Run Day 4 For This Reason: Digging Deeper
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
1 Timothy 1:16-17
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Original Intent
1) What is mercy? How is it different from grace? (verse 16)
Skim your eyes upward from verse 16 to verse 2 and you’ll find the common greeting Paul used to opened every letter. One of the best questions we can ask as good students of the Bible is the same one we used as toddlers exploring the world for the first time, “Why?”.
Why did Paul choose “grace and peace” to open his letters? More so, why did he single out mercy in describing what God had done for him and the reason for Paul’s rescue? To answer these, we need a better understanding of the two words and where we find them in Scripture.
The Greek word “charis” and its Hebrew counterpart “חֵן”, prounced “hen” with a long E, is our English word for “grace”. It carries a sense of that which brings loveliness, elegance, kind beneficiary, and the recipient of which is precious seen as precious by the Bestower of Grace. The extraordinary foundation of grace is that is undeserved. Nothing was done by the Recipient for the Bestower to gift loveliness, elegance, and kind-heartedness.
Grace is the extreme opposite of the phrase “I owe you a favor”. Grace is an undeserved kindness. When we wake in the morning, that’s grace. When the sun shines and nourishing rains fall, and when you spot a patch of bright yellow daffodils along an unexpected path, that’s grace. When your friend brings you a coffee or you take a meal to a new mom, that’s grace. Grace is an active outpouring overflow of the fountainhead of Jesus-Love. Grace wouldn’t exist without love, and because God IS love, grace in our lives naturally shows up. (1 John 4:8) God’s grace gives the one who trusts Him open access to all riches in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1) Talk about radical grace!
The Everyday Application
1) What is mercy? How is it different from grace? (verse 16)
Just as Jesus Love fuels grace, so does it overflow the banks of the river called “Mercy”. To gain a better idea of mercy’s definition, Dallas Willard uses the word “pity”. While “mercy” feels like a warm blanket on a cold day by the fire, “pity” toward us feels a bit icky. Aren’t we better than that? I’m not impoverished, after all. I can take care of myself. I don’t need your pity. Oh Pride, you are ugly indeed!
Pity is exactly what God’s grand mercy is precisely because we truly are impoverished and incapable. Destined for death because of our sinful rebellion again the Holy God, we deserve nothing but condemnation and punishment for all eternity. Pity, “mercy”, takes away the punishment we rightly deserve, holding us blameless instead.
Jesus’ parable of one poor man’s extreme debt being forgiven in full embodies eleos. It’s a great little story, go read it in Matthew 18:23-27. In that parable, you’ll note the word “compassion”, which is tied with mercy. Compassion is the heart-felt love motivating us to act with mercy. This compassion, dear sisters, is seen cover to cover in every single book of the Bible. Of all characteristics God uses to describe Himself in Scripture, compassion is number one. What an incredible God to love so perfectly and extravagantly that it overflows onto us, His precious creation, with radical grace and compassionate mercy!
Paul chose the Greek “eleos” in describing what God had done for him, because Paul the Sinner was a man to be highly pitied. Wrapped in arrogant pride and his own way of accomplishing his definition of “righteousness”, Paul was condemned to Hell. Like all of us.
All of us, sis, all of us. We are all pitiable. We all need the reaches of profound “eleos” to take the punishment for sin we rightly deserve.
The Original Intent
2) What is the purpose of mercy applied to sinners? (verse 16)
“For This Reason” is the shining emphasis of this portion of Paul’s testimony as he writes to Timothy. Paul had left Timothy to shepherd the church in Ephesus (verse 3), which would eventually become an epicenter for building up disciples and sharing the gospel. The church in Ephesus would later receive a letter straight from Jesus in Revelation. (Revelation 2:1-7) Side Note: GT will be studying these letters from Jesus later this year! Make sure you’re registered to study with us! gracefullytruthful.com/joinus)
Paul loves to tell the story of how Jesus changed his life. As he impressed his story again on Timothy, who had likely heard it countless times, Paul highlighted the purpose of Christ’s mercy applied to his sin-wrecked self.
Of course, our salvation is meant to rescue our own souls from the eternal condemnation of Hell and eternal suffering because of our own choice to sin. God set His love upon us, chose us, and desired our rescue because we are precious in His sight. (Ephesians 1:4-6, Isaiah 43:4) But, with Jesus, there is always more purpose and plan to unfold.
Paul celebrated that he was saved, yes, but he placed the emphasis on another reason for mercy extended to himself: the rescue of others! “I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate His extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (verse 16, emphasis mine)
I can imagine Timothy receiving the precious scrolls with tears quickly filling his eyes as he called to mind his friend and mentor. I’m certain the sound of Paul’s voice, his laugh, and the look in his eyes came vividly to mind as Timothy read and immediately was encouraged by Paul’s reminder of their shared purpose in Christ.
