Host of DAILY TRUTH analyzes 1 Timothy 1:15, tracing Apostle Paul's progression from "least of apostles" to "chief of sinners" after twenty-five years of service. He argues this deepening self-awareness reflects growing sanctification rather than depression, distinguishing unworthiness from despair while emphasizing that God's unconditional mercy precedes human merit. The segment concludes by promoting the Theonomy and Postmillennialism Conference 2023 in May, featuring speakers like Dr. James White and Pastor Joel Webbin, reinforcing that true joy stems from grace received before the earth's foundations were laid. [Automatically generated summary]
Transcriber: CohereLabs/cohere-transcribe-03-2026, WAV2VEC2_ASR_BASE_960H, sat-12l-sm, script v26.04.01, and large-v3-turbo
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Paul On Fear And Holiness00:07:47
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Jesus said, Man cannot live on bread alone, but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
You're listening to Daily Truth.
Paul calls himself the chief of sinners.
He does not say, I was the chief or foremost of sinners.
Even though he certainly had a wicked past, as we've already seen in verse 13, a blasphemer, a persecutor, an opponent of Christ.
Instead, Paul says, I am presently the chief of sinners.
And Paul does not make this statement as a new believer, but after, instead, after he had been faithfully serving Christ for over 25 years, we can actually trace a chronological progression of Paul's statements about himself.
Through his epistles in the New Testament.
Notice in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 9, Paul says, I am the least of the apostles, the worst of the best.
Apostles, not a bad group to be a part of.
I'm the least of the best.
Then Paul goes on.
A few years later, he writes to the Ephesians in 3, verse 8, saying, I'm the very least, not just of the apostles, but of all the saints.
And here, Even later still, in 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, our text today, Paul says, I am the best now.
No longer the best, I'm sorry, the worst of the best, right?
The least of the apostles or the least of the saints.
But now he's saying, No, I'm not the worst of the best.
I'm the best of the worst.
I'm the chief of the apostles, of the saints, no, of the sinners.
Paul is saying, in essence, not just I was, but I am.
I'm the worst sinner.
I know.
Despite what our culture may tell us and what many churches influenced by our culture may tell us today, Paul's view of himself is a view worth emulating.
It's a view worth modeling.
And his view does not improve over time.
Rather, he progressively comes to see himself as less and less worthy of the grace of God.
The closer a person walks with God, the more they become aware of God's holiness and the depths of their own sinful nature.
I like what C.S. Lewis says in Purging the Poison Well Within.
When a man is getting better, that is, when a man is being sanctified, when a man is being formed more into the image of Christ, he understands more clearly the evil that is still in him, the sin which still remains.
But when a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less.
Now, that being said, there's a distinction.
Between being discouraged and having a worse view of yourself.
See, the Christian who is being sanctified, the Christian who is maturing in Christ, will come into a deeper and deeper understanding of their worthiness, no, their worthlessness.
The lack of their worthiness when it comes to being a recipient of the grace of God.
And yet, as you come into a deeper, more profound view of how little you deserve the grace of God, you should not be growing in discouragement.
If that's the case, and for some of you it is, if that's the case, something is off.
Paul is not saying, I am coming into a deeper understanding of my own depravity.
I'm coming into a deeper understanding of the sin that remains.
More and more persuaded that I am the worst sinner I personally know, and at the same time, I'm also becoming chronically depressed.
No.
The apostle was filled with great joy, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
Even when he's in prison, suffering, going without food and water, he's singing, he's laughing.
I believe that the apostle Paul was one of the most sincere and yet one of the most joyful, warm hearted men who ever walked the earth.
His view of himself is that he's the worst sinner alive.
And he's the happiest man.
How?
Well, it's the understanding, the distinction, holding in tension, the difference between justification and sanctification.
It's understanding the law, which is good if it is used lawfully.
It's being able to look deep into the law of God, see His holiness, see my lack.
And yet, not flinch even an ounce in regards to your confidence of God's love for you.
That God has forgiven you, that you are a saint, that you are righteous, that you have been adopted, that you belong to Him, and that no one can pluck you from His hand.
That nothing, you have become convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons, things present, nor things to come, that nothing can separate you from the love of God.
Of God.
So you're able, with a sense of being fearless, you're able to diligently look into the law of God, not being afraid of what you might find.
I'll spoil what you'll find right here and now.
What you will find is that God is more holy than you previously thought, and that you are more sinful.
And yet, that should not deter you, that should not scare you.
Because none of that has any bearing on His love for you, because you received.
Mercy.
Not merit, not a wage, not something that you earned or deserved.
You received mercy.
Don't be afraid to look into the holiness of God.
Don't be afraid to look into the depravity and sinfulness of your own heart, which still remains.
None of it has any bearing on God's love for you.
His decision was made before the foundations of the earth were laid.
Your sin comes as a surprise to you, but it comes as no surprise to Him.
Knowing all your faults, all your failures, the depths and the recesses of your sin, past, present, and future, He unconditionally administered to you mercy.
Don't be afraid of what you might find in His law, and don't be afraid of what it might reveal in your heart.
All it will do is further the gap between the holiness of God and your sinfulness.
Which means all it will do is increase your knowledge of the depths and the heights, the width and the length of the love of God for sinners.
Oh, hi, I didn't see you there.
Dale Partridge Conference Announcement00:00:59
Thanks for sticking around.
I've got an important announcement to make.
That's the Theonomy and Postmillennialism Conference 2023, May 5th, 6th, and 7th, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Theonomy and Postmillennialism.
We've got the speakers that we've already had lined up.
That's Dr. James White, Dr. Joseph Boot.
Dr. Gary DeMar, non doctor, Pastor Joel Webbin, but we also have a bonus speaker, and that is Dale Partridge from Real Christianity.
Perhaps you've heard of him.
If not, you should start listening to his podcast.
It's fantastic.
Dale Partridge is going to be joining our team.
We're going to have live panels on Friday night and Saturday night where you'll be able to write in questions and get them answered.
We're also going to have a catered barbecue, Texas style barbecue meal on Friday that's a part of your registration fee.
All that is covered, so you need to get there.
This is how you do it.
Go and register right now at rightresponseconference.com.