Unlimited Patience
"...Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I was the worst. But for that
very reason I was shown mercy so that in me...Christ Jesus might display His
unlimited patience as an example for them who would believe..." - 1 Timothy 1:15-16
Paul says,
"for that very reason I was shown mercy". What reason is he speaking of. He is
referring to the previous statement where he notes that Christ came to save sinners of
which he was the worst.
Jesus once
said that He came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repent. There is something
in the heart of our Lord that reaches out to sinners. He just loves to show his
"unlimited patience" to them.
Romans 11:32
says, "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on
them all" Here is the same thought. God has actually "bound" man over to
his sin. Could this possibly imply that He wanted men to be given over to disobedience? It
does say that He was the one that bound men over. Why did He put that tree in the Garden
and then say, "don't touch"? Is this the power of suggestion? Did He want them
to touch the tree? It is just a question to think about. I am not saying that He did want
man to fall. I am simply wondering out loud.
This question
may be unanswerable, but if by chance He did want us to sin, it would have been for a
reason. The reason would be seen in these two verses which show clearly that God likes to
display His love and patience to sinners, and just maybe sin was part of His plan of love.
Could it be
that mercy, love and patience is seen clearer with sinners than with righteous people. It
is easy to love someone that loves you. It is a different story to love the one that has
no interest in you. Yet His love is seen and contrasted in His love for the sinner.
Christ showed
His patience and mercy to Paul. Paul says that if he can do it for me He can do it for
you.
As we think on
this can we look into the face of Jesus and know for a fact that He has "displayed
His patience", and love to us? Have you experienced His mercy?
Today, by
revelation, the Spirit of God can show you this truth.
As
an afterthought, I think that we can safely say that God has let us sin.
He may not have wanted us to sin, but if that is what we want to do, He will
let us do it. He will bind us over to our sin. Then when we come
back to Him, He will show His mercy.