One's Purpose / Personal Confession

Good Monday morning. I spent a restful Sunday since I had a missionary speaker fill in. (The week of the conference would be a hasty preparation for a sermon for me. God's Word and my flock deserve better.)

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. (1Ti 1:15)

This is one of the most simple and straightforward statements on Jesus' purpose in all of Scripture. He came to save sinners. (Reading this, I usually think something like, "Praise God He didn't leave until 'mission accomplished.'") The verse also adds a well known and referred to prepositional phrase, "among whom I am the foremost of all."

Paul will go on with his thought without explanation this time as to why he believes that. We know from v. 13 Paul was "a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor" against the Christian movement and I'm certain he often felt remorse for hi earlier life. But why does he say it here?

I agree with several scholars I've read that it was quite possibly literally true: of all who had come to faith that Paul knew, he considered his own sins against God to be the worst he'd encountered. Contextually, educating a young pastor, his statement should remind all shepherds that we too are sinners -- the worst kind. Leaders who sin must bear the burden of having defamed the cause of God on earth, invariably taking others with them, and humiliation even in "the world." ... ... ... I paused there, led to pray for you and me.

Back in 2005, a local pastor revealed a five-year sinful affair. He left unwillingly. The church split. Very little good comes from such things, but "all things to work together for good to those who love God" (Ro 8:28). One good thing was an admission on the part of some pastors that they too were weak and must do something about it.

A few months after the initial announcement, I and two other pastors began weekly meetings. A lot of confession. Numerous expressions acknowledging God's grace and mercy. Admissions of personal weaknesses. Some tears. Testimonies of victory over temptations. Complete trust in one another. Accountability to one another for the sake of being better accountable to God. Prayer. Praising God for "mission accomplished."