Dan Clendenin, Ph.D., “A Trustworthy
Saying.” Retrieved from http://www.journeywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay?id=1051
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