Not That Bad? (1 Timothy 1:15)
- Greg Palys
- Apr 13
- 3 min read
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1 Timothy 1:15
There’s a sneaky lie that can easily slip into a Christian’s mind when we see another person in grievous sin: “at least I’m not that bad.”
You may be particularly susceptible to this thought if you grew up in a Christian home–and praise God that you did! But if you don’t remember a season when you wholeheartedly rebelled, you might sometimes wonder if God saved you from all that much. Even if you came to Christ later in life, you can always find someone seemingly worse than you.
Then there’s Paul. By worldly metrics, Paul is in good shape. He rattles off his pre-Christ credentials (Philippians 3:3-6) and they are impressive, especially compared to his list of all kinds of people who are clearly sinners (1 Timothy 1:9-10). Yet having taken all of this into account he comes to a different conclusion: he says he is the “chief of sinners.” Though he seemed outwardly to qualify on his own merits, that was only when he was looking at what the world values. Truly, he was formerly a “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent” (1 Timothy 1:13).
This verse teaches two truths. First, Christ came to save sinners. He didn’t come to give a little nudge to people who are a smidge off track or a boost to people doing relatively well. Christ bore the full wrath of God because our entire posture was set against Him (Genesis 6:5). We tend to be good at remembering others’ faults while forgetting or explaining away our own. But even a quick, honest look at our hearts reminds us that we, too, have fallen short (Romans 3:23).
Second, each of us needs to remember that we really are the worst. True, objectively, many of us have not done actions as evil as others have. Most of us have not, like Paul, persecuted Christians. Yet from time to time, we need to remember how much God needed to save us from, how deeply our hearts rebelled against Him, and how passionately we ran or would have run after everything but Him.
But we don’t dwell there because focusing on how bad we are won’t earn God’s favor. Instead, our greater awareness of our sin helps us to more greatly appreciate the vast and bottomless mercy God has extended to us through Christ. This is Paul’s point. By magnifying his sin, he magnifies God, the God from whom he received mercy and grace (1 Timothy 1:13-14, 16).
In saving a sinner like Paul, God the Son shows His willingness to bear sin on Himself in order that others may see their need and also be saved (1 Timothy 1:16). This is why Paul can audaciously and truly declare himself “faithful,” because Jesus has (1 Timothy 1:12).
Oh the grace of God, that the knowledge of the depths of our sin can compel us to greater joy in Him and greater faithfulness in His service!
For Reflection
When you read about the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), can you relate to the Pharisee? Why or why not?
Do you regularly repent to God and others? Why or why not?
What are some of your greatest and specific offenses against God? How can remembering that He has forgiven you for these sins compel you to worship?
Greg Palys is a pastor at College Park Church in Indianapolis, IN, primarily overseeing ministry to children and their families. He and Sarah have five children: Ruth, Ezekiel, James, Eden, and Luke.