Hope for the Worst of Sinners
A billion years from now, what
will you be doing? Does it matter?
Can you know?
Yes, it matters, and yes, you
can know. How you recognize and
respond to the following facts will
determine your eternal destiny.
FACT: Nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, was crucified
on a cross.
FACT: Three days later that same
man, Jesus Christ, was raised from
the dead.
The Bible says, “”It is a trustworthy
statement, deserving full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners”” (1 Tim. 1:15).
FACT: Jesus Christ came into this
world for one purpose—to save sinners!
Who are these sinners who need
to be saved?
The Apostle Paul, a man uniquely
prepared by God to proclaim the truth
of Jesus Christ, identified himself as
a sinner when he said: “Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners,
among whom I am foremost of all†(1
Tim. 1:15).
The Worst of Sinners
Paul, the great persecutor of
Christians, saw himself as the
worst sinner who ever lived. God
had declared that the penalty for
sin is death, and Paul fully understood
that he deserved no mercy
or grace from God. Yet when Paul
believed in Jesus Christ, his sins
were forgiven and he received eternal
life. Why would God save a
sinner like Paul?
“For this reason I found mercy,
in order that in me as the foremost
[sinner], Jesus Christ might
demonstrate His perfect patience,
as an example for those who would
believe in Him for eternal life†(1
Tim. 1:16).
God saved Paul—the chief of
sinners—so the rest of humanity
might have hope.
The Best of People
No one would question that
the person who does vile, wicked
deeds needs a savior. However,
what about those individuals who
are pretty good, the religious
people who have been baptized or
confirmed or received the sacraments,
who have done their best?
Aren’t those people acceptable to
God?
Examine the other side of the
Apostle Paul’s testimony. This
same man who called himself the
greatest of sinners wrote, “If anyone
has a mind to put confidence
in the flesh, I far more†(Phil. 3:4).
If anyone had reason to be confident
they would be accepted by
God on the basis of their efforts
and religious activities, Paul was
that man. Paul was considered
among the best of men because he
was:
- circumcised on the eighth day
- of the nation Israel
- of the tribe of Benjamin
- a Hebrew of Hebrews
- a Pharisee, the strictest of the
religious Jews - zealous in persecuting the church
- blameless concerning righteousness,
which is in the Law
God demands righteousness
from people. As much as was
humanly possible, Paul maintained
that standard. But as long as Paul
saw himself as the best of men,
one who had accomplished something
by his own efforts, he could
not receive God’s salvation. He
was lost and on his way to eternal
hell.
After his salvation, a grateful
Paul looked back and said,
“Whatever things were gain to
me, those things I have counted
as loss for the sake of Christ.
More than that, I count all things
to be loss in view of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for
whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and count them but
rubbish in order that I may gain
Christ, and may be found in Him,
not having a righteousness of
my own derived from the law,
but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which
comes from God on the basis of
faith†(Philippians 3:7-9).
The best of men came to see
himself as the worst of sinners. All
his best efforts, all his religious
activities, all his accomplishments
were nothing but rubbish. They
were utterly worthless.
Tragically, millions of people
will never make the transition
from seeing themselves as good
people to seeing themselves as
hell-deserving sinners.
Hope for You
The wages of sin is death. You,
like Paul and every other person
ever born, are a sinner, on your
way to an eternal hell. There is
nothing you can do to change that
before a holy God. There is no bargaining
with God on this point.
The good news is that the
eternal Son of God came to earth
and died so that you—the best of
men or the worst of sinners—can
receive forgiveness of sins and
eternal life in God’s very presence.
When God’s Son hung on a
cross, your sins were placed on
Him. Jesus Christ paid the penalty
for you. When you place your faith
in Him, you are given new life,
forgiveness of sins and the hope of
eternal life in His very presence.
How can you know this is
true? Jesus Christ was raised from
the dead. Jesus’ resurrection is
God’s testimony that He alone has
provided salvation for everyone
who will believe in His Son. There
is no other way. Eternity hangs on
your response.
In a billion years it will make
a difference how you personally
responded to the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Will you
believe in Him today?