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. I Timothy 1:12-14 (NIV)
If you ever think that there is no way that you can escape your past. That you are too far gone and did too much wrong, take a look at Paul. When Paul’s name was Saul he was a really bad person who did really bad things. He persecuted Christians and had a hand in their death. That was who he used to be but when he met Jesus, he changed his life. He said goodbye to his old life and through being shown mercy he was able to make a new life. He became an apostle and was very influential through Jesus’ ministry. Don’t ever think that God cannot use you because of your past mistakes. Through Jesus, your mistakes are forgiven and forgotten.
Questions:
1. What did I discover about God in this passage?
2. What did I discover about people in this passage?