Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, and arguably the foremost apostle, saw himself as the foremost among sinners. You can read what he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:12-17. This was no statement of false humility. If so, Timothy would have seen right through it. Was he, then, dwelling on his old self? To do so would have paralyzed his ministry. But what does he say? Christ Jesus our Lord had given him strength, had appointed him to His service, had extended him mercy, had overflowed with grace to impart to him faith and love. In his own words, “But I received mercy … that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, and arguably the most exquisitely trained apostle, saw himself as a wretched man. You can read what he wrote in Romans 7:13-25. But this passage immediately leads into Romans 8, one of the high peaks of the New Testament: no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus; freedom in Christ Jesus from the law [operation] of sin and death; grace to walk according to the Spirit. This is not the perspective of a man who kept his undeniably wretched condition foremost in his mind. In fact, as he states, “to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”
One of the operations of the Holy Spirit is to convict of sin. “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement…” (John 16:8). The Spirit hovers over our inner lives, seeking to reveal those features that remain attached to the world and susceptible to sin.
Although Christ Jesus dwells in our spirits, the process of transformation extends His authority over ever-enlarging areas of our souls—the mind and will and emotions. The Spirit brings to light our worldly attachments one by one. His intention is not to condemn us. Instead, He is giving us the opportunity to turn to our Lord with a heart that is willing to change. This is true humility. It is the prerequisite for personal transformation. He will work out the changes that we need if we are disposed to allow it.
Speaking of high peaks of the New Testament, Paul lays out the reality of our situation from God’s point of view in the first 3 chapters of the letter to the Ephesians. What he writes is, to be honest, beyond comprehension. Nevertheless, a prayerful reading will at least give us a glimpse of God’s intention in creating humanity. He is realizing that intention in Jesus Christ. It has nothing to do with our efforts and everything to do with the Father, Son and Spirit working together to accomplish a grand plan.
This understanding is enough to encourage us to elevate our vision. Let’s commit our past to God, trusting Him by grace and walking with Him in true humility. Let’s also commit to God our present condition, whatever remains yet to be transformed within us. Then we can begin to appreciate our true status in the Father’s eyes, that we are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). It helps to surround ourselves with other believers who can remind us of these facts when we forget them.
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