Golfstat Sunday Devotional
In this short video, CGF Staff Member Matt Van Zandt (South Central Region) shares a devotional message on the grace of God from 1 Timothy 1:12-17.
Partial Transcript
Often times, we run from our sin. We hide it. I know I do. I am unbelievably guilty of this.
But, what’s weird about it is that in those areas of our lives that we struggle in, that are our deepest, darkest areas…he’s gonna use those areas of your life to portray his glory. He’s going to use sinners to make his name great.
So, when we run from areas of our life that..when we hide our sin; when we are unwilling to bring those areas to light. Then, ultimately, we are robbing God of the fullness of his glory that could be revealed in our life by allowing others to see that God is using a sinner–that God has saved a sinner…
God knew we were gonna be sinners, right? How many of our sins were in the past when Christ died for us? All of them, right? And so he knew…you were a sinner before today, and he knows you’re going to be a sinner tomorrow, right? But the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is what just covers that. And it fills you, and you begin to see that the God of the universe doesn’t look down upon you now in disappointment. He looks down on you and says, “That’s my son.”
And when you really, really grab that truth, what fills your heart is gratitude and love. Why? Because you know you didn’t deserve it. You were given a gift. And that gift was Christ. You were given Christ. And now…you can turn and walk in full relationship with God…when he looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin. He sees his son, Jesus–perfect righteousness. And we now have that as sons and daughters of the king.
1 Timothy 1:12-17 (ESV)
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent.
But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 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.
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
