October 21, 2024
Derek Smith
Lead Pastor
1 Timothy 1:13-14
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.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he begins with a look back on his own testimony. Paul was not suggesting that he had received this call to ministry because God thought so well of him. He was amazed that a man with his checkered past would ever be entrusted with the gospel at all. He was overjoyed at God’s demonstration of confidence in him by placing him, a violent persecutor of Christians, in a place of service for the Kingdom. It’s been said that grace is God’s riches at Christ’s Expense. As the old country preacher once said, “Everything short of hell is grace!” Paul never got over the grace of God shown toward him; in fact, as he says here, it was that grace that motivated him to live boldly and consistently as a witness for Christ Jesus.
Child of God, have you gotten over grace? Do you remember what it was like to be lost and what the Lord Jesus saved you from? Were it not for Jesus, where would you be right now? The truth is, without His saving grace we would not have true joy, peace, or purpose for living. Our lives would still be broken and filled with sin. As the old hymn says, God’s grace really is amazing. There is nothing we can do to earn it. Nothing we can do to lose it. All we had to do was ask and He lavished His grace on us. Daily He continues to pour out His grace on our lives simply because we are His children. May we always be amazed by grace!
Lead Pastor
1 Timothy 1:13-14
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.
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy he begins with a look back on his own testimony. Paul was not suggesting that he had received this call to ministry because God thought so well of him. He was amazed that a man with his checkered past would ever be entrusted with the gospel at all. He was overjoyed at God’s demonstration of confidence in him by placing him, a violent persecutor of Christians, in a place of service for the Kingdom. It’s been said that grace is God’s riches at Christ’s Expense. As the old country preacher once said, “Everything short of hell is grace!” Paul never got over the grace of God shown toward him; in fact, as he says here, it was that grace that motivated him to live boldly and consistently as a witness for Christ Jesus.
Child of God, have you gotten over grace? Do you remember what it was like to be lost and what the Lord Jesus saved you from? Were it not for Jesus, where would you be right now? The truth is, without His saving grace we would not have true joy, peace, or purpose for living. Our lives would still be broken and filled with sin. As the old hymn says, God’s grace really is amazing. There is nothing we can do to earn it. Nothing we can do to lose it. All we had to do was ask and He lavished His grace on us. Daily He continues to pour out His grace on our lives simply because we are His children. May we always be amazed by grace!
Posted in Daily Devos