The Overflowing Grace of Jesus Christ Our Lord
1 Timothy 1:12-17 – “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”
Life is full of experiences—some joyful and pleasant, others painful and challenging. These experiences shape who we are and influence who we become. Through our past experiences, we become shaped as a person who thinks and views things in certain ways. Our likes and dislikes, things that we can and cannot do, and even our personalities are a culmination of our past experiences that go beyond our genetics. The most influential moments are called “shaping experiences,” which is why parents strive to provide their children the best possible experience growing up.
Similarly, when we look back, we can probably recount from our life and experiences things that affected the way we see things now, such as the early loss of a parent or past abuse. All these things can leave scars that continue to impact us in our present and future. Paul was no different. Paul experienced many sufferings. He was abused physically during his missions, he experienced financial difficulties and poverty, and he struggled to find food day by day. In 1 Timothy 1:13, he recalls that he “was a blasphemer…” and he continued to carry his past trauma.
Yet, all that he has experienced in the past has been washed away through his encounter with Jesus Christ. He found freedom and was no longer defined by his past but reshaped through the grace of Jesus.
What about us? What differentiates us and nonbelievers? While nonbelievers continue to carry their trauma and cannot overcome their past experiences, we as believers can change that through our encounter with Jesus. Jesus gives us the key to interact and reinterpret our past experiences. To meet Jesus Christ is his grace. The reason for Paul’s gratitude is not because of dramatic changes in his circumstances or situation when he encountered Jesus. In fact, at the time he was writing this letter, he was in prison. However, Paul shares overflowing gratitude for Jesus’s grace. Regardless of our personality, traumas, and past experiences, we are all immersed in God’s grace. Simply put, we are defined by the love and redemption found in Christ Jesus.
How do we experience the overflowing grace of Jesus Christ in our lives and how does it transform us?
We experience overflowing grace through God’s strength.
In 1 Timothy 1:12 and Philippians 4:13, Paul shares of God’s strength: “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that we can do anything or everything that we want, but that God gives us the strength of endurance. Regardless of every unpleasant or difficult situation, God gives us the strength to endure. Even if our circumstances or trials do not change, when we experience the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord, we can endure.
God judges us faithful even when we are not.
Would we consider ourselves faithful in the eyes of God? No. We fall and we sin every day. Can we forget someone’s continued mistakes and failures and see them as simply and as purely as our first encounters with them? God sees us this way. God sees us as someone who is faithful despite our terrible choices. He wants our relationship with Him and others to be different because he sees us in the eyes of faith. This is why we can find hope in Christ.
God appoints us to His service. God calls us to serve.
God appointing us to his service is an act of grace. When someone we admire gives us an opportunity to work with them, are we not grateful? Although we lack in so many ways, God still entrusts us with His works, even when we don’t deserve it. We may not know what the future entails with our career path, but as Christian life is living for God’s service.
God sent His son Jesus to save us when we are sinners.
When we have company over at our home, we typically expect guests to “clean up” prior to arrival. However, when we see an unclean person at our door, would we welcome them into your clean home with a warm hug? God does. God sent His son even when we refuse to admit and come clean of our sins to save us. This is grace.
God exhibits perfect patience.
Finally, God displays perfect patience. We live our lives daily due to God’s patience. We do not experience God’s judgment now because of His patience. He gives us time to change our lives and hearts. His patience reflects His grace. If God exhibited the same impatience as we do in our daily lives, we would certainly be in trouble.
We may still face difficulties, regardless of our situation and circumstances because we may carry forward our past traumas. Yet, through the grace of Jesus, we can find freedom. His grace strengthens us, redeems our past, and empowers us to live with purpose and hope. Let’s reflect on how His grace strengthens us, redefines our identity, and enables us to endure life’s trials with faith and gratitude, not through our own faith, but God’s faith in us when he appoints us to His service and through Jesus.
Reflection Questions:
What were your main takeaways from this week’s message?
Are there still past traumas that you carry with you? How do they affect your life now?
Have you experienced God’s overflowing grace in any of the ways listed above? How has it affected your life before and after?
