By Robin Wiley
Scripture
1 Timothy 1:12-17 NIV
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Wait…Did Paul really just claim to be the worst of all sinners? He didn’t really mean that, did he? This is the Apostle Paul—the one who wrote almost half of the books of the New Testament (13 out of 27!). Surely, he was exaggerating to sound humble. Or was he?
Earlier in his ministry, he admits to being the “least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Later he claimed to be the least of all God’s people (Ephesians 3:8). And now, he believes himself to be the worst of sinners. Paul sounds like he has self-esteem issues – right?!?
As Christians, it is natural to believe that as we get more mature in our faith, we are supposed to grow more holy, not less. What Paul is bringing to light is that as God works in our life to grow us, He is at the same time revealing how sinful we really are. How broken we really are compared to Christ’s perfect grace.
When you are playing outside at night, it doesn’t seem dark. Once you get inside and look out the window, it is only then that you discover how truly dark it was. So, it is with our faith. The more light that comes into our life, the more clearly we then see the darkness.
Sin is heavy. Seeing the weight of our sin, however, can bring blessings to our lives. The first being when we see ourselves as bigger sinners than we initially thought, we see a bigger need for Christ and His forgiveness. The more we see our sin, the more we need Him, and the more we will run to Him for forgiveness.
The second blessing from seeing an awareness of sin brings humility - not shame or humiliation - but humility, which is a brilliant reflection of Jesus to others. The tax collector story in Luke 18 (13-14) shows us how we really need to behave and not be judgmental or treat others like we are better than they are. Jesus was the very definition of the word humility in how He approached people and life in general. His example is a powerful one for us to follow daily.
Seeing the weight of our sin is the beginning of power and confidence, another blessing. After we recognize our sin – we are seeing the Spirit’s power in us through Christ’s forgiveness and needing Him desperately. Our confidence is not in ourselves or in either our righteousness before God or our reputation before others. Our confidence is in Jesus, and that confidence cannot be shaken. Our security in Jesus gives us the opportunity to think less often about what others think of us. It gives us freedom to make mistakes and fail. No longer do we have to build and protect our own kingdom. We are part of God’s kingdom now.
Sins weigh a lot, but those who can see their sins see something good. When we confess these sins, knowing that they’re forgiven, we see something better – Jesus himself.
So even though sin weighs a lot, we aim to see it and enjoy the benefits of confession. When we lay it down, we are thankful and find joy in confession, knowing we are already forgiven because Jesus has become our sacrifice, once and for all (Heb. 10:11–14). Our greatest need has been met and there is hope for all!
Reflection:
What sin are you hanging onto that you need to let go?
How can you let Christ’s light shine more in your life this week?
Have you ever tried staring at a bright light really close for about 8 seconds and then shut your eyes and cover them with your hands? What do you see? In the darkness you see the outline of the light image peeping through. It stays there quite awhile. That is an illustration of God’s love and grace shining through the darkness of our sin. He stays with us to shine Jesus’ light in our lives.
Prayer:
Father God, thank you that you are working in our lives—both to make us more like Jesus AND to show us more of our sin. Help us when we are confronted with our sin to run to Jesus whose love and forgiveness is far greater than we can ever fathom. Please bless our family with your grace and love. In the name of Jesus - Amen.