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"Sin, Ministry and God's Great Mercy"
by Matt Campbell
from a Selah Moment at Colonial Baptist Church
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Timothy 1:12-14
Have you ever been overwhelmed with the weight of your sin? Or maybe you feel overwhelmed with the weight of the ministry that God has called you to. You feel as if you should be more remorseful concerning your sin, or you feel totally inadequate for the ministry that God has given you.
Maybe you even begin to question your salvation and the eternal worth of your life to God.You feel as if you don't really see any progress in holiness or your family could do just as well if not better without you.
This questioning is actually a needful process in our lives and can be quite healthy for us spiritually. If we allow our minds to be turned to the mercy of God and let the mercy of God answer these questions.
When questions arise such as: “Is my life what it should be? Does God really want to use me? Am I really cut-out to take responsibility for the souls of my family, or for those who sit under my teaching, or even those whom I simply encounter in the aisle of a store?” It is here that you must look to the great mercy of God.
Because the answer to these questions is obviously a resounding NO. At least it's the answer from our human and fallen perspective. But enter the mercy and grace of God.
See these questions should not result in merely a self-examination process. The examination is important, but these questions should also lead us to remember our calling and the Mercy of the One who has called us.
Paul reminds Timothy (and us) how God works mercifully in him. He reminds Timothy that it is God who counted him faithful.
Paul didn’t just decide to be in the ministry, but it was Christ Jesus who counted him faithful, and who now empowers him for service.
Paul recounts to Timothy of his former life before Christ in order to remind Timothy of God’s magnificent mercy to a desperate sinner. Paul explains that God demonstrated his great mercy to him so that “Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (v. 16).
Paul emphasizes to Timothy that God shows mercy to a sinner to leave an example for other sinners, so that they too may clearly see how God’s mercy changes a man. From our human perspective the saying may be true: The ‘greater’ the sinner; the ‘greater’ the display of God’s mercy.
The greatness of the sin and mercy is only in the eyes of man for every display of God’s mercy to a sinner is great and magnificent and should cause us to glory in our great God.
Most of us do not have a testimony like Paul’s, but all of us know the wicked depths of our own sin.
Like Paul, when we are consumed with the abundant mercy of God, our lives will stand as examples of God’s patience and mercy for sinners. We will find forgiveness, and we will find God sufficient.
What could be more comforting for us today? We know that God is going to magnify His great mercy, through a sinner who is consumed with that great mercy.
Paul is our example of the mercy of God at work. Paul made much of God’s great mercy in his life, and we must make much of God’s great mercy in our lives.
How Great is our God! How Great is His Mercy! How Great is His Faithful love toward us who believe!
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