The Savior of Sinners

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Immanuel – 8/31/25

          Paul pulls no punches with Ephesian church infiltrators- false teachers. He simultaneously builds Timothy up, with instruction and gospel encouragement, while destroying the position and practice of the false teachers. As I said last week, Paul is in full polemic mode, even if his attacks are not visible on the surface – like an apostolic shark circling beneath bandits in the water.

          So much in Paul’s writing is polemic argument. Since I will be using the word “polemic” frequently, and so we are all on the same page, polemic writing expresses a strong critical attack on something or someone. In a world with so much false teaching and false teachers, it was necessary for Paul to employ polemics. It is necessary even today.

          In Ephesus, we know false teachers were trying to uphold some form of legalistic adherence to the Mosaic Law; meaning they were trying to earn God’s favor through strict rule following. They thought they were experts in the law, but Paul says their legalism proves they are using the law unlawfully.

          The law cannot be used to gain God’s favor. The law only reveals how unworthy we are to receive God’s favor. Like Paul referenced in verse 5, love and faith are what matter – words he repeats in our passage today. Faith and love are the stuff of relationship, not law and legalism.

          So teachers who use the law for legalism, use the law lawlessly. Legalists want behavior modification. God wants heart transformation.

          Today’s passage continues in that thought. Paul still battles with the false teachers. But, theologically, there is no battle at all. Paul eviscerates his enemies with an explosion of gospel truth and joy and worship.

          Read vs 12

          Our passage last week concluded with Paul commending the gospel: verse 11 – the gospel of the glory of the blessed God. The gospel is the center to sound doctrine. The gospel anchors all good and helpful teaching. And Paul rejoices in the gospel, which he has been entrusted to proclaim.

          But in verse 12, the object of Paul’s rejoicing shifts. Now he rejoices not in what he has been entrusted to proclaim, but in the one who has entrusted it to Paul – Christ Jesus our Lord! If the gospel is the anchor of all good and helpful teaching, Jesus is the planet to which that anchor holds. He is the burning core of all goodness, the source of all possible help. Jesus is everything!

          And then Paul touches on some incredibly deep theology. Honestly, I could spend multiple sermons on just this verse. Jesus judged Paul to be faithful and appointed Paul to his service. But this does not mean Jesus saw how faithfully Paul was living, thought Paul had earned a promotion, and appointed him as an Apostle. No! In the next few verses Paul explains how he was the worst of sinners, totally undeserving of the purpose and grace he had been given.

          Paul is saying there was a divine plan made before the foundations of the world were laid. According to that plan, and the will of the Father, Jesus judged Paul to be faithful.

As Paul writes in his letter to the Galatian church.

          He who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.                                                                                -Galatians 1:15

          Before God spoke creation into existence, he had a plan for all time. Before Paul was born, God had a purpose for his life. In God’s eternal plan, he purposed to invade Paul’s life and fill him with faithfulness. “He judged Paul to be faithful.” That could also be translated from the Greek, “He considered Paul to be faithful.” “He led Paul to be faithful.” In other words, it was because of Christ that Paul was faithful. It was not because of Paul that Paul was faithful. In eternity past, Jesus planned to supply Paul with faithfulness, so he could appoint Paul into his service.

Paul revels in these awesome truths, but he is still fully in polemic mode. Notice how all of this happened in Paul’s life entirely apart from the law. It was God’s plan and God’s grace that accomplished it all. Those who think following the law gains God’s favor are fools indeed!

          Before we move on, notice how Paul says Jesus also gives him strength. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord. Christ has entrusted Paul with gospel ministry. It’s exhausting. I speak from experience: Gospel ministry is exhausting. And even if Paul’s ministry was a million times more exhausting than mine, every person in the service of Christ needs to be strengthened by Christ. Under our own power, trying to pull things together with our own initiative and drive, is a sure-fire way to burn out and be rendered useless. Christ must be our strength!

          Jesus strengthens Paul. We’ll get a more robust picture of how that works as we continue. But in verse 12 alone, Paul says Jesus strengthens him, supplies his faith, and appoints him to a purpose. This makes Jesus the active agent in Paul’s salvation. Jesus is doing it all. Without Jesus, Paul is entirely lost. Without Jesus, Paul is weak, he is faithless, and he is without purpose.

          And that’s exactly where Paul takes us next.

          Read vs 13-14

           Just a few sentences earlier and Paul discussed how the law reveals everyone to be a lawless, disobedient, a sinner. Now he takes that truth and turns it inward. He is the blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. It is a scathing self-assessment.

          But this isn’t merely self-assessment. It is a correct assessment based on what the law says. Paul is using the law, lawfully, on himself. And just like last week, Paul is not listing sins, he is listing identities: not blasphemy, but blasphemer.

