“For this cause have I obtained mercy: that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all patience, for the information of them that shall believe in him unto life everlasting.” (1 Timothy 1:16) As we read in this verse, no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy. Saint Paul, once a blasphemer and persecutor, was shown divine long-suffering not for his sake alone, but so that his conversion might stand as a living example to all who would believe after him. If such patience and mercy were granted to one so hardened in sin, then there is hope for every soul, however far they have strayed.
Saint Paul’s life reminds us that God’s mercy is not earned by merit, but poured out in abundance upon the undeserving. He was not gradually reformed into a better man by his own wisdom or striving. Rather, he was arrested by grace on the road to Damascus and remade entirely by Christ. This is the same grace that reaches into the most stubborn and wayward hearts, not to excuse their past, but to convert it into testimony. Those who have wandered far often become the clearest signs of God’s power, because it is in them that the Divine Physician’s skill is most visible.
This verse shatters every excuse we offer for despair. We say, “I’ve sinned too greatly,” but Paul blasphemed. We say, “I’ve hurt too many people,” but Paul dragged Christians to prison and death. Yet God chose him—not after he had cleaned himself up, but while he was still breathing threats. This is not license for sin, but a warning against presumption and a summons to repentance. The same mercy that forgave Paul demands that we too change, surrender, and walk as those who have been called out of darkness into the marvellous light.
St. Paul’s conversion is not only a source of encouragement but also a call to imitation. He became a pattern not just of receiving mercy, but of what one does after receiving it. He did not hide his past; he confessed it openly to glorify Christ. He did not waste his pardon; he spent the rest of his life in service to the One who had saved him. So it must be with us. We are not forgiven to remain idle, but to become witnesses of Christ’s long-suffering—living icons of His patience and power, so that others might also believe unto life everlasting. Christ does not act rashly or discard the sinner—He endures, He waits, and He draws. Our Lord’s mercy is a pattern, a precedent, and a pledge. If He bore long with Paul, He will bear long with us.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
15 May 2025
