Sin vs Grace

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I was totally overwhelmed this morning by the exceeding sinfulness of myself. Somehow I couldn't seem to get past it. I was totally connected with what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15 ...Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. I simply couldn't shake the sense of personal depravity. I am a sinner. Above all other sinners. Or, as Oswald Chambers once said, I know that no criminal is worse in action that I have already been in thought. I am simply undone, I know that in me dwells no good thing.

And then I opened and read 1 Timothy 1:15 in context. Notice this...

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into the ministry even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent agressor. (read that last phrase again, even though...) Yet i was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a true statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Then I realized that everything I was seeing and feeling about myself was absolutely true. It wasn't necessarily an unhealthy sense of self-worth, but possibly, probably a sense of genuine self-awareness. However, the grace of our Lord was (is) more than abundant and it extends mercy to me in my depravity so that He can show His patience, His love, His glory to anyone else who might believe. Then I remembered this hymn from yesteryear...

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
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