PAUL'S TESTIMONY & MINE
I read this statement recently, I believe it was spoken and written by Charles Spurgeon, IF THE LORD HADN’T CHOSEN ME BEFORE HE CREATED THE WORLD HE SURE WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN ME AFTER MY BIRTH.
Now we know God is Omniscient (All seeing & All knowing) and of course God knew what we would be like and how we would behave, but Spurgeon was making an interesting point really, that God knew us at our very worst, yet He still chose us to be His child and to spend eternity with Him. I love the Apostle Paul and the Pauline Epistles, for his great teaching, but also for his awesome honesty, I want to say this morning, that I echo 100% with and agree with his words and testimony in 1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV is also true of myself, like Paul my boasting is not in the fact of my sinfulness, but in God’s great love and mercy to me a wretched sinner who only deserved hell, listen to Paul’s words. ” This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief”.However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Listen to the MESSAGE This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
I am so glad God has the ability to forget, someone has said He placed my sins in the sea of His forgetfulness, and there is a large sign on the foreshore “NO FISHING”. It is probably good that we do not have that ability, so that it can remind us of the fact as King David declared in Psalm 40:2-3 NKJV He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
To me, the sad thing is, that since being born again I have failed the Lord over and over again, He knew that and He still loves me, I am so glad, HE IS TRUE TO HIS NAME, HIS NATURE AND HIS PROMISES TO CONTINUE TO FORGIVE ME. 1 John 1;9.
I cannot change the past, but by God’s grace, I am going to proactively embrace God’s promise in Philippians 1:6 NKJV Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. More than ever I want to appropriate what is available to me right now, as Peter so wonderfully expresses in 2 Peter 1:3-4 NKJV His divine power has given to us ALL things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
With the Lord’s help I am going to receive and embrace the ALL THINGS He mentions in verse 3 and shall seek to live a life of holiness and victory.
Like Paul my boast is not in my past sinfulness, but my boast is in a BIG GOD, who is the UNCHANGING. Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His LOVE UNFAILING Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
All I can do is bow down and say over and over again THANK YOU JESUS.
