If You Think God Can't Possibly Forgive You, Think Again

# 27 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:12,13 - “ And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” (1 Tim 1:12,13) This is an incredible testimony of the depth of forgiveness offered through Christ. If you have ever struggled with the idea that God couldn't possibly forgive the wrongs of your past, pay attention to all that Paul is saying here. He was a blasphemer! The word is associated with abusive, wicked, and hateful language. This language was directed against Jesus Christ, the Son of God! He not only spoke abusively against Christ, but he sought to force others to do the same!. We read about it in Ac 26:10 "This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 "And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” He went after men and women alike, disrupting families and we can assume affecting children of all ages. Ac 22:4 says, "I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,” And in Ac 9:1,2 we read, “ Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” This is his story. Not only a blasphemer, but a persecutor, a pursuer! He sought the followers of Jesus out for the sole purpose of crushing The Way. Finally, he describes himself as an insolent man, the word means injurious. He was out to injure and kill all who followed Jesus. This was an all out attack against Jesus, the Son of God! On your worst day, you have not equaled the wickedness of Paul, but even if you did, there is mercy to be obtained, just as Paul obtained it. He met mercy on the road to Damascus. The road to more blasphemy, pursuing, and with intent to injure and kill more Christians. He was stopped in his tracks by mercy, and he obtained it the hour he believed. And that same Jesus offers you mercy for your sins, whatever they may be. Just believe!