Do It

The reality is that successful Christian living is not complicated. There is no secret to it. But it is a mystery. There is a groove that you have to get in. Just like anything worth having, following Jesus requires constant attention as our relationship with Him and obedience to His Word should and will become our priority and a mark of our life’s work.

This is Paul's testimony from 1 Timothy 1, “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."

Paul accused himself of acting “…ignorantly in his unbelief…” This is the same Paul who said that if we would judge ourselves, we SHOULD NOT be judged. Wow! Now that’s a tall order, a man or woman of God recognizing their own ignorance and then, judging themselves. Kind of makes the hair stand up on the back of one’s neck to think how much better the world would be if the Christian would do this before anything else.

The apostle Paul uses his testimony to prove that if God will express mercy upon a vicious Christian persecutor, He will certainly have mercy on anyone who turns to Him.

The lesson to be learned here is that there are no limits to what God can do. We just have to allow Him to do it.

-Pastor Butch