Can God Use Someone Like Me? (Part 2)

1Timothy 1:12-17

In the previous article, I began to explore the question: Can God Use Someone Like Me? Many Believers and churches struggle with this very issue. Does a certain kind of lifestyle before Christ automatically exclude me from participating in my church's ministry? Are there any meaningful service opportunities for people with serious moral failures in their background before salvation? Before we explore this question further, I wish to review the previous article.

FIRST, CONSIDER WHAT PAUL USED TO BE (1Tim. 1:13A). 

You may recall Paul's colorful past as a blasphemer of God Almighty, a violent persecutor of the early churches, and even a murderer of Christians for their faith in Jesus. Clearly God can save and change the life of anyone who repents believing the Gospel. 

SECONDLY, CONSIDER HOW PAUL WAS SAVED (1Tim. 1:13B-15). 

He was saved by the extreme super grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ; this is how we all must be saved! In fact Paul's conversion gives every sinner reason to hope for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  No matter how painfully filthy your past may be, God is still able to save and transform your life.  

THIRDLY, CONSIDER WHOM PAUL BECAME (1Tim. 1: 12, 16).

Now that we have seen how God saved Paul, it is here that we begin to explore how God used a person with an extremely colorful past for His glory. You see, a filthy past does not negate a relatively spotless future in Christ Jesus. Take another look at our case study--the Apostle Paul. 

1.  A Minister. (Vs. 12)

A) The Grace of God Turned The Persecutor into A Preacher, and The Murderer, into A Minister and Missionary!

1) So dramatic was the change in Paul's life that the Jerusalem church suspected that it was a trick, and they had a hard time accepting him (Acts 9:26-31).

2) God gave Paul His ministry; he did not get it from Peter or the other Apostles (Gal 1:11-24). He was called and commissioned by the risen Christ in heaven.

3) “At this point Paul’s inventory of sinners, of which he knew he was the chief—combined with his remembrance of the gospel with which he had been entrusted—triggered within him a powerful surge of gratitude. Literally, the words “Thanks I have”—with “thanks” in the emphatic position—begins this section. Paul’s gratitude stemmed from the fact that God in His grace had provided Paul all necessary enablement (cf. Phil. 4:13) and, considering him trustworthy, had pressed him into a privileged place of service.”  ---John Walvoord

4) “Verses 12–17 seem to illustrate the lawful use of the law from Paul’s own experience. The law was not to him a way of salvation, but rather a means of conviction of sin.

First of all he bursts out into thanksgiving to Christ Jesus for His enabling grace. The emphasis is not on what Saul of Tarsus did for the Lord but what the Lord did for him. The apostle could never get over the wonder that the Lord Jesus not only saved him but counted him faithful, appointing him to His service. The law could never have shown such grace. Rather, its inflexible terms would have condemned the sinner Saul to death.” ---William MacDonald

B) God Saw That Paul Was Faithful, And So He Entrusted The Gospel To Him. (Vs. 1:12)

1) Even as an unbelieving and Gospel-ignorant Jewish leader, Paul had maintained a good conscience and he lived up to the light that he had. So often those who are intensely wrong as lost sinners become intensely right as Christians and are greatly used of God to win the lost to Christ.

2) God not only entrusted the Gospel to Paul, but He enabled Paul to minister that Gospel (1Cor. 15:10; Phil 4:13). When someone obeys God's call to serve, God always equips and enables that person.

·        1 Cor. 15:10, But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

·        Philip. 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

3) No person has the power to do spiritual warfare; no person can penetrate the spirits of other people. If a person is to minister to people, he must be empowered by Christ, for only Christ can penetrate the spirits of people.

·        Therefore, the servant must possess the power of Christ. This is a critical fact. It means that a person cannot make himself a servant nor can other persons choose him to be a minister-not a true minister, not a minister who pleases Christ and can be blessed by Christ.

·        Why? Because no person can carry on a successful ministry in his own strength, not a ministry that truly reaches people for Christ and delivers them from sin, death, and the judgment to come. Only Christ can do this. This is the reason each servant must be enabled by Christ; he or she must minister in the strength and power of Christ regardless of the area of voluntary service.

·        The only way a vocational minister can be what he should be...

1.      Is to be put in the ministry by Christ Jesus.

2.      Is to be enabled (strengthened and empowered) by Christ Jesus.

3.      "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (Jn.l5:16).

            2. An Example (vs. 16)

But Paul not only became a minister; he also became an example (1 Tim 1:16).

A) This Explains Why Paul Obtained Mercy.

·        It was so that he might be an exhibit of the longsuffering of Jesus Christ. Just as he had been the chief of sinners, so now he would be the chief display of the untiring grace of the Lord.

·        He would be “Exhibit A,” a living example, as William Kelly said, of “divine love rising above the most active hostility, of divine longsuffering exhausting the most varied and persistent antagonism.”

·        Paul teaches us an important lesson about lowering our guard as an evangelistic tool. Paul was not nearly as interested in creating an image as he was in being an example. He did not hesitate to share his past, because he knew his failures would allow others to have hope.

o   There are times when we hesitate to share our past struggles with others because we are afraid it will tarnish our image. This, however, creates an immediate paradox. For their knowledge of us is incomplete. They don't know us, and we are not sure they would still accept us if they did know us. But these problems are image problems; they are difficulties we encounter in trying to manage what others know of us.

o   Paul demonstrated that lowering our guard can be an important step in communicating the gospel. People will not believe the gospel is important if they can't see that it is crucial in our lives.

§  How has Christ shown patience with you?

§  Did he stay with you when you doubted and rebelled?

