Testimony

I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry— one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:12-16

Sinful men are uniquely qualified to be used by God.

As a pastor, I’ve often seen many men disqualify themselves from being used by God because of sin. If it were true that men could not be used by God because of past mistakes, every man would be disqualified. Pastors included! In fact, the Bible is clear that no man has ever been free from sin aside from Christ. Strangely, this should be both comforting and intimidating. We should take heart that not one of us is beyond being used by God in a significant way. On the other hand, we have no excuse to bow out of God’s call!

The self-proclaimed worst of sinners was used to write the majority of the New Testament. His testimony included a lot of sin. You bet there are always consequences for sin and Paul did experience those. He also humbled himself and was used by God to do great things, not disqualified from participation. Know that God extends mercy to qualify you for Kingdom work, regardless of your story.

DO THIS TODAY: Thank God for His Mercy