Paul Wasn't Kidding. He WAS the Chief Sinner

# 32 Today's Prime Time Devo comes from: 1Ti 1:15, “ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” I think it's easy to blow right through this passage and miss something very important, and here it is: Paul wasn't kidding when he said he was “chief of sinners.” It's true, we are all sinners in need of a Savior and must never forget that, but Paul is speaking about a sinner who is in a class all by itself. It is the class of the self-righteous Pharisee. Think about it as he spoke of his pedigree in Php 3:4-6, “though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” This is who he was! Who were the people who opposed Jesus at every turn? It was the Pharisees! Paul would never have lifted a finger against the church had he not been a self-righteous Pharisee. It was this rejection of the grace of God offered through Christ that classifies him as the chief of sinners. The Pharisees held that one could only be saved by observing the letter of the Law. This was the problem addressed in the Book of Hebrews as it was written to warn people about turning back to ceremonial and letter of the Law for their salvation. Heb 10:26-29 says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” Chief of sinners reject grace. They believe they can obtain their salvation by their own works. This IS the chief sin...the rejection of the grace that IS Jesus Christ. If you think you are getting to heaven because you are “basically a good person,” Think again, for you are guilty of trampling the Son of God underfoot.