§  Did he remain faithful when you ignored his prior claim on your life?

§  Did he love you when you disregarded his help and his church?

§  Remember that his patience is unlimited for those who love him.

B) In What Sense Is Paul An Example To Lost Sinners Who Believe On Christ?

·        None of us has had the same experience that Paul had on the Damascus road (Acts 9). We did not see a light, fall to the ground, and hear Jesus speak from heaven.

·        But Paul is a pattern ("type") to all lost sinners, for he was the chief of sinners!

o   He is proof that the grace of God can change any sinner!

o   In the primary sense the verse means that none need despair, no matter how wicked they might be.

o   They can console themselves that since the Lord has already saved the chief of sinners, they too can find grace and mercy by coming to Him as penitents.

o   “All who follow can look back at Paul as a prototype or pattern (“example,” 2 Tim. 1:13). The ultimate sinner became the ultimate saint; God’s greatest enemy became His finest servant. Somewhere between these extremes fall all the rest. In studying Paul’s pattern, Christians can therefore learn about themselves.” ---Walvoord, J. F.

o   By believing on Him, they too can find life everlasting.

o   “believe on Him: Over 185 times in the New Testament the sole condition given for salvation is belief, having faith or trust in Jesus Christ. The gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose on the third day. All those who place their trust in Jesus for salvation will be saved from the coming judgment. To add any other condition to faith for salvation is to make justification a matter of works (see Rom. 11:6; Gal. 2:16).” ---Nelson Study Bible

C) But, There Is A Special Application of This to Today's People of Israel, Paul's countrymen, for whom he had a special burden (Rom 9:1-5; 10:1-3).

·        Paul’s case would be a pattern.

o   In the printing trade, pattern means a first proof. It signifies a specimen or a sample.

o   Paul’s conversion would be a pattern of what God would do with the nation of Israel when the Deliverer comes out of Zion (Rom. 11:26).

·        The people of Israel, like unconverted Saul of Tarsus, are religious, self-righteous, blind to their own Law and its message of the Messiah, and unwilling to believe.

o   One day, Israel shall see Jesus Christ even as Paul saw Him; and the nation shall be saved. "They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced" (Zech 12:10).

o   This may be one reason why Paul said he was "born out of due time" (1 Cor 15:8), for his experience of seeing the risen Christ came at the beginning of this Church Age and not at its end (Matt 24:29).

D) Reflecting On How Good God Has Been To Paul Stirred Him To Respond With Praise To God!

·        He who was a blasphemer and persecutor, is now a praise leader! This verse is a natural, emotional response to these reflections about the mercy of God. When Paul realized all that God had done for him, he was left with no other words than praise.

·        God, our King, is eternal and immortal -- that is, he can never cease to exist. He is invisible -- we cannot see him or touch him; he is Spirit. He is the only God -- not one of many, but "the only."

o   God is called King, this denote that he rules over the universe.  The meaning of this expression is-"the King of ages" he is a king who rules throughout all ages.  The rule of earthly monarchs does not extend into successive ages; his does. Their reign is temporary; his is enduring, and continues as one generation after another passes on, and thus embraces them all.

o   Immortal This refers to God himself, not to his reign. It means that he does not die, and it is given to him to distinguish him from other sovereigns. All other monarchs but God expire-and are just as liable to die at any moment as any other people.

o   Invisible 1Tim 6:16; see John 1:18.

o   The only wise God notes, Rom 16:27.   It is true that Yahweh is the only God; it is also true that he is the only wise God. The gods of the pagan are "vanity and a lie," and they are wholly destitute of wisdom; see Ps 115:3-8; 135:15-18; Isa 40:18-20; 44:10-17.

o   Be honour Let there be all the respect and veneration shown to him which is his due.

o   And glory Praise. Let him be praised by all for ever.

o   Amen So be it; an expression of strong affirmation; John 3:3. The solemn assent of the heart! (Matt 6:13; 1 Cor 14:16)

·        “As Paul thinks of God’s marvelous dealings with him in grace, he bursts out into this lovely doxology. It is difficult to know whether it is addressed to God the Father or to the Lord Jesus. The words the King eternal seem to refer to the Lord Jesus because He is called the “Kings of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16). However, the word invisible seems to refer to the Father, since the Lord Jesus was obviously visible to mortal eyes. The fact that we are not able to distinguish which Person of the Godhead is intended might serve as an indication of Their absolute equality.

The King eternal is spoken of, first of all, as immortal. This means incorruptible or imperishable. God in His essence is also invisible. Men have seen appearances of God in the OT, and the Lord Jesus fully revealed God to us in visible form, but the fact remains that God Himself is invisible to human eyes. Next He is spoken of as God who alone is wise. In the final analysis, all wisdom comes from God (Jas. 1:5).” --- MacDonald, W.

Paul’s personal story gives the sinner reason to hope in salvation, it proves insight into the super grace and super mercy of God, and it affords us reasons to present ourselves as living sacrifices to execute the very plan and will of God as His servants (Rom. 12: 1-8). Yes, God can use you! I understand you have a colorful past and reflections on your history fill you with pain, regret, sorrow, and shame….Remember you have come to Christ to save and forgive you. All that stuff you did does not have to be a part of your future. For now, concentrate on learning and growing in Christ in as many ways as you can. Get into your Bible for intense study, stay in a good Christ-centered Bible-preaching church, and read good books on biblical Christian living. Began to serve in small ways and through church wide activities; this could help you discover your spiritual gift. God will make it clear to you as to how He intends to use you for His glory. Your desire to serve is not at all misplaced; it actually came from the God who created you in Christ Jesus unto good works (Eph. 2:10).