Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy… 1 Timothy 1:13 (NIV)
Tears likely rolled down Paul’s cheeks as he wrote these words. Tears as he thought about what he had done. More tears as he considered what Jesus had saved him from.
Let the memory of your sins be a means of magnifying God’s mercy. Paul says, “I once was a blasphemer.” But that is no longer true of him! He was shown mercy. Paul is saying to us: “Look at what I was. If God’s mercy can save me, then you can be confident in His ability to change the most broken lives and the most resistant people you know.”
Then Paul goes on to say, “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:16).
Paul is using his testimony to encourage the church. Are you praying for a friend or loved one who is far from Jesus? Has it been like that for years? Paul says, “Remember the patience of Christ. I kept pushing Him away, but He never gave up on me.”
You may have resisted Christ for years. It is not too late for you to come to Him now. You can believe in Him and receive eternal life today.
