I am the Worst and the Best!-1 Timothy 1:1-20

Key verse 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.”

These days’ shoppers have to beware when buying merchandise online. There are so many fakes out there! If you don’t do your research, then you can easily be deceived. You can easily spend thousands of dollars on something that is worth much less. The gospel is also not immune to deception.

The book of Timothy is Paul’s letter to young Timothy who was a pastor of the Ephesus church. He wanted Timothy to have hands on experience pastoring a church. Timothy had to deal with devious members who were trying to sell a fake gospel message in order to deceive the congregation. According to verse 3, it took some urging and encouragement from Paul for Timothy to stay in Ephesus. In this passage, Paul teaches Timothy and each of us to discern between fake and real gospel. Paul also gives the evidence of his life as a trustworthy evidence of the power of the gospel. Finally, he encourages Timothy to fight the battle of keeping the gospel at the forefront in his ministry.

First, Fake vs Real gospel newsLook at verse 1 and 2, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. “ In these verses, Paul explains the source of his authority. Paul wasn’t elected by men. He was divinely appointed to be an authoritative representative of the risen and ruling Lord. Furthermore, his changed life clearly revealed he was chosen by God to preach the gospel.

The city of Ephesus was large, diverse, religiously complex, and flourishing commercially. It was similar to Chicago and NYC. The cult of Artemis was especially influential in this imperial capital. This cult affected commercial activity, and it seems to have engulfed a number of other cult practices such as “the practice of magic, sorcery, and soothsaying”. There were a diverse cultures within the city. Paul pioneered the city and began a church. The work of God began to flourish.

The church of Ephesus had many challenges. A big city has ‘big’ problems. Some of the social practices began to infiltrate the church. Let’s read verse 3-7,” 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 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”

Paul’s main instruction to Timothy was: Guard the real gospel from the fake gospel! These days we are bombarded by fake news. Fake news is written and told with the intent to mislead in order to damage an organization, person, often through dishonest and outright fabrication. The same principle applies to the fake gospel. Fake news has been around since the beginning. It has always been the devil’s ploy. The serpent in the garden who said “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” and “You will be like God” (Genesis 3). The purpose of ‘fake news’ is to manipulate, divide and control how you think. The devil used sensationalist language saying to manipulate and deceive the first couple.

There was so much fake gospel news being circulated by false teachers. There were certain teachers who promoted certain diets that were pleasing to God. Some teachers were making up rules and regulations and twisting scripture and tradition to confuse and ultimately control people. Gnostics invaded the church. There were Christians who believed the flesh was evil and spirit is good. It sounds biblical right? Wrong! Gnostics believe anything done in the body, even the grossest sin, has no meaning because real life exists in the spirit realm only. Gnosticism is still alive today. I remember one person who said to me, “I have Jesus in my heart, that’s enough.” Practically, this person lived like a non-believer. He had no fear of God or understanding regarding the power of sin.

What was another issue? It was the Judaizers. They were Christians who said, “Believing in Jesus is good, but you need to live by traditions and the law”. In essence, they believed salvation is through Jesus plus the law. Look at verse 8-11, 8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

In verse 8-11, Paul makes it clear how to properly use the law. The law was never meant to save people! It was not meant to make us righteous before the Holy God. None of us are righteous. We all fall into multiple categories in verse 9-10. The law had three main purposes. First, the law was meant as a restraint for sin. Law as a restraint is like speed limits. It is to restrain us from speeding and becoming a danger to the public. Second, it was to reveal the holiness of God. We realize we are all sinners before the holy God. Finally, the law was meant to point to Jesus. He alone can save us!

How do you know if something is real or fake? Once I was at friend’s house and saw a fruit basket on the dinner table. They looked delicious. But when I touched it, it was made of plastic. You must have intimate knowledge of something to determine if something is fake. As Christians, it is difficult to differentiate the ‘real’ vs the ‘fake’ gospel. You must have keen insight and skill to determine the real from the fake. The fruits of a ‘fake’ gospel is evident. Fake news, false doctrines, controversial speculations, and meaningless talk promote division, hatred, control and manipulation. It detract Christians from advancing the work of God. You must have a clear understanding of the gospel. What is the true gospel? In a nutshell, the ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us.”

