I do not know if you have ever said it out loud but you might have thought it at some time. I know I have. I have thought that surely I must be one of the worst sinners in the world. God must have made a mistake saving me because look how much I have failed Him and everyone around me. I have been trained as a pastor, graduated seminary with a Masters of Divinity degree, and yet I could not have been more undivine. God blessed me with an amazing wife and four incredible children.  He gifted me with spiritual gifts that made me successful in the ministries He called me to.

Yet, I turned from all His blessings to dive headfirst into the deep end of shit filling the pool of sexual sin. I would climb out and try to wash it off, repenting and confessing only to find myself eager to dive in once again. Surely I must have been one of the worst pastors ever, having been given a great upbringing, strong education, and abilities in ministry but I faded into phoniness because I became addicted to sexual sin.

To everyone who feels that way I am afraid you have to stand in line because the Bible tells us who the worst of all sinners was. It was the Apostle Paul.  Under the direction of the Holy Spirit Paul writes to Timothy;

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 

Pardon me but I chuckle when I think about the moment Paul wrote down those words calling himself the worst of all sinners. I wonder if he didn’t have second thoughts about that confession and wished that it could not be in this letter.  Little did he realize that it would be recorded for all time and be read by billions of people. He says he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man.  Indeed he orchestrated the stoning to death of the Stephen and went around seeking out and punishing Christians believing he was doing the will of God. And I think he cherished doing it thinking he was doing God’s will.

He believed he was the “worst of all sinners,” and I would imagine he felt godly sorrow for the things he had done to the first generation (1G) of Christians. However, I am not sure how that stacks up to some of us who have become addicted to sexual sin but my point is that God loves to save those who are the worst of all sinners.  But do you know why?  We are told this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

“But God chose 

* the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;

* God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

* God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things

* and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 

so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

I love the fact that in that first line where we read that God chose the “foolish things” in this world that the Greek word in “moros” from which we get the word “moron.”  Very much unlike the NFL draft, God was not looking for the best players or the best people. He was looking for the weak and lowly morons to be on His team.

I know many sexually broken Christians who are doubting their salvation thinking that they have not measured up to what God was hoping them to become so surely He doubting His draft picks. Nothing could be further from the truth. He picked the worst and weakest of all sinners so that … now listen to this…:

He would be glorified by turning garbage into gold!!!