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1 Timothy 1:12-16  (KJV)

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

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When we think about divine mercy we are reminded that God has not dealt with us as we deserve. If He did then we would have already experienced His judgment. Instead, He looks upon us with pity and compassion in all our unworthiness and helplessness being able, ready and willing to meet our need. You and I could feel pity or compassion for someone perhaps in sickness or in poverty and yet not be able to do anything for them. God not only sees our need, but He can meet it through the Saviour He has provided. Therefore it is in His mercy that the opportunity of repentance is offered to us and it is by His mercy that we are called to trust in Christ for forgiveness and salvation. However, when Paul says twice in these verses, “I obtained mercy” he reminds us that truly knowing and experiencing the mercy of God is to come into the good of salvation and the assurance of the forgiveness of sins as he did. 
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It is the case that as sinners we have no other grounds of appeal before God other than His mercy for we have no merit or worthiness in ourselves. King David, who so grievously sinned against God by committing adultery and causing the death of the husband of the woman with whom he committed adultery, appealed to God in repentance with these words: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). The Lord Jesus told of a tax collector who went to pray at the temple in Jerusalem at the same time as a self –righteous Pharisee. The man simply, but sincerely prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner” and says the Lord Jesus: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:13-14).
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We need mercy.

The following is the outline upon which the recorded message above is based. Paul the apostle who we first meet in scripture as Saul of Tarsus called himself the “chief of sinner”, yet he writes as one who “obtained mercy”.

1. PAUL – A RECIPIENT OF DIVINE MERCY Vs 12-15
→Paul’s gratitude to Christ – Gratitude marks a true believer
    ↘For the Service he was Granted v 12
    ↘For the Mercy he Obtained v 13
    ↘For the Grace He Experienced v 14   

→Paul’s description of himself – Confession marks of a true believer
    ↘Paul Describes the Kind of Sinner he was – v 13
        >A Bitter Sinner – Blasphemer, Persecutor & Injurious (a violent aggressor)
#“And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest…” (Acts 9:1)
#“I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities” (Acts 26:9-11).
#“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4).

        >A Blind Sinner – Ignorant (unaware) in unbelief toward Christ
        His Spiritual Blindness (& Ours)
            ↘Because of Sin – Darkness Cp John 8:12
            ↘Because of Satan – Deception Cp Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:4
            ↘Because of Religion – Delusion
The Delusion of Self-Righteousness and of Rejecting a Crucified Christ Cp 1 Cor 1:23-24. Paul speaks of his credentials which were once gain to him as a self-righteous Pharisee, but after conversion, he considered them worthless:
#“Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” – Phil 3:5-7.

Paul, a spiritually ‘blind’ Pharisee had the 'eyes' of his understanding opened unexpectedly on the road to Damascus while at the very same time losing his physical sight for three days. The exalted Saviour Jesus who revealed Himself to Saul blinded him physically by the light of His glory and in so doing taught him the lesson, that he was but a poor spiritually blind sinner whose understanding needed to be opened by 'the Light of the World' and the revelation of the truth that Jesus is Lord.

    ↘Paul Describes how Great a Sinner he was – v 15: Chief – First in rank, the foremost.

→Paul’s Assurance of Salvation – Faith marks a true believer
    ↘Why he was Shown Mercy though such a Sinner – v 15
       >Christ’s Incarnation & its Purpose Cp Matthew 9:9-13; 27:42
    ↘How he was Shown Mercy as such a sinner
       >Christ’s Intervention & His Power Cp Acts 9:3-9

2. PAUL – A PATTERN OF DIVINE MERCY V 16
→Paul was a Pattern Convert – An example giving hope to others 
→Christ is a Patient Christ – A Saviour of 'perfect patience' (NASB) waiting for sinners to repent 
                                                                                                    Do not despair sinner. Do not give up saint

‘This statement is completely reliable and should be universally accepted:—“Christ Jesus entered the world to rescue sinners”. I realise that I was the worst of them all, and that because of this very fact God was particularly merciful to me. It was a kind of demonstration of the extent of Christ’s patience towards the worst of men, to serve as an example to all who in the future should trust him for eternal life’ [The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips].

Years I spend in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary

Mercy there was great and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

By Gods words at last my sin I learned
Then I tremble at the law I'd spurned
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary

O the love that drew salvation's plan
O the grace that brought it down to man
O the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary.

William R. Newell (1868-1956)

AJC

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the KJV