Jesus Came to Save Sinners

God's love of mankind is so profound and undeserved, that for some of us we have trouble accepting His grace and mercy because of personal shame or guilt that clogs us up deep inside. Consciously or unconsciously, our self-esteem may be so low because of our past or present situation that we simply cannot process how a good and all knowing God would want anything to do with us. Sure Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (John 5:32), but does that really include even me?

Before we answer that question, let's take a look at the case of the apostle Paul (f/k/a Saul of Tarsus). Paul was born a Jew in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia (modern day Turkey). However, Paul was educated in Jerusalem into the Jewish sect of the Pharisees by a leading member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:34; 22:3), the same body of religious leaders that handed Jesus over to the Romans for execution.

As a Pharisee, Paul personally was a leading persecutor of the early Christian Church. (Acts 26:9) Paul admitted that he locked up many of the early Christians in prison and personally voted for their execution. (Acts 26:10). Paul was present and approved of the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. (Acts 8:1) Luke reports that Paul was “ravaging the church, and entering house to house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” (Acts 8:3) Paul was so notorious as a persecutor of the Church that initially after his conversion to Christ, the disciples in Jerusalem were afraid to meet with him, not believing that Paul had truly converted. (Acts 9:26).

In the scheme of things, if anyone was unfit for God's compassion and mercy, who would argue that Paul fit that bill. After all, he was directly attacking God's church and His people and was an accessory to murder. Although any one of us from time to time may suffer from regrets or guilt for past acts, I cannot fathom the guilt that Paul must have felt when Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus and asked “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4)

Yet, God forgave and healed Paul and used him to carry the Gospel of Christ to Roman pagans throughout the Mediterranean area. So inspired was Paul that his letters to the early Christian churches have been included in New Testament. Paul came to recognize that God could use him, perhaps like no other, as an example of the depths of the patience and mercy that Christ Jesus shows for those who turn to Him. (1 Tim 1:16).

So, we can confidently answer the above question “yes”; God can forgive any sinner, no matter what his or her situation. And if God can forgive us, then we, having confessed our sins to God and given our lives to Christ, should forgive ourselves.

God does not cause us to commit sin or do evil, but if we turn to him, he can heal us and use us for His good works. Whether it is the man with a history of failed marriages who becomes a mentor to other men facing marital issues, or the recovering alcoholic who leads an AA group, or the persecutor of the church who goes on to be arguably its greatest evangelist, God has good plans for every one of us.

God is sovereign and there certainly are limits on our finite abilities to understand all of God's plans for us. Paul understood this when he wrote: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom 11:33) However, despite the mysteries of God's ways, Christians can trust in God with assurance that He will protect and keep us. As Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28)