This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief (1 Timothy 1.15).
Paul wrote to the church at Rome and declared, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith... (Romans 1.16,17). The essence of the gospel of Christ is the statement given above. This is a faithful saying.... We have not followed cunningly devised fables in worshiping God through Jesus Christ. We do not speak things we have received of men. The ministers of the gospel of Christ are not taught this gospel by men, and they do not speak it with words which man’s wisdom teaches. With plainness of speech they set forth that which they have received from Almighty God--a more sure word of prophecy. The declaration, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," is a statement of an established fact, on which we may depend.
...and worthy of all acceptation.... What the gospel is worthy of and what it receives are two different things. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness (1 Corinthians 1.18). The world does not recognize the power, beauty, and truth of the gospel. In fact, the children of this world are unable to receive this word of truth. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2.14). However, it should be noted that the gospel is not offered to men to be accepted or rejected by them. The gospel message is a message of comfort and hope to the living children of God. It is the declaration of the finished work of Christ, which absolutely secured eternal life and all spiritual blessings to His people. Not one verse of scripture can be found to support the idea that Christ is offered to men or that men are to accept Him as their personal savior. The only offering of Christ was his offering of Himself to the Father on behalf of His saints. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9.14)? Regardless of how the gospel message is or is not received by others, it is eminently worthy of all acceptation by sinners who know the fear of God. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent (Acts 13.26). Not only is the gospel worthy of all acceptation, the evidence is that the gospel finds acceptation in the hearts of those who are born of God. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed (Acts 13.48). According to the scripture, the ones who believed were exactly those who were ordained to eternal life. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of god, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1.11-13). Those who received Him-that is, believe on his name are those which were born of God. Those who receive Jesus Christ and the faithful saying of the gospel must first be born: 1) not of blood-it is not a person’s natural ancestry which prepares them to enter this kingdom which is not of this world; 2) nor of the will of the flesh-the natural man cannot beget spiritual life; 3) nor of the will of man-it is not by any external influence on the mind or will of a person; but 4) of God.
...Christ Jesus came into the world.... The name Christ means the anointed One. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, Messiah. In the Old Testament prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil to signify 1) their ordination to their positions, and 2) their dependence on the Spirit of God to enable them to serve acceptably. Many have been anointed, but the Lord Jesus is the Christ--the ultimate and fully anointed One of God. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek... (Isaiah 61.1). Again, John testified, For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him (John 3.34).
The name Jesus means the Salvation of Jehovah. How appropriate that the holy thing born of Mary should be so named. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1.21). Our Lord Jesus Christ is the God-appointed, Spirit-Anointed Salvation of Jehovah. Peter spoke by inspiration of God when he said to our Lord, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16.16). This Christ Jesus came into the world. He is not of the world. He is the One by Whom the world and all things therein consist--the One Who upholds all things by the word of His power. He is the One Who created the whole in the beginning. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men (John 1.1-4). The One who came into the world at the appointed time was none other than the Eternal God Himself. This is a great mystery, but it is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh...(1 Timothy 3.16). Christ Jesus came into this world at the time appointed of the Father to redeem His people and bring them into full possession of their inheritance in Him. But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Galatians 4.4,5). John told us, Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist... (1 John 4.3). To deny the faithful saying that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners is to identify oneself as an antichrist.
...to save sinners.... The Lord Christ came into this world on purpose. He had a charge to keep--a mission to fulfill. This charge was that given Him in the everlasting covenant of grace before the foundation of the world. It was that mission to which He agreed from everlasting. He came into this world to save sinners. The wording here is clear. Christ did not come to be a good example for us to follow. He did not come to be the paragon of prophets. He did not come to bring peace and prosperity to the world. His mission was salvation. The Arminian world claims that Christ came to do something to make salvation possible for all mankind. However, according to their view of things, the work Jesus Christ accomplished in the flesh did not absolutely secure the salvation of one soul. They also freely admit that the majority of the human race will never benefit one iota from the death of Jesus Christ--a death they claim was on behalf of the entire race. Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make salvation possible upon the fulfillment of certain conditions--He came into this world TO SAVE SINNERS. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6.38-40).
Our Lord came to save. He came to save the ones given to Him by the Father. He came to lay down His life for His sheep. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John 10.11, 14-16). Being the good shepherd, he would never be satisfied if even one of His sheep should perish. He gave the parable of the shepherd who had ninety and nine sheep safe in the fold. The shepherd was not satisfied with 99% success. He left the sheep with a keeper and went out to find the lost sheep. He did not merely go to the top of the first hill and look around. No, He traveled through valleys, waded creeks, climbed rocks, and whatever was necessary to reach the lost and helpless sheep. He went to the sheep, laid it on his shoulders, and brought it back to the fold. Dear children of God, your Shepherd cannot be satisfied if even one of His sheep perishes away from the fold. The prophecy of Isaiah 53 guarantees He shall be satisfied. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities (Isaiah 53.11). Here it is. Christ either accomplished what He came here to do, or He did not. If He failed in one instance to utterly and eternally save one for whom He came, He would be a failure--a dissatisfied failure. The testimony of the gospel is that Christ is a complete and unequivocal success as a Savior. Christ HATH redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us...(Galatians 3.13). And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross: And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2.13-15).
...of whom I am chief. Paul’s expression of humility bears witness to the work of grace accomplished in his heart. Though Saul of Tarsus had once thought he had much in which to glory, grace taught Paul to glory only in the cross of Christ and to esteem himself as less than the least of all the saints. When we encounter the Eternal God in the Person of Jesus Christ we are abased before Him. It is not a matter of comparing ourselves with others. We don’t care whether our sins are bigger than another’s. Our sins loom large because they are our sins. We are before the One with whom we have to do. It has always been thus. When God speaks, the creature, overcome by His holiness, puts his face in the dust and confesses his unworthiness. How brightly does the glory of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ sparkle against the black background of our wretchedness! May Almighty God establish our hearts in this gracious gospel. May He cause us to confess our vileness and unworthiness before His throne of grace. May He strip us of all confidence in anything outside of Jesus Christ. May He fill our hearts with praise to His wonderful name. May He cause us to stand fast against the wiles of Satan and his hosts, and to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
Please direct your comments to Mike Krall