Think of some of the worst criminals that you can imagine. Maybe you think of some of history’s cruel despots who were responsible for the deaths of millions of their countrymen. You might think of serial killers or mass murderers who have killed multiple dozens of people. There are child abusers, violent gang members, terrorists, and all sorts of other criminals that can come to mind. Can any of these criminals ever find salvation, or are they just too wicked to get saved? Our Scripture today should give us the answer.
Our Scripture passage comes from one of several pastoral epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote to individuals, rather than to a specific church. This one he wrote to his young friend and often companion, Timothy. There were factions within the Church who felt that Paul, because of his past, or for various other reasons, did not deserve, and should not have been allowed to be in the ministry. Paul, here, gives a very brief defense of his being in the ministry.
As we begin, Paul told Timothy, and all who would read this, that it wasn’t himself who decided to go into the ministry, to criss-cross the Mediterranean world bringing the Gospel. Instead, it was the Lord Jesus who had appointed him (vs. 12). Jesus enabled and divinely empowered him for this ministry. God saw what He could do through Paul, and that he would be faithful to His calling. God equips those He calls, not the other way around. He doesn’t look down upon the earth and find the best possible speaker, teacher, or any other talent, and then call them. Instead, He calls us, and then gives us what we need to do His work.
Paul then goes on to confess the sins of his former life, the life he led before his vision on the road to Damascus, and coming to faith in the Lord Jesus as his Savior (vs. 13). Of his own admission, Paul was one who had violently and viciously persecuted the new Church in its very early days. He would hunt down Christians in Jerusalem and other cities, and bring them before the religious authorities. He would then incite and goad them to say somethings that might anger the Pharisees, enough so that they might be put to death as a blasphemer, when in actuality Paul now realized that it was he who was the blasphemer, one who was unjustly persecuting the Church.
What we see here in this Scripture passage is that no one is beyond redemption. It doesn’t matter what sins one has committed, including mass murder, child abuse, or any other heinous sin, if once sincerely confesses, repents, and turns to Jesus, they can and will be saved. If Paul could obtain mercy from God for persecuting Christians and seeing them put to death, then He will also have mercy on any other sinner who comes to Him.
Now we come to the heart of the gospel, which we read in verse 15. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The purpose for which Jesus came was not to heal people, though He did that, and still does today. He didn’t come to be a great preacher and teacher, though He is that, too. The reason Jesus came to earth was to save sinners. Paul said that his salvation should be a pattern for others to believe in Jesus for everlasting life (vs. 16). God is long-suffering, and if He would save Paul, He will save anyone.
Our Scripture passage closes with Paul bringing great praise to the Lord God (vs. 17). This verse immediately brings to my mind the magnificent hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”, written in 1867. Though many churches have stopped, or greatly reduced the singing of traditional hymns, this is one of the great ones that should never be set aside.
Is there some notorious criminal and sinner that you feel is beyond redemption? If you heard that while in prison they made a profession of salvation, would you rejoice or would you cast criticism and doubts of its sincerity? Only God truly knows anyone’s heart, including ours, and only He is the judge of whether someone is truly saved or not, not us.
In closing, we need to remember that no one is too far gone for God’s grace. If you are a sinner, God’s grace is available to you for salvation. No matter how vast your sins may be, God’s grace is greater. As His Word says, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!
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