Sometimes we mistake the results of the gospel as the ‘gospel’. We think prayer, mission and caring for others is the gospel. If we don’t clearly define the gospel, then we will lose it! Growing as a Christian, I had my share of ‘fake gospel news’ in my Christian journey. The reason I became interested in Christianity was watching the prosperity gospel preacher Jim and Tammy Baker. I thought if I believe in Jesus, then God will give me wealth, cars and a nice girlfriend. The problem was when I didn’t get what I wanted I was angry at God or questioned whether he loved me or not. Another ‘fake news’ came from a friend who was like a modern day Gnostic. He said, “Christian life is too restrictive, I would rather sin and maybe become a Christian when I’m in my 90s.” Another ‘fake news’ was the law. I thought, if I lived a life of mission, prayed more, had more disciples, and wrote longer testimonies. I thought the better I performed the more God will love and accept me. Fake gospel made me angry when I thought others were more blessed than me. Fake gospel made my emotions like a roller coaster. I felt proud when I did better, I felt miserable, when I couldn’t live up to the standard.

The goal of the fake gospel is to divide, controls and destroy. Fake gospel comes from impure motives. What is the goal of the real gospel? Verse 5 said it beautifully: “Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” When we truly understand the gospel, we want to be a people who love God and love others out of the overflow of a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Paul tells us that only the gospel produces that kind of response.

Second, When I’m at the worst, I’m the best!Paul backs up verse 5, with his own personal testimony. When we truly understand the gospel we are transformed. We can have a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith.

In verses 12-17, Paul erupted into his personal testimony, which leads to triumphant praise. In the midst of all this, he gives us one of the most concise, clear, and compelling descriptions of the gospel in all of Scripture. Let’s read verses 12-14. “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 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. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

In verse 13, Paul talked about what he used to be: “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man.” He was not your typical sinner. He was a fervent religious man and a hitman at the same time. He was the ‘worst’ of both worlds: The spiritual and physical. In Romans he called himself a ‘body of death’. in 1 Corin. ‘he was abnormally born.’ He was pathological. He was the one who took pleasure in doing the dirty work of the teachers of the law. He promoted fake news about Christians in order to discredit and destroy them. He was the church’s single greatest threat. He wanted to wiped it off the map! Paul oversaw the persecution of Stephen (Acts 8:1), the first Christian martyr, and then he devoted his life to arresting, imprisoning, and killing Christians everywhere he could.

Have you watched movies with villains so vicious, you cheered with satisfaction when they are killed? Paul was such a person. No doubt, there were some Christian who prayed for his death! But what did God do? Amazingly, God caused His grace to overflow to the one person who seemingly deserved it the least.

Look at verse 15-17, “15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

From a deep conviction of heart, he said, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” This is not fake news, this is real! It is a reality, undeniable and trustworthy! You can bet your life savings on this statement!

Paul said, “I am the worst.” There are some people who have rejected Christianity because the message is so offensive! It only tells them how terrible a sinner they are. Some call it the ‘worm religion’. For a moment, let’s step in Paul’s shoes. Paul did a lot of shameful things. He separated families; he put innocent people in jail or had them killed. How could he forgive himself? We have all done things we are not proud of. Sometimes the devil reminds us of such things and condemnation sets in. Some don’t know how to deal with the guilt and shame. They fall into the trap of depression, alcohol, drugs and other destructive behaviors. They say to themselves, “I am the worst. I don’t deserve any good things, I only deserve hell.”