The Everyday Application
2) What is the purpose of mercy applied to sinners? (verse 16)
Like a strong, fatherly arm around his shoulders, Paul’s familiar testimony tied to “For this reason” and concluded with their end goal of Jesus’ rescue used as an “example […] to those who would believe” surely urged Timothy forward with much needed fuel and encouragement for ministry.
Timothy’s ministry was hard, yes, and discouragement constantly threatened like it does for all of us, but Paul’s letter reminded Timothy that following Jesus was worth it. If Jesus would use Paul, “the worst sinner”, He would use every person who surrendered to Him. Paul’s testimony mattered and so did Timothy’s. All without Jesus were dead in their sins just as Timothy and Paul both had once been, and now their lives were recommissioned as a brilliantly shining example to others of the magnificent love of Jesus! (Ephesians 2:1-3)
That motivation should set a fire in every believer’s heart to tell their story of Jesus’ rescue of their own souls! You and I, all who follow Jesus, have a “for this reason” mission and story. Our rescue doesn’t stop with us, because Christ’s mercy goes far beyond us to the ones we love, the ones we can’t stand to be around, and the strangers we don’t yet know. Remember, all are dead without Jesus’ life!
Paul traveled the known world. Timothy was planted in a major city. Wherever you are, fellow sister in Jesus, your redemption story also has a “for this reason” purpose. Go ahead, be encouraged! Live it out and share your story!
An easy place to start is by writing your story and bravely sharing it with us on GT’s Faces of Grace platform. Join other women around the world who are using their “for this reason” to encourage others to trust Jesus! Visit Faces of Grace! gracefullytruthful.com/faces-of-grace
The Original Intent
3) What is the effect of mercy in our lives? (verse 17)
Paul shared his testimony, acknowledging that he was indeed a sinner of the worst kind (as we all are), and then cites the blessed elos (mercy) of God for His rescue from condemnation. He highlights the incredible plan of God to use Paul’s merciful rescue as an opportunity to display the patience of Christ that others might come to know God for themselves.
Then, like mountain streams of water piling atop each other, Paul’s retelling of God’s mercy, grace, patience, and kindness culminate in worship that exudes from his pen. Of course, Timothy already knew of the great goodness of the King Jesus, and his heart also stirred to worship the Lord, but there’s something incredible about overhearing the undulating praise of God from another brother or sister in Christ. It incites our own worship!
God’s mercy is meant to be followed by glad shouts of praise! Following the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (a charis), all of Israel shouted for joy, danced, and made music collectively to their Rescuer. (Exodus 14:30-15:21)
It’s one thing to work diligently hard on a task or craft, finally finish, step back with satisfaction and well-earned workmanship pride. But when the work was utterly beyond your ability at any level, yet it was mercifully or graciously given to you, the praise should be deafening! This is how it is with our salvation for we are completely powerless to rescue ourselves. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-5 how we were dead in sin but Christ made us alive.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!”
No dead person can make themselves un-dead, except the God-Man Jesus, and He brought us from death to life through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) When we grasp the depths of our inability, then glance upon the grace and mercy of the bleeding Savior, our response should be glad shouts of joy. Paul simply couldn’t stop himself from praising the Lord.
The Everyday Application
3) What is the effect of mercy in our lives? (verse 17)
As you think about the storyline of your life, where have you been tempted to take credit for that which you didn’t do? Or maybe you chalked up the gracious mercies of the Lord to “chance” or “karma”, stealing the glory rightly deserving of the Lord. I know I’ve been guilty of this! Or maybe, like me, you’ve been prideful enough to edge away from calling yourself a sinner, let alone the “worst sinner” as Paul had. (verse 15)
Consider the most well-known hymn, Amazing Grace, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…”. Paul donned the title “worst sinner” and included it when retelling his story of rescue from death because he knew it was true. The more he realized the depths of his sin, the more radiant the grace and mercy of God became, and that amazing gift was worth all the spotlight of praise Paul could muster.
What we say when we praise the Lord reveals much about our hearts. The worship in verse 17 flowed effortlessly from Paul and it’s clear from his words that he praised a God he intimately knew.
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
These weren’t rote liturgical phrases, they were the heartbeat of Paul’s humble gratitude that understood he was destitute without Christ. Paul praised God for His eternal qualities and the fact there was none worthy of worship except God alone. To this God, the God Paul knew as His personal rescuer, received every drop of praise.
Do we know the God we worship? What words do we choose when we praise? Are they rote or real? Have we glimpsed the darkness of our sin-sick-self enough to rejoice boundlessly for Who the Lord is to us?
Choose today to celebrate this great God who frees us!
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