What's so Great about the Good News? (1 Timothy 1:12-17)

Paul is writing to Timothy, his student/protege

“Thanks be to Jesus for choosing me to serve Him as an apostle!”

spread the Good News

Paul tells Timothy what kind of person he USED to be as an UNBELIEVER

Acts chapter 9

But then something CHANGED in Paul

He puts it in an interesting way: “the grace of our Lord OVERFLOWED for me”

“It’s true! Jesus came to Earth to save SINNERS! And I’m sinner #1!”

Paul didn’t HIDE his true nature: “This is who I am!”

“Jesus SAVED me!”: Paul writes this to Timothy out of his own experience!

“Saying” is the “word”

The gospel in a sentence: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”

The sinners couldn’t go to heaven, so God came to Earth!

Why did God save Paul?

To make a living example

Not to showcase Paul (the sinner), but to display what Christ can do when someone believes!

“All glory goes to God!”

Why?

Because that’s who did the work!

Paul provided only one thing: a sinner in need of a savior

God did the rest!

APPLICATION:

Do I celebrate Christmas on a personal level?

Have I personally experienced a sense of being totally lost and then the grace of God overflowing into my life?

Can I say that Christ Jesus came to Earth to save ME?

It’s easy to lump ourselves into a group

Can I say with Paul: “The Gospel is true and I know this because it had its effect on ME!”

Can I cry out with Paul: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”