Mercy for Ignorance and Unbelief!

This morning I am reflecting on a couple of verses from Paul's first letter to Timothy, in which he shares an insight into his previous life.  Here are the verses - 1 Timothy 1:12-17 NIV:

[12] "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. [13] Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. [14] The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."

[15] "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners---of whom I am the worst. [16] But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. [17] Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen."

I find Paul's recounting of the reason He was shown mercy very interesting.  He said it was because he acted in ignorance and unbelief!  One would normally associate His actions of persecuting the early church, hunting down the Christians, doing everything he could to crush the early church, a bit beyond ignorance and unbelief, and yet that is apparently how the Lord addressed them in extending mercy to Paul.

Isn't that amazing, here is the man who was trying to crush the church, who oversaw the stoning of Stephen, who was on his way to Damascus to attack and destroy the church there, and Jesus calls his sins unbelief and ignorance and forgives him of them both.  Instead of punishing Paul, Jesus calls Paul into His service, as one of his most trusted evangelists.  Wow, that is not the model of mercy we often see or understand, nor how we would likely judge his actions.

Paul continues his next statements fully embracing this truth! Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and although he was one of the worst, the salvation available in Jesus extended even to him!  I am so encouraged by Paul's transparency and grasp of this clear truth.  Jesus can save anyone, regardless of how dark and deep they have gone in their lives.  Jesus extends mercy to those that we would write off, those that we would judge, and those that are ignorant and in unbelief.  That is so reassuring!

In the church, sometimes we struggle to embrace the radical mercy that Jesus shows to sinners.  We want them to pay for the bad things they have done!  We want them to experience the judgment of God, not His mercy.  We are sometimes like Jonah, who didn't want to preach to Ninevah because he knew that if they repented God would relent!  He wanted to see the Ninevites punished!  (See Jonah, Chapter 4 for this insight).  Imagine if Jesus extended the same mercy that He extended to Paul, to all the athiests, or to all those who never heard or understood or believed, or even to those who were raised in completely different religious systems?  It would be glorious!  An yet, there are those who could never accept this type of mercy as being from God, for God hates sin!  However, we see Paul clearly speaking of exactly this type of mercy, having learned it personally at the hands of Jesus!

Jesus even addressed this somewhat in the parable of the vineyard workers (See Matt 20:1-16).  The workers hired earliest had agreed to work for one denarius a day, but when the vineyard owner paid those that had only worked an hour that same wage, the workers who had worked all day complained that it was unfair.  They thought they should receive more!   Here is the vineyard owners response, “But he answered one of them, 'I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' (Matthew 20:13-15 NIV)  We should be grateful for the Lord's mercy being extended to us, to our own sins, and be grateful the Lord is equally patient and merciful to all sinners.

I love how Paul's reflection on this truth leads to Him praising God in the very next sentence (verse 17).  Paul is moved by the greatness of the mercy that was extended to him!  He understood how unbelievable this was, how beyond our human reasoning and thought God's mercy is and just launched into praising His name!  We really should be grateful and celebrating the incredible mercy and patience that Jesus demonstrates not just to us, but to all sinners.

Oh, that we would all receive the same abundant grace poured out on us!  Oh, that the love and faith that are found in Jesus might fill our lives, our hearts and our minds!  He is so much more merciful, patient and forgiving than we can imagine!  Let us be the light of this mercy, love and faith in our world today!  Let us learn to extend the same mercy to those in unbelief and ignorance!  Let us entrust judgment to the righteous one, and let us celebrate His mercy towards us!

Amen!