Mercy and Grace in our salvation

Introduction: Throughout our lives there are pivotal points that we often think about. Whether we are sitting on the front porch and talking to an old friend about high school football games. At the coffee shop reflecting on the week with a brother or sister in Christ. Watching our children be parents and we reflect on the fact they were just babies what seemed like yesterday. Or we are trying to fall asleep and we remember that embarrassing moment from middle school that causes us to just cringe while hoping that we will fall asleep so that we will never have to relive that moment again. We as human beings reflect. Often our reflections impact our mood, our attitude, and our outward interacting toward one another in our communities.

For the Christian, we have been given something great in Christ Jesus. We have been saved from our sins, our relationship with God has been restored, we have been united into a body of believers in our local church. When we reflect, it reminds us that we have a lot to be thankful for. This reflection permeates around the mercy and grace in Christ Jesus should result in praise and joy.

This is where we find Paul this morning in 1 Timothy. Paul is in prison, nearing the end of his life. He is writing to Timothy his son in the faith. Timothy is at the church of Ephesus who are dealing with some controversy. Paul earlier in his life wrote a letter to the church of Ephesus providing them with doctrine and then showing them how they should live in light of that doctrine. However, there has been some controversy happen there in Ephesus. There are some that are teaching wrong doctrine in the church. Paul then goes on to describe that those who were teaching these false doctrines have taken the law and have produced for themselves a misunderstanding by which they were now sharing as teaching with those in Ephesus.

Paul goes on to write out violations of the law of God and then begins to describe the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. This gospel for Paul is a reminder of what has happened to him in his life. for the next 5 verses Paul is going to reflect on the mercy and grace that is found in Christ Jesus and it will cause him to praise God.

MP: Reflect on the mercy and grace of Jesus and lift up praise to him.

1 Timothy 1:12–17 ESV

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 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. 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. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

The agency of grace and mercy

Paul begins, 1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

He beings to reflect on the agency of the grace and mercy. Paul's reflection is wrapped up in thankfulness and praise to Jesus. He begins in verse 12 with thanking Jesus Christ and ends the reflection in with praise to the king of ages be glory and honour. What is he thankful for? His apostleship? His ministry? His salvation?

I think that all of this can be answered in the affirmative form. But there is an better answer, the agent of Grace and Mercy, Jesus Christ our Lord. Paul is astonished that Christ the Lord of all creation would use him and give him an inner strength for ministry.

Appointing Paul to the apostleship would have been useless if it wasn't for the strength that was from Jesus himself. If we were to see Christ as our provider of strength then it would change the way we see trials, tribulations, and ministry. Often times we try to do everything in our own strength forgetting that Christ is the one who strengthens us.

Another reason Paul thanks Christ, is because Jesus has judged him faithful. Paul’s appointment to the gospel wasn't because God thought well of Paul own faithfulness. God did not see the good in Paul that outweighed the sin in Paul.

Paul was a blasphemer, persecutor and opponent of the faith. Rather Paul is amazed two fold. First, that Christ would cause him to believe by faith that Jesus Christ is lord, when he was an all out opponent Of the Christ.

Second, that he of all people would be entrusted with the gospel at all. He who spoke evil, now speaks boldly. He who persecuted the faith, was now persecuted for the faith for the purpose of the gospel going out. Paul was an enemy of those who followed Christ, but Jesus saw fit that Paul would be given the privileged to be an apostle. Paul’s faithfulness was not based on his own zeal. His faith was a gift of grace from Christ Jesus.

Paul received mercy in this time. He did not get what he deserved. Paul understood that there was no hope for someone like him. Jesus in his mercy and grace provided for Paul something that didn't make sense to him but was so glorious.

What he received from Jesus was grace, not wrath. He did not receive condemnation but mercy. He did not receive damnation but blessing in Christ Jesus. He didn't receive separation, He recieved love.

One writer puts it this way: Grace flooded with faith a heart previously filled with unbelief, and flooded with love a heart previously polluted with hatred.” (John R. W. Stott, Guard the Truth: The Message of 1 Timothy & Titus, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 52.)

Faith is a response to God’s grace and mercy in Christ. The love, compassion, forgiveness, and redemption that was found in Christ produced for him a thankfulness unlike any other. Thankfulness and worship is in response to the grace and mercy that he experienced in Christ.

The agency of grace and mercy for Paul is not wrapped up in himself, rather it is surrounded in and around Jesus Christ. Jesus saved him, Jesus caused him to have strength, Jesus strengthens him to his apostleship. Jesus gave him faith. Jesus was the agent in which all grace and mercy was poured out upon Paul.

If we were to be like Paul, our whole lives would be changed. If we were to see the agent of grace and mercy, as clear as Paul does in this moment our whole dynamic of religiosity would be overridden with thanksgiving and praise.

We wouldn’t see serving as an inconvenience but we would give our lives to Jesus as living sacrifices to serve in whatever capacity that he requires.

We wouldn't come and gather with the saints to sing empty words. We would sing loud in praise to our savior.

We wouldn't hear the preaching of the word and not hold on to every word. We would see the preaching of the word as the main event of all the worship we do on Sunday.

