The Power of the Gospel

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. 17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The mention of “the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God” moved Paul to share his own personal testimony.

He was “Exhibit A” to prove that the Gospel of the grace of God really works.

When you read Paul’s testimony, you begin to grasp the wonder of God’s grace and His saving power.

This is important because to each and every person we meet in life and share about Jesus, we are exibit B after Paul - a proof of Godf’s amazing Grace.

What Paul used to be

1 Timothy 1:13 AV

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

He was a blasphemer because he denied the deity of Jesus Christ and forced others to deny it.

He was a persecutor who used physical power to try to destroy the church. “Murderous threats” were the very breath of his life.

Acts 9:1 AV

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

He persecuted the Christian church and then discovered that he was actually laying hands on Jesus Christ, the Messiah!

During this period of his life, Paul consented to the stoning of Stephen and made havoc of the church.

Acts 8:1–4 AV

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

Paul was injurious, a word that means “proud and insolent.”

A modern equivalent might be “bully.”

It conveys the idea of a haughty man “throwing his weight around” in violence.

Even though Saul of Tarsus was a brilliant man and well educated, his mind was blinded from the truth.

He was a religious man, yet he was not headed for heaven!

It was not until he put faith in Jesus Christ that he was saved.

We must be so self righteous as to assume we were born saved. We have, like Paul, have someone that we USED to be. Paul had his Saul, we have our own sinful past selves.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 AV

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Such were some of you....

How Paul was saved

1 Timothy 1:13–15 AV

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

How could the holy God ever save and forgive such a self-righteous sinner?

The key words are “mercy” and “grace.”

God in His mercy did not give Paul what he did deserve; instead God in His grace gave Paul what he did not deserve.

Grace and mercy are God’s love in action, God’s love paying a price to save lost sinners.

It is not God’s love alone that saves us, for God loves the whole world.

It is by grace that we are saved because God is rich in mercy and grace.

Ephesians 2:7–9 AV

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Notice there is no metion of God’s love but grace when it comes to salvation. God’s love makes that grace avalible.

What did Paul’s “ignorance” have to do with his salvation?

Is ignorance an excuse before God? Of course not!

God does not acept “i diddnt know” as an excuse.

So why does Paul mention it?

Well there is, to a degree a kind of mercy in ignorance.

Jesus recognized this principle when He prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

Their ignorance did not save them, nor did Christ’s prayer save them; but the combination of the two postponed God’s judgment, giving them an opportunity to be saved.

I think of all the years i was igniorant of God and Jesus - years in which i easily could have dies and gone to Hell - yet in His infinate Mercy God spared me during my ignorance till i came to put my faith in him.

Paul makes it clear that this salvation is not for him only, but for all who receive Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 1:15 AV

15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

If Jesus could save Saul of Tarsus, the chief of sinners, then He can save anybody!

Look at Paul’s humility:

1 Corinthians 15:9 AV

9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Ephesians 3:8 AV

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

He considered himself to be the “least of the apostles” and the “least of all saints”.

Pasul was saved the onlyt way anyone can ever be saved: By humbeling themselves in repentance and faith beforr Jesus Christ.

What Paul became

1 Timothy 1:12 AV

12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;

1 Timothy 1:16 AV

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

The grace of God turned the persecutor into a preacher, and the murderer into a minister and a missionary!

So dramatic was the change in Paul’s life that the Jerusalem church suspected that it was a trick, and they had a hard time accepting him (Acts 9:26–31).

God not only entrusted the Gospel to Paul, but He enabled Paul to minister that Gospel (1 Cor. 15:10; Phil. 4:13).

When someone obeys God’s call to serve, God always equips and enables that person.

Like Paul, God saved to become a wittness of his goodness, grace and mercy and truth.

Saul died on the road to tarsus and the Apostle Paul was born.

You died when you put your faith in Jesus Chriust too and now you have become a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17 AV

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.