          Paul’s identity was as a blasphemer, hating the name of Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee – an actual expert in the law, unlike his opponents in Ephesus. He was rigorously educated and zealously upheld adherence to the Mosaic Law, but he actually despised God and worked to wipe the name of Jesus from Jewish mouths. Paul’s very existence was blasphemous.

Thinking about Paul’s polemic, is there a jab at the teachers in Ephesus, implying their usage of the law also identifies them as blasphemous?

Not only does Paul say he was a former blasphemer, but also a persecutor. Paul actively wiped the name of Jesus from people’s mouths with violence. He hunted and imprisoned Christians. He was complicit in the martyrdom of Christians. And it was while he was out hunting Christians that Jesus appeared to him – back when Paul was called Saul.

And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

                                                                                      -Acts 9:4-6

          Paul was persecuting Christians. But because Christ so unifies himself to his people, Paul was persecuting Jesus. That’s persecution and blasphemy rolled into one.

          It also marks Paul as an insolent opponent of Christ. The Greek word Paul uses, hybristēn, literally means “a violently arrogant opponent.” Think of Islamic Jihadists like Boko Haram which are currently hunting, torturing, and killing Christians in Nigeria. That’s the kind of picture Paul is painting about himself. He was an insolent opponent of Christ – a dangerously proud man.

          Yes, Paul’s self-assessment is scathing. And it’s justified, because the law proves he was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent of God. Paul is clearly setting himself up as a far worse sinner than the false teachers in Ephesus. And according to the law, his wickedness earned for him only one possibility: condemnation and hell.

          But the mercy of God runs counter to human earnings!

          Read vs 13b-14

          Paul returns to rejoicing in Jesus, who gave him mercy: mercy though he was a blasphemer, mercy though he was a persecutor, mercy though he violently opposed Jesus! Paul was an ignorant unbeliever, justly condemned by the law. I want you to see so clearly, that Jesus did not give Paul mercy because Paul deserved it, but just the opposite! Jesus did this because of an eternal plan, and according to the will of the Father.

From the place where God delivers the Law to Moses, God says,

“I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.”                                                                   -Exodus 33:19

          How good is our King, that he would offer mercy to such a hateful wretch like Paul?!

In addition to mercy, Jesus also pours grace upon Paul, and Paul’s heart begins to overflow with faith and love. Remember faith and love? Those were the two things that Paul’s whole ministry, and all gospel proclamation, must be aimed at.

Read vs 5

          Paul encountered the Risen Christ on the road to Damacus, and it changed his life forever.

          At Immanuel we have something called Ambassador Training. It’s a training to help us effectively and confidently make disciples of Jesus Christ. One of the things I teach in Ambassador Training is how to give a 15-second testimony. Verses 13 and 14 are something like Paul’s 15-second testimony.

There was a time in my life when I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and violently proud; but then I received the mercy and grace of Jesus, and now my life overflows with faith and love.

          What a testimony! Add up all the verses we’ve looked at so far, and Christ has supplied Paul with strength, faith, purpose, mercy, grace, and love. All of this while Paul was an enemy to Jesus. All of this according to God’s plan forged in eternity past. No wonder Paul glories in Jesus Christ our Lord!

          Paul has shared his testimony. Now he shares the gospel.

          Read vs 15

This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. This is akin to Jesus’ repeated phrase, “Truly, I say to you,” which we heard so often in the Gospel of Matthew. It means, “What I am about to say is incredibly important. You can bet on these words. Listen. Pay attention!”

Paul uses this phrasing because his words are true, and to directly oppose the “different doctrine” (verse 3) propagated by the false teachers in Ephesus. And of course, the sound doctrine that defeats falsehood, one which you can bet your life, is the gospel.

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Hear it again: there was a plan. Jesus entered the world to accomplish that plan – the salvation of sinners. Jesus said this exact thing.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”                                          -Matthew 9:12-13

It is interesting that Jesus said these words as he engaged in polemic discourse with a different set of legalistic teachers.

The plan from eternity past was that Jesus would enter a sick world full of sinners, to save those sinners, and then provide them with strength, faith, purpose, mercy, grace, and love. Yes, you can bet your life on this truth! Jesus saves sinners to the uttermost!

Paul has set the stage for a knockout, polemic punch.

Read vs 16

Now we get the reason why Christ judged Paul faithful and appointed him to his service. It was not because Paul’s righteousness, or he somehow earned God’s favor. He was a foremost of sinners!

Jesus rescued Paul, and gave him a purpose, precisely because Paul absolutely did not deserve it. But from eternity past it was planned, that Jesus wanted to use Paul to demonstrate his mercy is greater even than the greatest of sins, and his grace overcomes the most hostile opponents.

