Monday, September 17, 2018: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

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.

Is there anything that you often see or experience yet that continually amazes you or gives you a sense of joy? Perhaps it’s a sunset or night sky filled with stars, or even the “Mighty Mississippi.” Whatever those things may be, it is a gift to be able to find consistent joy in something so beautiful and never take it for granted.

For the Apostle Paul, the gospel was like that. Paul lived and breathed the gospel, but this familiarity and constant exposure to it never led to boredom or indifference. Rather, the more he pondered the gospel, the more he marveled at it. This passage reflects Paul’s ever-increasing awareness of his sin, God’s grace, and God’s glory, and the worship of God that naturally results from this growth.

In short, Paul demonstrated what it looks like to mature in our faith. We don’t think more of ourselves as we mature. We grow in our awareness of the depth of our sin and we grow in our understanding of the holiness of God. Therefore, what God did for us in Christ absolutely blows our minds more than ever. This leads us not to think of ourselves as superior to others, but as the chief of sinners.

1. What are some ways you can continually give honor and glory to God for His patience toward you, a sinner, now His son or daughter in Christ?
2. How active are you right now in pursuing spiritual growth? How do you need to change? What ideas to you need to leave behind? What habits do you need to develop? How can our group help in this area?
3. Pray that your path to maturity would mirror that of Paul’s—that you would daily grow in your awareness of your sin and of the holiness of God, thereby giving all the more praise to Him for His work on your behalf in Jesus. Pray you would become more and more humble every day.