I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy. Sermons
I. THE LORD'S MERCY TO HIM. "I obtained mercy." 1. The mercy included the pardon of his great wickedness. It was mercy unsought for as well as unmerited. 2. It was mercy with the grace of apostleship added to it. II. THE GROUND AND REASON OF THIS MERCY. "Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." 1. The true ground of mercy is nothing whatever in man, but the compassion of God himself (Titus 3:5). 2. The apostle does not signify that he had any claim to God's mercy, for he calls himself in the next verse "the very chief of sinners." 3. He does not mean to lessen the enormity of his guilt, but sets it forth, in all its attending circumstances, as not being such as excluded him from the pale of mercy, because he had not sinned against his own convictions. (1) He did it ignorantly; but ignorance was no excuse where there were the means of knowledge; and unbelief, out of which the ignorance springing could not be accepted as an excuse, since he had heard the statement of Stephen. Besides, all sins spring from ignorance, and are aggravated by unbelief. (2) But he did not sin willfully against light and conscience, and so commit the sin against the Holy Ghost. (3) He who has compassion on the ignorant had compassion upon him, when he found him an ignorant and blinded zealot. Thus were confirmed the words of Christ, that every sin against the Son of man will be forgiven, so long as there is no blasphemy against the Spirit (Matthew 12:31). The apostle had not deliberately set at naught the counsel of God, but stood on exactly the same ground with those sinners converted at Pentecost, who had acted "in ignorance" (Acts 3:17). The sin was great in both cases, but it was not unpardonable. (4) There is nothing in the apostle's statement to justify the opinion that those who have never heard of Christ will be forgiven on account of their ignorance. Our Lord's words warrant the expectation that there will be a mitigation, but not a remission, of punishment in such cases. "He that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes" (Luke 12:48). The language in both passages justifies charitable judgments even respecting persecutors. - T.C.
Who was before a blasphemer. Note here, before we come to the special purpose we have in view, that godly men never think or speak lightly of their sins. When they know that they are forgiven, they repent of their iniquities even more heartily than before. You have probably read biographies of John Bunyan, in which the biographer says that Bunyan laboured under a morbid conscientiousness, and accused himself of a degree of sin of which he was not guilty. Exactly so, in the view of the biographer, but not so in the view of John Bunyan, who, startled into sensitiveness of conscience, could not find words strong enough to express all his reprobation of himself. Job said once, " I abhor myself."I. IF WE THINK OF WHAT WE WERE, IT WILL EXCITE IN US ADORING GRATITUDE. Paul was full of gratitude, for he thanked Christ Jesus that He counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry. II. A SENSE OF WHAT WE WERE SHOULD SUSTAIN IN US VERY DEEP HUMILITY. 1 Corinthians 15:9. I have heard of a good man in Germany who used to rescue poor, destitute boys from the streets, and he always had them photographed in their rags and filth, just as he found them; and then, in years afterwards, when they were clothed and washed and educated, and their characters began to develop, if they grew proud he would show them what they were, and try to teach them what they would have been likely to be if it had not been for his charity. If you are inclined to lift up your head, and boast what a great man you are now, just look at the likeness of what you were before the Lord made you a new creature in Christ Jesus. Oh I who can tell what that likeness would have been but for the interpositions of Divine grace? III. THE REMEMBRANCE OF OUR FORMER CONDITION SHOULD RENEW IN US GENUINE REPENTANCE. When you leave off repenting, you have left off living. IV. THE RETROSPECT OF OUR PAST LIVES SHOULD KINDLE IN US FERVENT LOVE to the Lord who has redeemed us. I think there is nothing better than to retain a vivid sense of conversion in order to retain a vivid sense of love. Do not be afraid of loving Christ too much. Oh for more love arising out of a deep, intense sense of what we once were, and of the change which Christ has wrought in us! V. REMEMBERING WHAT WE WERE, ARDENT ZEAL SHOULD BE AROUSED IN US. Look at Paul. He says, "I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious." What then? Why, now that he has become a follower of Christ, he cannot do too much. He put many saints in prison; now he goes into many prisons himself. I remember one who lived four or five miles away from a place of worship, who used to say, "You old legs, it is no use being tired; for you have got to carry me. You used to take me to the place of amusement when I served the devil, and you shall carry me now to the house of God, that I may worship and serve Him." When sometimes he had an uneasy seat, he used to say, "It is no use grumbling, old bones, you will have to sit here, or else you will have to stand. Years ago you put up with all kinds of inconveniences when I went to the theatre, or some other evil place, when I served Satan; and you must be content to do the same now for a better Master and a nobler service." I think some of us might take a lesson from that old man, and say to ourselves, " Come, covetousness, you are not going to hinder me from serving the Lord. I used to be liberal to the devil, and I do not intend now to be stingy to God." VI. If we remember what we were, and how grace has changed us, IT OUGHT TO MAKE US "VERY HOPEFUL ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE. VII. WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US SHOULD CONFIRM OUR CONFIDENCE FOR OURSELVES — our confidence, not in ourselves, but in God, who will perfect that which He has begun in us. (C. H. Spurgeon.) The Homilist. God's forgiveness is full, free, and thorough. Yet, forgiving, He does not forget. God remembers forgiven sins, but He does not, will not, remember them against us. We should remember them.I. THE MEMORY OF FORGIVEN SINS IS FAVOURABLE TO HUMILITY. Spiritual pride is a sin to which the eminently holy, gifted, and useful Christian is peculiarly liable. Let the first remember how he formerly defiled himself; the second, to what unworthy objects he directed his noble faculties; the third, that his pardoned sins may be — probably are — working fatal mischief in the world; and where is there room for pride? How much reason for self-abasement? Why did Paul describe himself as "less than the least of all saints"? II. THE MEMORY OF FORGIVEN SINS IS CONDUCIVE TO WATCHFULNESS. Forgiveness has not destroyed our liability to sin. Forgiven sins have left weak places in our souls. He who keeps in view those remitted sins which had the strongest hold on his nature, will vigilantly watch against the return of "the unclean spirit." III. THE MEMORY OF FORGIVEN SINS IS PRODUCTIVE OF COMPASSION. We pity sinners. The unforgiven are the unforgiving, the unmerciful and stony hearted. IV. THE MEMORY OF FORGIVEN SINS AWAKENS GRATITUDE. We are in danger of forgetting "all" the Lord's "benefits," but we cannot if we remember our sins. (The Homilist.) Mr. Ruskin, in his "Modern Painters," tells that the black mud or slime from a footpath in the out skirts of a manufacturing town — the absolute type of impurity — is composed of four elements — clay, mixed with soot, a little sand, and water. These four may be separated each from the other. The clay particles, left to follow their own instinct of unity, become a clear, hard substance, so set that it can deal with light in a wonderful way, and gather out of it the loveliest blue rays only, refusing the rest. We call it then a "sapphire." The sand arranges itself in mysterious, infinitely fine parallel lines, which reflect the blue, green, purple, and red rays in the greatest beauty. We call it then an "opal." The soot becomes the hardest thing in the world, and for the blackness it had obtains the power of reflecting all the rays of the sun at once in the vividest blaze that any solid thing can shoot. We call it then a "diamond." Last of all, the water becomes a dew-drop, and a crystalline star of snow. Thus God can and does transform the vilest sinners into pure and shining jewels, fit for His home in heaven.The following is one of many well-authenticated cases of converted infidels given in the Anti-Infidel: — Walking along a street in