Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. I Timothy 1: 15 – 17

My jaw drops as I ponder this sentence – Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.  This is not some criminal or thief or what have you writing his life story, but the honored and admired Apostle of Jesus Christ – the great Saul of Tarsus, then Paul the Apostle.  There was never a man committed to obey the Law of God more than Saul, the young Pharisee.

How is it that after he met Jesus Christ he saw himself in a quite different light?  Prior to that meeting he was an honored Pharisee, zealous for the Law, proud of his holy heritage.  Almost in an instant he saw himself as Jesus saw him, a sinner!

My own experience has a flicker of this.  I prided myself in being a bone fide Anabaptist Christian – sent to live as a missionary in Tanzania. I had the answer to everything, so to speak. In the heat of trying to prove all that, I met Jesus anew.  In a moment I lost all superiority and saw myself, amazingly, as a sinner, needing God’s saving grace.  Woe is me, I cried.

Until this day I am amazed by how I viewed myself changed, first as a successful Christian accumulating good works in one moment, and then as an abject sinner in the next.  Meeting Jesus made all the difference.  From wanting to present my good works to God, I cried out for mercy, mercy due a great sinner!   What I had to present to Him was my sin.  That shook me to the core.  I gave him my sin; he gave me his mercy.  How can that be?  As I think of it all over again this morning I am awestricken.

Paul realized that having received such blessed salvation, realizing his sinner-hood, that God used this experience of Paul to encourage others to follow Jesus.  So even his conversion was evangelistic. So may it be for all of us. Of what can we boast?  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. That describes me.