Monday, 13 November 2017
And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:14
Paul has explained his “from” and “to” status. He went from a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man. He went to one who was placed into the ministry because he was counted faithful. Now he attempts to explain the incomprehensible nature of what came about in that transformation by saying, “And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant.” The single Greek word translated as “exceedingly abundant” is found only here in Scripture. It gives the sense of superabundance. It is as a number which cannot be counted.
In other words, Paul is stating that the grace upon him could not be properly explained. Only a descriptive word which asks the mind to reach off into infinity could be used in an attempt to describe it. And then along with that, he adds, “with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” These are the two principle tenets which came to exemplify the life and apostleship of Paul. They are set in contrast to his former life.
He was a blasphemer, now he was a man of faith. He was a persecutor and an insolent man, and now his life was marked with love. The transformation was as complete as that of going from utter darkness to brilliant light.
Life application: How did coming to Christ change you? Did you simply go from being a regular person, stepping from unbelief in His work to a belief in it, calling on Him as Lord? If so, you are saved by that belief and the call that you made. Or, did you go from being a really wicked person to a person who was completely transformed? If so, you are saved as well, but you probably have a burning desire to serve the Lord. The fact is that all, those who felt they were just regular folks, and those who felt they were the worst of all people, were in exactly the same boat. In both, there was an infinite separation from God; and in both, there is a complete reuniting to Him. Let us all come to the realization of this, and let us all be willing to expend ourselves in this life for the furtherance of the gospel. And in this, let us be people of faith and love which is found in Christ Jesus.
It was an infinite gulf between the two of us, O God. The chasm was impassible, and I stood dead in sin. But then came Christ. With His divine hand, He reached out to You – infinitely pure and holy. And in His human hand, he reached down and cleansed a miserable sinner like me. Now, this Bridge has reconciled me to You. Thank God for Calvary’s cross, and the blood which was shed there. Thank You, O God, for what You have done through Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen.