A Word from the WORD: "UNDESERVING KINDNESS" (Article 210)

[Life Fellowship]

UNDESERVING KINDNESS

 

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16 NIV)

 

In the Early Church, certain fundamental truths relating to the Christian faith were put in the form of short statements. These were known as “trustworthy sayings”. In the letters of Paul to Timothy and Titus, we come across five such sayings. The formulation of such statements enabled believers to be rooted and built up on strong foundations. And it is obvious from the term itself that these sayings were absolutely indisputable and unchangeable.

Here, the apostle clearly explains why the Lord Jesus came into the world- it was to save sinners. Man's basic problem is “sin”. Whereas the world blames “circumstances” as the root cause of its problems, the Bible emphatically declares that “character” is the fundamental issue. It is a “change of heart” that every individual desperately needs, for by nature, we are all rebels against God who have turned to our own way and live according to our own desires!

 

Now the reality is that we can never change ourselves. And worse, each one of us carries the sentence of death upon our heads, for the wages or punishment for sin is death. All mankind was destined to die and suffer eternity, away from God's presence, in hell. But God, in His great love and mercy, sent Jesus into the world to save us from our sins and deliver us from this horrible end.
 

Today, because of Jesus and through faith in Him, bad people can become good, wicked people can become holy, and sinners can become saints. This is the work of transformation- available to all who turn to God in repentance and put their faith in the Lord Jesus.

Now, it is very interesting how Paul describes himself when he makes this point. He identifies himself as “the worst of sinners” (present tense). It undoubtedly shows his humility and how he has grown in it.

 

When he wrote 1 Corinthians twenty-five years after his conversion, he spoke of himself as “the least of the apostles” (1 Corinthians 15:9); 5 years later in his letter to the Ephesians, he identified himself as “less than the least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8); and still one year later, here in this letter, he describes himself as the “worst of sinners”.

 

Paul's gratitude is also revealed in this phrase. He knows that he didn't deserve any of this love and kindness from God. He was once a blasphemer, a persecutor and a violent man and was shown mercy only because he acted in ignorance and unbelief (1 Timothy 1:13).

 

What happened to Paul is an example for us, his life being a testimony of the Lord's unlimited patience. However, we must not show contempt for the riches of God's kindness, tolerance and patience showered on us; rather, we must understand that God's kindness is meant to lead us toward repentance (Romans 2:4).

 

There is a beautiful illustration in the Old Testament of this wonderful grace that God has showered on us through Jesus Christ. It is in 2 Samuel 9 where we have the soul-stirring and heart-warming account of King David treating Mephibosheth with undeserving kindness. The story begins with this question that David asks his servants, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?”

 

Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son and (the former king) Saul's grandson. In truth, he did not deserve to live for he belonged to the family of a man who had haunted and hunted David all through his life. What's more, he was a lame man who was absolutely useless to the nation and a drain on its resources. But inspite of all this, David forgave, accepted and decided to treat him with honour and dignity for the remainder of his life.

David did so because of one reason and one reason alone- the covenant he and Jonathan had made years earlier. During their early childhood, they had been close friends, thicker than brothers, and David had made a solemn commitment to treat Jonathan and his family with kindness when he would finally become king. David remembered this covenant and sent for Mephibosheth.

 

Well, is this not exactly how God the Father treats each one of us. Though we deserve to be punished and suffer His wrath, He chooses instead to be loving and kind to us “for Jesus' sake”. And like Mephibosheth became a member of the royal family and lived in the palace all the days of his life, we have become His children, been raised with Christ and seated with Him in heavenly places that we may feast on His goodness every single day of our lives!

 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you!

 

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