I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

I Timothy 1:12- 13

Timothy needed to hear once again Paul’s own testimony.  In the “new” Paul there was no inherent strength. He drew from the storehouses of God’s mercy. Timothy, with his background, could do the same.  It seems presumptuous that Paul could ask young Timothy to stand among the variety of believers in Ephesus in order to keep the peace that each person knew when Christ invaded his or her life by faith.

To be a true peacemaker, one must know who he or she is.  For Paul, he said was a hater of Jesus Christ, a persecutor of the Church. He was vehement in his defense of the Jewish law as interpreted by the highly honored Pharisees.  I almost squirm when I hear him say that he was a blasphemer and a violent man.  For religious Jews he was a hero, a true child of the faith.

Then, on his way to do even more harm to the believers in Damascus he met Jesus and his life was radically changed. The strength that he had to persecute the church was broken and a new power surged through his being – the Christ-honoring power of the precious Holy Spirit.  A miracle occurred. The grace of Jesus was poured out on him abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

This new atmosphere of grace enabled him to believe in Christ Jesus, and to experience the faith and love that are in the Lord.  This was the secret of Paul’s internal power.

It reminds us that when we meet Jesus and receive him into our lives we are as weak as a broken reed, but behold the power of God rushes into our lives.  It is that power that comes from God that will empower Timothy as he seeks to bring peace to the burgeoning multi-cultural fellowship in Ephesus. Take courage, Timothy.  God in you is able!