Full Acceptance of the Truth

¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. ¹⁶ But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.—1 Timothy 1:15-16, ESV

Jesus came into the world, not to show people how to live or to show religious people another way to heaven (He’s the only way) or to show the religious leaders that they were doing it all wrong. He came to save His enemies and show them the most radical, undeserved kindness and love the world could ever know. He came even to save those who murder, who are rotten to the core with sexual perversion, who steal, who slander and lie. His power is exemplified and glorified by transforming objects of His wrath into objects of His grace and mercy. Paul, the author of this letter to Timothy, fully accepted this truth, and he lived like he believed the world needs to know of this Savior who can redeem anyone, including himself, the foremost of sinners. What if we all lived like this? How would this affect they way we use time and money? Will the world be any different, because of how we lived out what we claim to believe?