Paul knew his sins did not deserve any forgiveness. He knew he deserved punishment in this life and beyond. He was trapped and no “go free card.” What he could not do for himself, God had to do. God showed him mercy and immense patience! Essentially, he is saying I am the worse, but I became the best because of Jesus! This does not come from a boastful heart, rather from deeply humility and thankfulness. The gospel was real to Paul. Paul experienced the unconditional love of God. Not only this, God put him into service. In verse 17, he magnifies the Jesus. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Martin Luther understood this truth many centuries later. He said “Simul justus et peccator.” In other words, we are simultaneously justified and a sinner at the same time. You could also say, “you are the worst (sinner), but you are loved and the best (justified).” How could Paul and each of us be the worst and the best at the same time?

It is because Jesus became the worst, so we may become the best! Paul understood this truth when he said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him sin, who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in him” God made Jesus the embodiment of sin. God treated Jesus as sin. God made Jesus the worst person in the world. God took all the worst parts of us upon Jesus. Because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin, we became the best. We became the righteousness of God, not because of anything we have done, but because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. We became children of God and we can approach his throne.

When we know we are the worst, but Jesus made us the best, we have hope. There is a hymn that says Grace that is greater than all our sin. There is no sin that grace cannot touch. I can never forget the life testimony of Annie Lobert, a former prostitute. She lived as a high priced prostitute for 16 years. Annie’ life was identified by domestic violence, sexual abuse, cancer, drug addiction, abortions, miscarriages, pornography, anorexia, and bulimia. She was disgusted with her brokenness and wanted to end it all in 2003. She was like the living dead. In her brokenness, she heard Christ say she was his pure virgin bride. She knew she was the worst because of her rebellion, but because of Jesus she was the best. She was a pure virgin bride. Even though her sins was like scarlet, it shall be white as wool (Isaiah 1:18). Not only this, God has used her to lead others out of prostitution and saved others from sex trafficking through her organization, Hookers for Jesus.

Practically, this means we don’t have to wallow in our sins. We don’t have to be slaves of our shame and guilt. But when you are rooted in the gospel, your identity is not built on your record and performance-good or bad, but on God’s love for you. You can reveal love which comes from a pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith.

Third, we fight for the GospelIn light of who God is and His gracious purposes, Paul gave Timothy one final exhortation in this chapter: Fight for the gospel. Timothy must “engage in battle” for the sake of the truth. Fighting the gospel means you have to know how to fight the enemy! You must realize this enemy is merciless. He will stop at nothing to destroy any gospel faith you may have.

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

To make his point Paul used Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom we know were among the false teachers at Ephesus and men who had wandered away from the gospel. Many commentators believe these men were elders in the church. They once worked alongside Paul. But they fell into the trap of false doctrines. This is a great reminder for each of us—that no one is immune to the temptation to wander from the gospel. That’s why Paul said we must fight for the gospel. There is a saying by the General Sun Tzu. “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” In other words, be vigilant and keen how the devil attacks. The devil attacks at all angles. There are no rules for engagement. He will use every tactic to destroy your faith.

We’re in a war, brothers and sisters in Christ, in our lives, in our marriages, and in our families. Whether you’re a teenager at school or a businessperson at work, a battle is raging all around you. This battle will look differently in each of our lives, but do not be caught off guard—you are in a war. So fight the good fight. Stand strong amid all the challenges that come from outside and inside the church. Keep “faith and a good conscience” (v. 19).

In today’s passage, we learn the gospel is assaulted by the counterfeit gospel messages. It is difficult to know the real thing, without clear understanding the gospel. Paul’s life is a testimony of the power of the real gospel message. He was the worst, but he became the best because of Jesus! Finally, Paul teaches us that it is a battle to remember the gospel and apply it to all areas of our lives. May God bless us as a community to live out the gospel in life and community.

ReferencesPlatt, David Platt. Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus-ebook. Chapter 1. Holman Reference, 2013

Newton, Melanie. “Who Were Timothy And Titus?”. Bible.org. https://bible.org/seriespage/who-were-timothy-and-titus 24, April 2012.

Keller, T. J. (2013). ‘I am the Worst’ The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.