Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
New International Version (NIV)
Who was the worst sinner of all time? Several famous names rise up for our consideration. Judas betrayed Jesus. Hitler killed millions of people. Pol Pot and Idi Amin come to mind. This week, Devin Kelley comes to mind after he shot and killed small children in a church. The Apostle Paul said he was the chief sinner. Where are we on the list?
How shall we look back at our past sin? One way is to live with unending guilt. Paul Tournier told of a man he met in Europe who walked through the streets of his city repeating, “I’m sorry . . . I’m sorry . . .” endlessly. Do you know anyone who cannot receive God’s forgiveness because they cannot forgive themselves? This was not the case for the Apostle Paul.
Another approach is to live with gratitude for grace. Those who live by grace do not deny their past mistakes as though they had never happened. But they know that the death of Christ on the cross was sufficient to forgive every one of their sins. This is the way the Apostle Paul lived. Jesus came into the world to save sinners and he even included Paul who was at the top of the list.
The good news about sin is that we have a Savior. As long as we blame others for our problems we can never be made whole. We don’t know where we actually stand on the list of all-time worst sinners. What we know for sure is that if we confess our sins to Christ he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Aren’t we grateful? We should be grateful!
Pray with me:
Father, thank you for sending your Son into the world to be our Savior. Were it not for his grace we would still be lost. Make us truly grateful for grace and deliver us from guilt. We pray in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I want to invite you to join me in memorizing 52 passages this year from the 2017 set of Fighter Verses. You can find the Fighter Verses App at the App Store on your phones or via this link http://fighterverses.com/the-verses/fighter-verses/. As we study the Bible this year, let's look at each text and learn what it says about God.
Joyfully,
Duane
Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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