A time or two the apostle Paul writes, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance…” (I Timothy 1:15; 4:9). He proceeds to say something that is very important to him. In I Timothy 1:15 he writes, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost”. Paul is blown away by the fact that Jesus would save him after the terrible life he had lived in contributing to Christians being martyred. That loving forgiveness changed Paul’s life. In II Corinthians 5:14 he writes, “The love of Christ controls us”. Jesus’ love to save sinners captures Paul’s heart.
Here’s a trustworthy statement from Mike for the day: God sees us differently than we see ourselves. We see ourselves as unlovable sinners who can’t seem to get it together. God sees us as His children who love Him and try to live for Jesus – even though we still mess up. We look in the spiritual mirror and we see someone who falls short of God’s glory every day and feel bad as well as undeserving of any relationship with God. (After all, how could He stick with someone like us!) But when God looks at us He adores a child that belongs to Him in Christ. He is going to stay with us and help us from here to heaven. He is not going to give up on us. And He wants for us to live in that love and let it move us to loving and living for Jesus more like Paul did. It should give us great relief, joy, peace, confidence and assurance.
Read Luke 19:1-10. Picture yourself in the sandals of Zacchaeus. Then listen to a powerful message in the song by Matthew West entitled The God Who Stays.