But even more, Paul says Jesus used him as a demonstration of Christ’s patience. Though Paul was the foremost of sinners, and utterly offensive in his sinfulness, Jesus endured him. Jesus allowed Paul to blaspheme and persecute and violently oppose him. Because Jesus knew a day was coming when he would invade Paul’s life and transform it and use Paul for his own glory!

So many imagine God look upon us with disapproval, just waiting for him to drop the cosmic hammer on us. But such an image couldn’t be further from the truth. God, as seen in the face of Jesus, is immensely patient, enduring the faults and failures of sinners like us with overwhelming compassion.

And all of this for his glory. How? Paul tells us: Jesus was using Paul as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

In other words, what Jesus did for Paul – the foremost of sinners – he can do for anyone! No matter how dark your past, it is not too much for Christ to overcome! Jesus can rescue the worst of sinners – the most miserable, wretched, disgusting, violent, broken sinners. And not only is Jesus able to rescue you, but he entered the world precisely to do just that.

Have you ever had a time in your life when you knew you were fulfilling your purpose; you were doing the thing you were made for? It’s an amazing feeling – exciting, enlivening, resoundingly joyous! That’s the feeling Jesus gets in saving sinners. It energizes Jesus to save sinners. He absolutely loves to lavish grace and mercy and peace upon them, upon us, upon me. It is his joy and purpose.

Jesus hasn’t come for the healthy. He’s not here for those who think they are righteous. He came into the world for those who know they are sick, who understand their wretchedness, who are desperate for salvation.

Do you know you are a sinner, lost to your own darkness, condemned by your selfishness and pride? Do you know you need salvation? Are you desperate in your plight? Then Jesus has come for you! He loves nothing more than to swoop in with mercy and grace and peace, to then flood your heart with faith and love. His great delight is to save sinners!

This is Paul’s great and unexpected polemic punch. Because he is not a better man than the false teachers in Ephesus. He admits he is a worse man – the self-described foremost of sinners! The false teachers in Ephesus, who were using the law lawlessly, ignorantly asserting themselves, damaging Jesus’ precious church; Christ has come even to save them!

Paul’s enemies would be enemies no more if they understood this! Both he and Jesus look to knock out their enemies with the gospel, with mercy and grace that turns violent opposition into faithful hearts flowing with love.

And as he considers these gospel glories that Paul’s heart erupts in faith and love.

Read vs 17

The kings of the earth have their crowns for a moment. But God is before all time, beyond all time. He has no equal. God towers over time, for he is the King of the ages!

And the King is immortal. While other kings fade and die, the glory of God is never diminished. A million ages and his might will never fade. And God the Son is the victor over death, the resurrected, everlasting, Lord of life!

God is invisible. He is spirit and not physical. Photons do not interact with him. He is beyond our universe and above our understanding. And yet, as Paul writes to the Colossians,

[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.               -Colossians 1:15,19-20

          The invisible God is made visible in the face of Jesus Christ: Jesus the supplier of all strength, faith, purpose, mercy, grace, love, and everlasting life! He is the only God! And to him be all honor and glory forever and ever! Amen!

It almost seems like Paul loses himself in worship, so enrapture by the God who saved a sinner like him, who is uses Paul to bring in still more sinners. How can Paul do anything but erupt in doxology?!

Gospel exaltation like this, is how Jesus strengthens Paul (verse 12). It’s how any of us are strengthened in kingdom work. When everything seems like opposition, when exhaustion threatens to crush, when the brightest days are filled with weariness, remember the King of the ages, and how he came for you, and the purpose he has given you, and he takes great delight in continually, day-by-day, rescuing you from your sins.

Paul glories in this gospel, and he worships. And you can just tell that his worship is an overflow of his heart of faith and love. There is a strengthening quality to it – it strengthens Paul and it strengthens us as we hear it. Paul grows stronger as he glories in his God.

The false teachers in Ephesus glory in their speculations and vain discussions. Paul glories in the King of the ages and Savior of sinners! Paul has completely knocked out any leg the false teachers thought they had to stand on. And as we’ll see next week, Timothy is to apply Paul’s polemic to the situation in Ephesus.

I want to leave you with a quote from Jonathan Edwards. In 1720, when Edwards was 17 years old, he was studying 1 Timothy 1:17, and he wrote this.

“As I read the words of [1 Timothy 1:17], there came into my soul, and as it were diffused through it, a sense of the glory of the diving being; a new sense, quite different from anything I every experienced before. Never any words of Scripture seemed to me as these words did. I thought with myself, how excellent a Being that was; and how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God, and be wrapt up to God in heaven, and be as it were swallow up in him.”