Tag Archives: chief of sinners

Chief of Sinners

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“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.” ‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

IMG_1538Unless we are willing to see our spiritual condition for what it is we cannot recognize our need for a savior.

Paul was a man who persecuted the followers of Christ before he encountered Christ in an undeniable way on the road to Demarcus. Why did God choose Paul? Perhaps because He knew Paul would serve Him with the same zeal he had demonstrated to Judaism.

There is so much to learn from this scripture.

A. In order to surrender to Christ, I must first see my spiritual condition and recognize my need for Him. We live in a society that is more concerned with protecting someone’s self esteem than confronting them with the consequences of sin. If I compare myself to another person I might look pretty good, but when I compare myself to the sinless life of Christ I see that my righteousness looks like filthy rags! (Isaiah 64:6)

B. Regardless of my past, God can use me. When Paul gave his life to Christ, the transformation was undeniable! He did an about face and everyone who knew him knew that only God could have done that. What a testimonial. God can do the same through us. While we must recognize our condition before Christ, we don’t have to continue to live in shame over our past. The redeeming power of Christ has set us free.

C. If God can save Paul, He can save anyone! If there is someone in your life you believe is beyond God’s reach, take comfort. They are not. Yes, God gives us free will, but He will moves mountains to win their heart. NEVER stop interceding for them. We are called to stand in the gap for the lost.

PRAYER:
Father, I am so thankful that You came to call sinners, of whom I am chief. Without You, I would be lost, without hope. Help me to always remember that You are the true measure of righteousness. I cannot rely on my own righteousness to save me. My salvation rests solely in the completed work of the cross. Thank You for paying a debt I can never repay. Thank You for removing the shame of my past and replacing it with purpose. My life is Yours, use me to bring others to You, Lord.

Father, I know that every person in my life is there for a reason. Help me to never give up on those who have rejected you. Give me a burden to intercede for them with passion. Enlighten their hearts, Lord. Help them to see the truth, just as You revealed Yourself to Paul on that fateful day on his way to Demarcus. Remove the blinders. Soften hearts of stone. Heal broken spirits. You know exactly what is needed in each of their lives. Protect them from death without You, Lord. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, AMEN

Friend of Sinners

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“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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God loved me before I loved Him! He chose me, before I chose Him. The fact that He loved me while I was still living in willful sin and rebellion blows me away. It should also help me see others with compassion. It’s easy to become frustrated and lose hope with people who refuse to surrender their lives to God. We must continue to love and intercede for those who reject God. Trust the Holy Spirit to melt their hearts of stone.

As I read Romans 5 today it talked about how it is rare that someone would die for a good man, much less a sinner. As Jesus journeyed life on Earth He was scolded by the religious leaders for associating with sinners. He broke religious rules, yet remained completely righteous. He understood the difficulty of reaching people outside the context of relationship.

He knew something else … He knew those claiming to be righteous were hypocrites! Romans 3:10 tells us, “There is none righteous, no . not . one!” The religious leaders were counting on their position of power to save them. They claimed to “observe all the law” and yet failed to observe the most important law of all – to love God and to love others as yourself.

Without Christ we are powerless against our sin nature. We cannot accept the call of God on our life until we are willing to acknowledge our need for Him. In Luke 5:32, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for loving me while I was (am) still a sinner. Help me to show that same love and compassion towards others who aren’t ready to surrender their lives to you. Let me be a reflection of You rather than a stumbling block to them.

Forgive me if I’ve ever come across like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. I am not better than anyone. Like Paul I recognize that: I am a chief of sinners. (I Timothy 1:15)

Lead me to those who are “ripe for harvest”. Help me to be a friend of sinners. Lord, here am I, send me!

AMEN