ARE YOU TO BAD TO BE FORGIVEN
God's mercy on Paul.
How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for choosing me as one of his messengers, and giving me the strength to be faithful to him, even though I used to scoff at the name of Christ. I hunted down his people, harming them in every way I could. But God had mercy on me because I didn't know what I was doing, for I didn't know Christ at that time. Oh, how kind our Lord was, for he showed me how to trust him and become full of the love of Christ Jesus. How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the greatest of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as an example to show everyone how patient he is with even the worst sinners, so that others will realize that they, too, can have everlasting life. Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the King of all ages, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God, and full of wisdom. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:12-17 (Living Bible)
Explanation: When we become Christians, we often feel that our love for Jesus and others is inadequate. But we can be confident that Christ will give us the faith and love we need. Even with our weak faith, we must demonstrate genuine love toward others. Christ will increase both our faith and love as our relationship with him deepens. In verse 1:15 (How true it is, and how I long that everyone should know it, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--and I was the greatest of them all.), often memorized and quoted, Paul summarizes the Good News: Jesus saves sinners, and no sinner is beyond his saving power. Do you believe that? Jesus didn't come just to show us how to live, or to challenge us to be better people. He came to offer us salvation that leads to eternal life. Have you accepted his offer?
Keep this in mind about the Bible: The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely human ideas about God. It is not just a human book. Through the Holy Spirit God revealed his person and plan to godly men, who wrote down God's message for his people (2 Peter 1:20,21) "For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God." This process is known as inspiration. The writers wrote from their own personal, historical, and cultural context. But even though they used their own minds, talents, language, and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of its writing, and its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and lives. The whole Bible is God's inspired Word. Because it is inspired and trustworthy, we should read it, believe it, and apply it to our lives.