1st Timothy 1:13. “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” I OBTAINED MERCY. If I got what I deserve, where would I be right now? Perhaps in some smug godless place, maybe even down in hell! But I know by God’s mercy alone, He made me to attend To what I learned in my own home, and the Gospel He did send.
I wasn’t ignorant of God’s ways; wasn’t ignorant of His truth, But with all that for many days, I didn’t realize mercy’s worth Until God spoke to me in His good time, and I was made to listen: “Will you ignore this grace of Mine? Will you to the Savior hasten?”
In mercy, God stopped me in my tracks; in mercy, He reached my heart. In mercy, God revealed redemptive facts; in mercy, the Spirit start With those who were very close to me, and I saw their real devotion, That made me stop, that I might see the reality of God’s salvation.
It wasn’t just that I believed a message I long was taught – It was that I would truly receive a Person I saw not. It was mercy that made me see past me, to the blood the Savior shed – It was mercy to me that put Christ on the tree, and for me He was raised from the dead.
The changes that mercy indelibly made may not be there for all to see – But I know it was my sins on Christ were laid, and His mercy has made me free. So, because of God’s mercy, I desire, to tell others of His grace – And mercy has made me to aspire, to help others’ faith in Christ to place.
When Christ comes to call His own, it will be mercy that makes us rise To meet Him in the air and go with all saints beyond the skies. When we all talk over God’s work of grace, when we meet in heaven together – We will all admit we are in that place because of the mercy of our heavenly Father.
“O merciful God my Father: I praise Thee this morning for sparing me to understand the Gospel and to receive the Savior. All through the years of life, I have experienced the benefits of Thy mercy. I give Thee my heartfelt thanks, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
Five times the phrase, "This is a faithful saying," is used in the pastoral epistles [3:1; 4:9; 2Tim.2:11; Titus 3:8]. Here, it gives the central facts of the Gospel that express important truths vital to the Christian's life and walk. These truths are worthy of everyone knowing and acting on the truth expressed. The first coming of Christ into the world was to bring mankind into the knowledge of the redemption He provided when He gave
His life as a ransom. The world of mankind was in bondage and condemned to death because of sin. When Christ came, grace that is exceeding abundant now makes it possible for sinners to be saved because of faith and love. The whole work of redemption is complete, because the purpose was that He "came" to "save" sinners. The verbs identify a full salvation. Paul knew it was a blessing personally because he was first in rank among sinners who had been saved by the sacrificial work of Christ Jesus. Paul’s experience of salvation is a pattern for all who will believe. God will forgive anyone. How God saved you is important in a testimony. What did you understand? What about sin? What about the work of Christ for you? What is different now that God has saved you compared with what life was like before? Mercy, contrasted with unbelief, is what we have received from God.