the "second city of the empire" a few days ago, I saluted a middle-aged man dressed in the semi-clerical garb of a mission preacher, and I rather surprised a friend who was with me by telling him that he who had just passed us was a converted infidel. The story of his being "brought back," as I heard it from his own lips, may not be uninteresting. Mr. B. — then, was at one time an avowed atheist, a professed and prominent infidel. He possesses a fine intellect; but, alas! he devoted his talent to the wicked purpose of "proving" the non-existence of the Divine Giver thereof. One evening a mock debate was held among his athiest associates, in which Mr. B. assumed the part of a Christian, and towards the close of the discussion said to his opponent, in solemn tones, Now, my young friend, when you go home, take and read your Bible for the truth of what I have stated, and pray for help and guidance, This was considered to be a rich bit of sarcasm, and made a "great hit." Some time after, Mr. B. was accosted by the same young man, who, to his surprise, asked him in real earnestness, "My friend, how about your soul?" "Oh, don't bother me with such stuff," replied Mr. B., impatiently. "Do you remember that debate we had?" said the young man. "Well, I took the advice you gave me then; I studied the Scripture, I prayed over it, and I have found peace; and, oh! my friend, you cannot do better than take your own advice. You gave it then to ridicule the cause you were supposed to be upholding. Now, I beg. of you to think of it seriously, and it will really do you good. Mr. B. — did take his own advice, with the result that he saw the error of his ways, embraced Christianity, and has been for years zealously preaching that doctrine which he formerly reviled.People Alexander, Hymenaeus, Paul, Sodomites, Timotheus, TimothyPlaces Ephesus, MacedoniaTopics Acted, Acts, Aggressor, Although, Believed, Blasphemed, Blasphemer, Causing, Cruel, Evil, Faith, Formerly, Howbeit, However, Ignorance, Ignorant, Ignorantly, Injurious, Insolent, Insulted, Insulting, Kindness, Mercy, Obtained, Outrage, Overbearing, Persecuted, Persecuting, Persecutor, Previously, Received, Shewn, Shown, Speaking, Though, Trouble, Unbelief, Violent, YetOutline 1. Paul declares Timothy is faithful to the charge which was given him at his going to Macedonia.5. The right use and end of the law. 11. Paul's calling to be an apostle; 20. and the disobedience or Hymenaeus and Alexander. Dictionary of Bible Themes 1 Timothy 1:13 5800 blasphemy 2027 Christ, grace and mercy Library 'The Gospel of the Glory of the Happy God''The glorious gospel of the blessed God.'--1 TIM. i. 11. Two remarks of an expository character will prepare the way for our consideration of this text. The first is, that the proper rendering is that which is given in the Revised Version--'the gospel of the glory,' not the 'glorious gospel.' The Apostle is not telling us what kind of thing the Gospel is, but what it is about. He is dealing not with its quality, but with its contents. It is a Gospel which reveals, has to do with, is the manifestation … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Gospel in Small The Chief of Sinners A Test Case The Glory of the King St. Paul's Wish to be Accursed from Christ. The Lawful and Unlawful Use of Law. The Glorious Gospel "Now the End of the Commandment is Charity Out of a Pure Heart, and a Good Conscience, and Faith Unfeigned. " Thoughts Upon the Imitation of Christ. Thoughts Upon Worldly-Riches. Sect. Ii. The Christian's Hope The Communion of Gifts. Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ... Of Lies are Many Sorts, which Indeed All... The Joy that was Set Before Him But Regard the Troops of virgins, Holy Boys and Girls... The Blessed Hope and Its Power Epistle iii. To Constantius, Bishop. Concerning Perseverance, and the Possibility of Falling from Grace. Paul a Pattern of Prayer "To what Purpose is the Multitude of Your Sacrifices unto Me? Saith the Lord," Addresses on Holiness, The Eternity of God Links 1 Timothy 1:13 NIV1 Timothy 1:13 NLT 1 Timothy 1:13 ESV 1 Timothy 1:13 NASB 1 Timothy 1:13 KJV 1 Timothy 1:13 Bible Apps 1 Timothy 1:13 Parallel 1 Timothy 1:13 Biblia Paralela 1 Timothy 1:13 Chinese Bible 1 Timothy 1:13 French Bible 1 Timothy 1:13 German Bible 1 Timothy 1:13 Commentaries Bible Hub |