“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.” 1 Timothy 1:15
DEVOTION – by Matt Morgan:
When we think about why Jesus came, it can be easy to think that other people need Jesus more than we do. Sure, I have made my mistakes, but I’m certainly not as bad as “that person.” It is interesting that throughout the Apostle Paul’s ministry, his view of his need for Jesus deepened. The more he came to understand who Jesus was and what He came to do, the more Paul realized how desperately he needed a savior. Before encountering Christ, Paul considered himself blameless (Philippians 3:6). Years later, he’d describe himself as “the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Some years after that, he’d call himself “the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8) and “foremost” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). The shift we see in Paul was not out of defeat or shame, but it flowed from a heart of deep gratitude and worship.
As we journey through this Lenton season focusing on why Jesus came, we must start by recognizing that Jesus came to save sinners. A sinner is someone who has missed the mark and comes up short of the perfection that a holy God requires. Sin seperates us from God and it was the sin problem that Jesus came to fix. In Romans 3:23 Paul also writes “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The Greek word here for “all” means “all.” It means me and you. Jesus didn’t come to save “that person,” He came to save me.
In order to be saved, we must come to a place where we repent of living life our way and accept the life that Jesus alone can give. At its core, sinners are those who have pushed God out of the center and made themselves the center of their worlds. Sinners are centers, and repentance means we turn from our ways and put God back at the center of our lives.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- How does it encourage you to remember that Jesus came to save sinners?
- In light of this truth, how is God inviting you to repent today?
- Take a moment and pray thanking God that Jesus came to save sinners, like you.
