Overcoming Grace

First Youth Camp, trying to overcome Middle School body odor with Axe Body Spray. It just makes weaponized mustard gas.

Somethings just can’t be overcome.

Mistakes, failures, your past- no matter how much you try to cover them up- they just keep coming back to haunt you.

God’s grace can overcome them.

Text Background- Paul and Timothy relationship. Timothy pastoring in Ephesus.

Gives instruction to Timothy to teach the church how to live a Godly life.

Paul gives us a peek at how God’s grace overcome some major failures in his own life.

1 Timothy 1:12–17 ESV

12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 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. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Transition: Paul get’s real for a moment reflecting on how Jesus has absolutely turned his life upside down. There are three major things that God’s grace overcame in Paul’s life, and our own if we let him.

1. God’s grace overcomes our unbelief.

a. The nature of unbelief

unbelief is not caused by a lack of knowledge.

Acts 22:3 ESV

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.

unbelief is the natural state of man apart from Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:14 CSB

14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

unbelief is only overcome by God’s grace.

-v. 14- and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

2. God’s grace overcomes our sin.

a. Paul’s sin v. 13

blasphemer

persecutor

insolent (violent) opponent

b. Paul’s evaluation of his former state

Ignorant

Foremost sinner

Hopeless

c. The hope of the Gospel

1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

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.

3. God’s grace overcomes our past.

a. Paul’s past

Acts 8:3 ESV

3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Acts 22:4–5 (ESV)

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women,

5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness.

b. God’s plan for Paul’s future

1 Timothy 1:16 ESV

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.

How do you need to experience this grace today?