Third Sunday after Trinity (2024)

1 Timothy 1:12-17

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when we speak of Christ’s love for us it is an amazing and blessed thing. For Christ takes our sins upon himself and buries them in his tomb that we might come forth with Him as a new creation that has joy, hope, and love that fills our hearts. There are still times of sorrow and sadness, but they are tempered by the Victory that Christ has won for us, and that Jesus doesn’t just desire our salvation. He save us not by works that we have done, but by His own sufferings and death. He does all of this that we might be the Children of God, and that He might call us poor miserable sinners, His Brothers and Sisters.

Hatred for God

Paul confesses his hostility.

Paul refers to himself not only as a blasphemer, but a persecutor and insolent opponent. He took writs from Jerusalem and went out and hunted down Christians in other towns to bring back these unfaithful Jews and at times put them to death. He was there when Stephen was stoned, and the people laid down their jackets at Paul’s feet, who was at that point known as Saul.

The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God.

This is hard for us to grasp, but important. We often want to soften our sins and pretend that there is a middle ground where we might live, but what does Christ say of those who are lukewarm. They are spit out, there is no middle ground when it comes to Christ. You are either for him or against him, to straddle the fence is to be against him.

Paul hated Christians, and Jesus.

The book of Acts tells us what Saul who became Paul was doing. Not only had he approved of the execution, but he went out that day breathing murderous threats against the church. Saul did it in the name of God. Paul’s hatred show us the

The Heart of Man

The hardest commandment is the first.

You shall have no other gods, what does that mean? Well we fear, love, and trust in God above all things. This commandment requires that we set aside all our sinful desires, and love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and do so perfectly. That we guide our lives according to God’s Word. Our refusal to do this is sin.

It against our sinful nature to love God.

When we say, I know the Word of God says that this is wrong, but I can do it this one time. It shows what you love more than God. Be it a child who hears clean your room, and instead of honoring their parents does what they want. If you love your Father, you respect him, if you hate him, you ignore him and do whatever you want. That’s sin.

The Law demands your love for God.

It doesn’t paint it in shades, there is no middle ground you are either right or wrong in this. This is a hard position to come to, because most of us don’t want to admit that this evil exists inside of us, and we want to put on a good face and pretend that we are good people, but then we hear the Scriptures which say,

Whoever loves God, keeps the commandments.

So have you kept the commandments? No everyone of us must confess that we have not loved God for we have not kept His commandments, but chased after our own desires instead of clinging to God’s Word. So we cannot find hope in the commandments, for by the Law we stand condemned.

Sinners Received Mercy

We all deserved wrath for our sins.

We cannot deny this for if you deny this part, you will never look for God’s mercy, but instead deceive yourself and think that you have no need of the gifts that God has given in His Son. This is important and must take hold, that what we confess at the start of the service is true. I am a sinner.

Paul sinned in ignorance, but what of us?

We who know God’s commandments, who know of the resurrection, and are aware of who Jesus is, and so if Paul’s sins were threatening in his ignorance what of our sins with knowledge?

The Law is meant to show our sins.

The only thing we can rely on at the end of the day is Mercy. Coming to the realization of our sins is difficult. We always attempt to excuse or self-justify, but to realize that we are sinners, is hard. But important that we might learn to rely upon the abounding steadfast love, and mercy of God.

We are like Paul.

We may not have been out seeking to imprison Christians or murder them, but by our sins the only thing that we can rely upon is what Paul also relied upon, God’s mercy that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord for it is only in him that we find the hope of our salvation. For

Jesus, Savior of Sinners

This is the message of hope.

For we find in Christ that He loves us, and He loves us in spite of our sins, and shows to us grace that surpasses our expectations. For who amongst us here can say that we have deserved this forgiveness, and this love. If we could then it would no longer be by grace, for then it would rely upon our merits.

If Paul was saved, what sinner is too far gone?

That is what it means when he says, 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. If Jesus Christ was able to show patience to Paul, who was an enemy of Jesus Christ, a hater of Jesus Christ, a blasphemer of Jesus Christ, then whose sin is too great that it cannot be forgiven and washed away by the blood of Christ? What it shows us is that

Jesus has great patience.

Consider who Jesus is and how He dealt with people. One of the most astonishing things in the Scriptures is the restraint He shows towards the Pharisees. Now we have read through the Gospel of Luke in Bible Study last year, and you know how Jesus spoke to them harshly at times, but consider who the pharisees were mocking, and that Jesus had the power to bring them under Judgment in a moment. Jesus showed great patience as he showed it to Paul and to you because

Jesus desired your salvation.

Think of your sins, would Jesus have been right to abandon you, to forsake you, to leave you in your sins and let you suffer, certainly for that is what we deserve, but He was patient with you because He loves you.

Our Merciful Father

God can’t have mercy, if he has no wrath.

Just as there can be no resurrection without death, there can’t be mercy where there is no wrath. Indeed patience cannot be shown if there is no corrective action that will be taken. Just as there can be no forgiveness nor a savior, if sin is not wrong and brings death.

What good is a father who never corrects his children?

Today we celebrate Father’s day, and a good father takes the time to discipline and instruct his children. He teaches them right from wrong, and for that we ought to give thanks. Did they sometimes go too far? We certainly thought so when the punishment for our disobedience came, but

A father who is indifferent despises them.

For he has no interest in his children knowing right from wrong, and does not care about the danger they will be in, there is no love in his heart at all. No desire for them to be better.

Our Father in Heaven has great love.

That Love that God has for us is found in both the Law and the Gospel. For God would have his children do what is right and proper, and instead of being indifferent He speaks to us the truth. The truth is terrifying that we have fallen short, but we learn to rely not on ourselves, but on His mercy, and steadfast love which is found in the Cross of Jesus.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ it is with great joy that we can call God our Father for as a father shows compassion to his children, the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. So let us think not of our own merit or worth, but rather look to Jesus Christ who came to die for sinners of whom I am the foremost. For it is Jesus who has washed us clean in Baptism, Feed us with His body and blood, and forgiven our sins by laying down His life for us. In jesus name. Amen.