Extravagant Grace

The Wonder of Extravagant Grace
1 Timothy 1:12-17
“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

It is easy to become ensnared by the past. Past mistakes and sins can become our proverbial ball and chain, dragging us down into the pit of guilt and shame. However, Scripture teaches that no sin is beyond the grace of God's forgiveness, no matter how horrific in our eyes.
In our mental picture of Paul, we see him as the stalwart of faith. Paul remains the champion of theologians for his ability to capture into words the complexity of our understanding of God and His salvation.  Whether Paul was sharing the gospel with rough sailors or confronting intellectual giants on Mars Hill in Athens, Paul could convey the gospel with clarity and relevance. If there was ever a champion of the Christian faith, it was Paul.  However, Paul did not see himself as a champion of the faith. Instead, he saw himself as nothing more than a sinner saved by faith. In this letter to Timothy, Paul does not refer to his past when describing his sinful life; he speaks in the present tense. He does not say, “among whom I was foremost of all.” Instead, he states, “among whom I am foremost of all.”  For Paul, the extent of God’s grace was realized in his life not only in the forgiveness of his sins before his conversion but in the forgiveness of his sins in the present.  Paul reflects on his life before Christ, a life which was characterized as a blasphemer of Christ and a violent persecutor of the church, and fully realizes the shame of his sin. However, the past did not define him.  Instead, what defined him now was the grace of God that was lavishly given to him through Christ. No matter how terrible the past may have been or how grievous our sins were, the grace of God was more than sufficient to forgive our sins.  As Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 5:17, we are now a new creation in Christ. We have a new identity, purpose, and nature.

However, what about the present? Previously, we sinned in ignorance because we did not know God’s word. But now, our sin is even more grievous (at least in our own eyes) because we sin willfully and knowingly.  As a result, we struggle with guilt and a sense of defeat.  How can God forgive me when I sin so continually?  Here again, Paul points us back to grace.  Paul recognized that salvation, while giving us a new identity, still did not wholly eradicate our sinful nature.  It still lurks in the background, ready to act in our moments of weakness.  For Paul, the grace of God not only covered the past, it was sufficient for the present and future.  His present struggle with sin was a continual reminder of God’s grace and patience towards us.

God’s mercy served as the springboard for Paul to minister to others by offering them the same grace and forgiveness God gave him.   God does not call us to serve Him based on our worthiness; instead, He chooses to use us to display the wonder of His grace to give hope to others (vs. 16).  In us, God shows the world His extravagant grace.  In Christ, our past and even our present sins do not define us.  What defines us is the grace of God evident in our lives.  Instead of wallowing in the mire of guilt, we can now find joy in the cleansing of His grace.  Grace is not justification for sin (see Romans 6:1) but the answer to our sin.  No matter what you have done in the past, the present, or will do in the future, God’s grace is always available so that in you, God might display His grace to the world. All that is required of us is to ask for (1 John 1:9) and then accept the grace and forgiveness He gives.