glory to the Father
All glory to the Lamb
All glory to the Spirit
One God—the great I AM!
7.6.7.6. D, Tune: God Bless the Prince of Wales
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 22 ; New Testament: Matthew 11 Psalm: 11
1 Timothy 1:12–14
12And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Who can explain or comprehend the mercy and wisdom of Jesus Christ our Lord? Every believer, every preacher, must find his own life story patterned in the mould of the Apostle Paul, for we are all the sinners of whom he is chief; we have hereafter believed in the pattern which the Lord made of him; we are teachers of the Gentiles as he was first and foremost as Apostle (1:15–16; 2 Tim 1:11). Paul has scrawled in his own large hand (Gal 6:11–16) what each of us scribbles after him on the pages of our lives—mercy (1:13), grace , faith, love (1:14).
In the great mystery of godliness, exceeding abundant grace bestowed mercy on me in my ignorance and unbelief (1:13), counts me faithful to put me at all in the ministry (1:12), has enabled me to hold the trust of “the glorious gospel of the blessed God” (1:11) with faith and love supplied in Him (1:14).
If without that abundant grace, Paul were but a blasphemer and a persecutor, and injurious before conversion before calling to the ministry of this life-giving Gospel (1:13), how much worse would I become “having swerved” and “turned aside” from “godly edifying in faith,” from “charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned” (1:4–6) without that exceeding abundant grace? I would be worse than a blasphemer if all my talk amounts to “vain jangling” (1:6); worse than a persecutor from outside, if from within the Church I only foster “questions” (1:4) or “strifes about words” (6:4); worse than injurious if I cause Christ’s little ones who believe to be offended (Mark 9:42–48). Mercy was granted me in all my sin and harm to God’s people when and because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (1:13). Mercy will not remain for me if at the end I have run when God did not send; if I have labored in vain and be found a castaway (1:7; Jer 23:21; 1 Cor 9:27; Phil.2:15).
Savior, here is a sinner needing Thine abundant grace with faith and love. Without Thee I am but injurious, a blot of shame upon Thy cause and people, an offence to Thy children—better never to have been born, better to have been cast into the sea with a millstone hung on my neck (Matt 18:6). Keep me from falling! Count me faithful now, as in the day Thou didst put me into the ministry. Enable me; make me an able minister of the New Testament, of the Spirit that gives life. And all my days shall I thank Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
12. Come, come to Calvary !
1 Come, come to Calvary,
Look to the Lamb of God
Who bore our sins upon the Tree,
And shed His precious Blood!
2 Come to the Cross, and live!
Jesus the Crucified
Pardon and peace to all shall give
For whom He bled and died.
3 Come to the Fount of life:
Drink and be satisfied
Rivers of living water flow
From out the Savior’s side.
4 Come to the feast now spread
Taste that the Lord is good:
Christ is the true and living bread
Better than angels’ food.
5 Come, wine and milk now buy,
No money bring, nor price!
The gift of God, eternal life,
Is yours through Jesus Christ!
6 Come, all ye weary, rest!
Sin’s burden now forsake.
Learn of our Master, and be blest!
His easy yoke now take!
7 Come, now repent, believe!
Jesus the Lord confess
Eternal life you shall receive:
Come, and you shall be blest!
S.M.
Preparatory Reading: Old Testament: Genesis 23; New Testament: Matthew 12 Psalm: 12
1 Timothy 1:15–16
15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
O God our Father, by the Holy Spirit’s grace and light bind this saying around my neck, write it upon the tablet of my heart; set it as a lamp to my feet shining in a dark place till Thy day break and all shadows flee away (Prov 33; Ps 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:20; Song 2:17). Thou hast given it me as a faithful saying, which my soul may entirely trust; that will never fail to guide me, like the pole star in the night’s sky. It is suited to all my need, and to any fallen child of Adam the world over, worthy of all acceptation. With it I can be sure to bring blessing, to offer life and hope to any fellow sinner that ever I meet. If nothing else come out of my mouth, O God of all grace, let this come first and last: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
What better two words could anyone hear than Christ Jesus? What more could the heart of God yield or the treasure of heaven bestow, to exhaust my condemnation, to flood away my guilt, to translate me from death to life and from perdition to paradise than Christ Jesus?
He is my “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption;” my “all in all;” my “anchor;” “light of life;” “bread of life;” “Passover;” “Beloved;” “bridegroom”’ “foundation,” “cornerstone”; good, great, one, chief Shepherd; “peace;” “Prince and Saviour”; “Firstborn of many brethren;” “friend of sinners;” “hope;” “life;”’ “advocate;” “high priest” “mediator”—these are but the firstfruits of all His glories, and of even each of these I know but in part, nor yet the half. Pilate never knew how well he spoke when he cried, “Behold the Man!” and when he wrote “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Christ Jesus came into the world: These simple words chronicle a stoop spanning infinity, whose dimensions dwarf the universe—the very length, breadth, depth and height of the love of Christ that passes knowledge. Christ Jesus came into the world: Eternity cradled in time; infinity swaddled in space; omniscience hidden in ignorance; omnipotence poured into weakness; the Holy
