May 2004 Meditation
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Tim. 1:15)
In the previous meditations, we have considered why Christ Jesus came into the world. He came to pay the penalty for sin, to conquer death and the grave, to remove the separation between God and man, and to merit for sinners the right to eternal life.
Given the magnitude of what Christ has accomplished by His death and resurrection, it should come as no surprise that the apostle Paul tells us in our text that this marvelous message, this faithful saying, is “worthy of all acceptation”--that is, is worthy of being embraced and believed. And indeed, this is the intent and purpose of this message as it continues to be heralded forth throughout the world. It is God's will that we should believe these glorious glad tidings about His Son, and that by believing it we might become the personal beneficiaries of the very blessings Christ merited by His death and resurrection.
What does it mean to believe in this wonderful Savior, Christ Jesus, and to believe the witness the Bible gives us regarding His Person and His work? The answer to this question is of the greatest significance for you and me, for whosoever believes in Christ Jesus shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)--and whoever does not believe in Him will surely perish and be subject to everlasting condemnation.
The act of believing consists of two crucial and inseparable components: It means that 1) I fully agree with and endorse the testimony of the Bible regarding the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ; and 2) that I put my full trust in this Savior as revealed to us in the Word of God. Therefore, whoever says “amen” to the glad tidings regarding the Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently puts his trust in this Savior will surely be saved. His sins shall be forgiven, he shall be reconciled with God, and he shall be the recipient of eternal life.
Perhaps you say “This is too great and too good to be true. Does the simple act of trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ make me the recipients of such great blessings?” The apostle Paul anticipated such a question by stating that this is a “faithful saying.” The original Greek could also be translated as, “This is a trustworthy saying.” In other words, Paul is saying that I as a sinner can put my whole trust in this wonderful gospel regarding the Lord Jesus Christ. I need not be in doubt for one moment regarding the outcome!
What makes the gospel of our text so trustworthy? It is trustworthy because the God who causes this gospel to be proclaimed to us is utterly trustworthy. He is the God who neither can nor will lie, and who will therefore never put to shame all who put their trust in His Word—and especially in the Savior revealed in that Word! This trustworthy gospel is therefore truly worthy of all acceptation—also by us.
My dear friend, do you believe the gospel of this Christ Jesus who came into the world to save sinners? If not, then I urge you to come to this Christ today—a Christ who saved even the chief of sinners such as Paul, and therefore a Christ who will under no circumstances turn you away when you believe in Him and come to Him!
Pastor B. Elshout
