1 Timothy 1 - The Phoenix 

Diving into 1 Timothy, another one of Paul’s Epistles. This letter was written from Paul to Timothy, a mentee and very close friend of Paul. So close, he calls him son. When Paul was released from prison in Rome, he discovered that the church in Ephesus was straying from preaching and teaching the true Gospel of Jesus that Paul left them with. We read in v3 that this became Timothy’s mission and charge. 

“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The opening of this letter is all about opposing false teachers, and this is a good and worthy message. But something later in the letter struck me and is where I am focusing this morning. Let me start by contrasting v1 and v13.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior...” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:1‬a ‭NIV‬‬ 

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man...” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:13a‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We read in the initial letter from Paul to Timothy, this extreme contrasting of who Paul was, and who Paul is today. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man...now I am an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior...

Who we were shapes who we are, but who we were does not determine our destiny or cancel our call. 

These are words the Lord gave me this morning to remind me that my past, as sketchy and jaded as it was does not determine my destiny or cancel my call! However, my past does shape me and that shaping, sculpting will be used by God to guide me forward. Check out Paul's words that followed v13.

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The grace of the Lord was poured out on me abundantly... Paul understood who he was, he understood his sketchy and jaded past was a part of him, but at the same time Paul recognized the love and grace of God was poured out on him, and his calling was not canceled, it was magnified. 

We have a real enemy, Satan, who wants to use our past to derail and to determine our future. He will lie to us, try and deceive us, and try to use our past against us. We must fight this, and we must not allow our past to dictate and determine our future, we must get past our past. 

“Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever. - ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:15-17‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Let me repeat it, who we were shapes who we are, but who we were does not determine our destiny or cancel our call.  God wants to use your past for His glory!  We must allow our past to shape us, and be apart of us, but not allow Satan to use our past to derail our destiny and future. 

Like Paul, I, Terry Storch, am proof—Public Sinner Number One! Someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. I am so thankful for his grace, his mercy, and his immense patience he has extended to me. I pray that God can and will continue to use me as evidence of his endless patience and evidence that out of the ashes, something great can emerge. All glory and honor to God forever and ever! Amen