The Amen of God

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, ¹³ even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.  1 Timothy 1

 I acted ignorantly in unbelief, most of the stuff I do wrong, I’d say perhaps all of it, can be boiled down to unbelief.  I try to do things my way, in my time, for my own reasons, instead of trusting God to bring about His Way, in His Time, for His purpose.  I guess I can be a procrastinator sometimes, but for the most part, my problem is getting ahead of God, not lagging behind.  He has a plan, His timing is perfect, but I can get so impatient sometimes.  When I read Paul’s words above in 1 Timothy, I felt like I was reading my own testimony.  Perhaps you can relate to that, perhaps not.  But I was so struck by Paul’s candor and honesty about his past and who he used to be.  We all have a past, we can never change it, it is what it is.  But Christ cares for our past at the Cross.  Even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.  I love the passage of Scripture where we are told that God’s mercies are new ever morning.  Are ours?  Is mine, is my mercy new every morning, or do I carry around old wounds, old pain, old disappointments?  I have found that these fester, grow foul and rank within us, and eventually come out in some unhealthy manner at the worst times, usually in a destructive way, and causing great hurt to the people all around us.  Let Christ deal with your past, He already has on the cross, so let Him complete His work.  I have found great peace in this precious reality, this precious truth.  My life is now Hidden with Christ in God.

Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

We are all foremost of all when it comes to our sin.  When we are shown by God, what our rebellion, pride, arrogance, etc. really is from His point of view, it makes your knees just buckle under the weight.  But God is too merciful to show us this all at one time.  He dealt with the penalty of our sin all at once on the cross, but our transformation out of our practice of sin can be a bit slower.   And God is patient with us, drawing us, teaching us, guiding us to think, believe and ultimately act in a different way than in our former life.  It is a precious and wonderful journey, when we realize its purpose.  Conviction, repentance, they’re both wonderful things, because God shows us these things so He can free us from them into a better way of living, His way.

 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.  O Amen to that.  Let us cry out, “World look at me, look at what Jesus has done in me.  Let me tell you how He has been patient and loving and kind and forgiving.  Come and see.”  O People of God let us let Jesus use us as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.  It is pure joy to be His.

¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.   The word Amen can mean, “believable.” What sheer joy to be the Amen of God.