We wouldn’t shy away from bible study because we dont like to read, but we would quickly go to the word knowing that in it we find the agent of grace and mercy.

We would anticipate hearing from the word of God concerning our savior and the grace and mercy that we have recieved through him. Reflect through the grace that has been shown to you in Christ through his death burial and Resurrection.

What was the reason for this grace and mercy that is found in the agent of Christ?

The reason of grace and mercy (15)

1 Timothy 1:15 “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.”

Paul goes on to say the first of five “trustworthy” sayings that are found in the pastorals. He may be quoting a familiar hymn or proverb by the early church. Paul is providing for Timothy an emphasis to a statement that he may have heard before.

The word for saying here is logos that means, “word”. It isnt a generic word but the gospel itself. Remember in the context of 1 Timothy there are false teachers that are impacting the church in Ephesus

They are as verse 3 says, teaching different doctrine, devoting themselves to myths and genealogies, they have swerved from the love of Christ and pure hearts, good conscience and sincere faith. They have wandered away into vain discussion, teaching things that shouldn't be taught. This word is contrast to what is being taught by those false teachers. What they are saying is a lie and should be denied but what Paul provides here should be listened to and accepted as truth.

In the next statement Paul gives us the reason of mercy and grace. He gives us the gospel. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

We often can attribute the grace of God to the common grace that is felt by all of the creation of God. Both sinners and God’s people feel the grace that is given to us. God allows us to live, breath, eat, have dominion. However, the justifying grace that is provided in salvation comes in and through Jesus himself. Christ Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world, as part of his creation. The preexistent eternal Son of God who was there before the foundations of the world came into his own creation as a baby. Why did he come? to save sinners. Jesus lived the perfect life that you and I couldn't do. We have sinned against God. Jesus fully and perfectly obeyed the law of God, he did not sin, went to the cross taking the punishment that we deserved. He concurred sin and death and he rose again on the third day. All sinners who would believe this gospel would be saved.

Since Jesus took their punishment for their unrighteousness, they would receive his righteousness. This is the reason we are shown Grace and mercy as sinners. Jesus Christ crucified on our behalf. There is good news here for you today. If you see your sin against a holy and righteous God, and you think that I have to get myself right before I can come to him. This isnt the case.

Paul shows that Christ came into the world, Jesus came into the world, died on your behalf to make you right before God. The righteous one died for the unrighteous so that we may be brought to God. You dont have to get yourself right. See the grace and mercy in Jesus and repent of your sins and turn to him.

Paul adds this little kicker here at the end he says that of whom I am the foremost. Paul looked at his life and saw that he was the foremost of these sinners. Paul is saying that he is the worst sinner there is. When he looks at others around him that sin against him he realizes that he is the worst sinner there is.

Some of us would take Paul at his word. Yeah Paul buddy you are the worst there is. We often compare sins. Paul doesnt do this. He was aware of his own sins that he could not think of anyone that was worse off than him.

Remember, Paul was religious. He went to church Sunday, Wednesday, to the revivals, and served as a deacon. He was religious. He was the the self acknowledged pharisee of pharisee. but when he was confronted with the reality of Christ on the Damascus Road. He saw his own sin and inability.

he knew his own sin. He knew his own heart. His humility and need for grace should form us. It should form the way that we interact with others. We may think because we grew up in the church that we are not the absolute worst sinner that has ever been born. We may think well I am not like that drug addict. or I am not as bad as the man who cheated on his wife. If we are honest we put ourselves in comparison with others. We know our sins, we know the depth of our sinful nature. We should be like Paul, declaring that we are the chief of sinners. We are saved in the unconditional sovereign grace that is found in Christ Jesus. Nothing of our own account. We are the worst but Jesus is better. As Richard Sibbs writes, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.”

Church this changes the way we interact with one another. If we are the foremost sinner then we will forgive others since we have been forgiven. If we are the foremost sinner when someone sins against us we will show the same grace and mercy that we have found in Jesus. If we are the foremost, then we humbly know what we deserve and we rejoice that we have been saved by his grace. If Christ saved us from our sins, then we quickly confess our sins to him.

See the grace and mercy in Christ. He did not leave us to our own works to come to him, which would never work, but he came to us so that he would be able to restore what was broken. He mended our relationship with God through his sacrifice, and now has brought us in a new covenant that is filled with Grace.

The agent of grace and mercy, Jesus Christ, has shown us the reason of his grace and mercy, to save us from our sins. But what was the purpose of this.

The purpose of grace and mercy

1 Timothy 1:16 “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.”

Paul goes on to lay out another purpose to the grace and mercy that he has been shown. That the mercy of Christ coming to save sinners would display the patience of God. God was patience with Paul through his blaspheme, persecution and adversity to the gospel message. God had all right to pour out his wrath upon Paul. God in saving Paul demonstrated his perfect patience. He waited. God was longsuffering with Paul. Holding back his judgment, God gave forgiveness and eternal life to Paul instead of destruction and alienation.

This display of perfect patience was to be an example to those who were to believe in Christ for eternal life. What Paul is saying here is this. If Christ could save me by his grace, he can save you.

