13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 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 1:13-16
I think about death a lot. Maybe it’s my melancholy demeanor or the current state of the world which drives this, but either way it is ever present in my thoughts. While I do not think this is entirely unique, I think there is an added pressure when you are a professing Christ-follower. No matter how far I get along the path of faith, there is always that nagging voice in the back of my mind: “am I really saved?” Some days, it is incessant. This is a form of mental torture.
Scripture teaches us with simplicity and shocking clarity.
“Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.”
The whole point of Jesus was to save those like me. The ones whose selfishness outpaces their earnestness. The ones who block the spiritual rest of Jesus from entering their weary minds. The hypocrites. The blasphemers.
Perhaps the shock value of Christianity is found in how belief has more value than behavior. It is in this upside down environment of grace that we find salvation. It is who we are that makes Christ’s work possible and it is this work that makes who we are change. It is said that we contribute nothing to our salvation but the sinful mess that makes it necessary. This grace is unbelievable. No matter the mental energy we exert towards understanding, it still is incomprehensible because it goes against every fiber of human thought.
God is good. God is just. God is grace.
Matt simon blog 