Jesus... Not that Predictable

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement… that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost. 

Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life… ” 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

Paul was the worst of sinners… the very worst of sinners. He was guilty of Blasphemy because he insulted Jesus Christ by saying he was not God that Jesus was just a pretender and Paul treated with great violence those who disagreed with him.

Paul should have been punished with death but Jesus had other plans for Paul so he extended mercy to Paul and he was patient in doing so. Jesus let Paul continue to blaspheme and violate with violence true believers for some period of time.

You see when the world views a sin like “Blasphemy” it instantly judges and condemns the guilty and the verdict is as good as carried out. We treat them like they are dead. Predictable, Logical and Biblical. But Jesus is not all that predictable (as illustrated by these verses.) He unpredictably extended mercy because he could do something we can’t… he could look into a heart and see faith and what the seed of faith can become.

Lesson #1… Jesus is patient. Probably much more patient than we are. Jesus doesn’t give up on people… even the worst.

Lesson #2… it doesn’t matter how bad you have been or how long you have been bad. If, like Paul, he “considers you to be faithful” he can extend mercy and erase all of those bad things.

Jesus extended mercy to Paul to demonstrate these concepts to the world so that the world might be encouraged that if God could extend mercy to the worst of sinners… then he could also extend mercy to those who are not the worst… people like you and me. Super encouraging.