One author puts it this way, “God chose to take the chief persecutor of the church and make him the chief missionary in the church to show he is patient. He loves, and he beckons sinners to believe in Him for eternal life. No matter who you are or what you have done, these words are worthy of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (CCE, 19)

O the wonderful patience of Christ. What a great shepherd that we have! See Jesus heart for us! The merciful savior is patient with us. He is longsuffering through our disobedience. He always has been patience and merciful. As Moses says Exodus 34:6-7 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”

God’s mercy is part of who he is. God does not simply have mercy. Or he doesn’t just give mercy. He is Mercy. Ortland writes, “He is a fountain of Mercy. He is a billionaire in the currency of mercy and the withdraws we make as we sin our way through life cause his fortune to grow greater, not less.”

In Christ, his mercy is patience As 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” Each day we have on this earth is God’s patience for us, his love for us that we would turn from our sin and be found in Christ.

“Paul is convinced that the mercy of God has come to him for a purpose— to prove the sufficiency of Gods mercy through Christ for all sinners.”

If God’s grace and mercy is big enough for Paul its big enough for everyone else. We need to realize this as the church. Those we don’t associate with because they are filthy sinners, God’s grace is suffeciant for them. His grace and mercy is sufficient for all. Let go taking this gospel to all the nations. I pray that God would bring to mind someone that needs to hear of this grace and mercy that you can call them this evening and tell them about this all sufficient mercy in Christ.

This mercy from Christ forgives us of our sins, and brings us to eternal life. Christ restores the relationship between us and God. He heals our broken bodies. While we dont understand eternality to the fullest one day we will be with him, after he makes all things new and we will minutely know eternality in life with Christ. We will praise him in this day.

As the hymn reminds us, When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We have known less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun .” Oh what a day that will be when we see the merciful savior face to face in all his glory.

All of this thought, All of this reflection from Paul, That the agent of Grace and Mercy, Jesus has saved him by his grace, the worst sinner experienced the result of Jesus’s incarnation, salvation, for the purpose that God’s patience would be shown in his life to cause others to believe. in him. All of this resulted in Praise!

The result of grace and mercy

1 timothy 1:17 “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Paul burst out in doxology. This is the result of grace and mercy that we have recieved in Christ. Before we did not worship God as we ought. We worshiped our selves rather than God. But when we see Jesus Christ and his grace and mercy, our worship returns to its truest form. We praise God. This worship that Paul provides for us is deeply theological.

First, the grace and mercy of Christ prompts Paul to praise God as king eternal. God is the king of the ages before and forevermore. He rules and reigns just as he has from before there even was a beginning. While we will have eternal life as Christians, our natural birth caused us to enter into existence at a fixed point and through eternal life Christians because we have been born again. Our sinful hearts have been made new, hearts that beat for Christ.

We will continue to live for the rest of eternity. God is different, he existed outside of time itself, He does not have a fixed point in which he has existed he always has and will exist. God knows the full weight of eternality. This kingship of God encompasses his sovereign rule over all things. He is sovereign over the natural order, history, and the kingdom that has came in Christ.

Second, the grace and mercy of Christ prompts Paul to praise God as immortal. Meaning that he is beyond decay and death. While we may die, he never will. His grace and mercy will continue just as long as it has been.

Third, the grace and mercy of Christ prompts Paul to praise God as invisible. No one has ever seen God. He is beyond the limits of what we can see and imagine. No one can compare to him. His glory has been displayed in the creation in both the heavens and the earth. His glory reaches its climax in Jesus who is the image of the invisible God.

Forth, the grace and mercy of Christ prompts Paul to praise God as the only God. There is no other God. He is the only God. There is no other. He has no rivals. Isaiah 45:18 “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Lastly, the grace and mercy of Christ prompts Paul to ascribe God all honour and glory forever and ever.He gives God reverence that are due to him because of who he is. The term glory gives acknowledgement of God’s majesty and power. He attributes glory to the eternal, immortal, invisible, God and King of all creation.

Paul ends his doxology with an Amen. Paul confirms the truthfulness of what he has said with the Amen.

When trials come and it is hard to praise God, reflect on the grace and mercy in Christ. When joyous days come, reflect on the mercy and grace in Christ. One day we will see the king who has shown us mercy and grace. We will experience mercy and grace much fuller when we see our savior.

While we await this time, It would be easy for us to leave here, hearing the gospel, hearing of the grace and mercy that we have recieved in Christ and not respond. The preaching of the word, the same gospel that causes Paul to praise God, deserves a response. A lifting up of praise. Our reflection of the gospel should be constant. It should cause us to wonder and be astonished that God would send his son for us, sinners. We should be amazed that God loved us enough to save us. It should humble us, cause us to be grateful and lead us to worship. (partial from ESV expository commentary, 389)

Christian, reflect today of the grace and mercy that is in Christ Jesus for you. Anticipate Christ’s return for when he returns we will be with him in the new heavens and new earth surrounded in this grace and mercy and we will not be able to do anything else but to praise him for all of eternity.

Brothers and sisters, as we have reflected upon Christ this morning. lets praise the king of the ages immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. And all God’s people said “Amen”