Exceptional people ∙

Exceptional people ∙

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. – 1 Timothy 1:15

1 Timothy 1:12-16

 12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him,

 13 even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief.

 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all.

 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then, others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

David Halberstam’s well-known and well-used phrase, “The Best and The Brightest,” originated from the title of his 1972 book. The book thoroughly examines the key figures within the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations. It effectively captures the mindsets and tendencies of these individuals, shedding light on the series of decisions that plunged the United States into the Vietnam War.

Halberstam delves into the perspectives and backgrounds of these American policymakers, exploring the factors that contributed to the United States’s involvement in Vietnam. He unravels their histories and backstories. What did they have in common? What drove them?

Halberstam describes them as “men that never failed.” They moved from major success to major success, and their achievements shaped their mindset and outlook. Because of their success, they could not recognize that their Vietnam policies were not working. Their string of accomplishments distanced them from the everyday American. They felt no need to keep the American public in the loop. Their overconfidence and hubris led to government secrecy and failed policies that have since become synonymous with the Vietnam War.

The “Dream Team” brought together by Kennedy and described by Halberstam was one of the best groups of high-level advisers that an American president has had. Nevertheless, they utterly failed to manage a war against a third-world state (genzconservative.com).

Regarding a similar group of individuals with remarkable ability and aptitude, John F. Kennedy once quipped at a dinner honoring Nobel Prize winners, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”

On planet Earth, there are many times and places where the “best and brightest” rise to prominence and become successful. It is a natural pattern in the world. But in the Father’s kingdom, this is not so. The Father often selects very difficult, rebellious, defiant, and stubborn people to serve Him. He uses ordinary, flawed raw material to create delightful, devoted souls who desire nothing more than to serve Him faithfully.

Consider John the Apostle. In the Gospels, he and his brother James are called the “Sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). By nature, they were passionate, quick-tempered, and prone to acts of retaliation. They were fiery and demanding. When it came to love and compassion, they were more than a few bricks short of a full load. Their solution to a problem was markedly harsh, violent, and blunt.

Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and burn them up?”

But after a lifetime of walking with the Lord, John the Apostle came to be called the Apostle of Love. This was a remarkable transformation for an exceptional person, exceptionally irate, that is.

Paul the Apostle was also unique. He referred to himself as the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:12 – KJV). He was exceptional when it came to being a blasphemer, persecutor, and outrageously offensive, ruthless opponent. Before his conversion, he ravaged the church, entered house after house, dragged off men and women, and imprisoned them (Acts 8:3).

Unlike John, Paul’s transformation was remarkably abrupt. On the road to Damascus, he had a very close encounter of the third kind with the Lord Jesus Christ, which was nothing short of transformative. Paul was irreversibly altered, never the same again.

The Father uses exceptional people. Many are exceptionally bad people with challenging temperaments, attitudes, and pasts, while others are exceptionally ordinary people. Who does the Father choose now have totally lost my contacts these are these were all out of order

1 Corinthians 1:27-28

 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.

REFLECT & PRAY

Whom does the Father choose? He often selects those who are notably ordinary or even strikingly flawed. The Father showcases His boundless compassion, love, mercy, and grace through these choices. He truly is wondrous and awe-inspiring.

Father, as I ponder my life and recognize my inner, hidden life and insecure, ugly, vengeful thoughts, I can hardly imagine how You could possibly choose me to serve You. I stand in awe. Thank You for Your perfect patience.

INSIGHT

When we consider John and Paul, it is blatantly apparent that their salvation and selection for the Father’s service are totally undeserved and unmerited. The Father demonstrates remarkable grace, mercy, and kindness. He does so for every child of the King.

John was transformed from an angry son of thunder to the gentle, kind “Apostle of Love.” This occurred because of a lifetime of getting to know and walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

“No one persecuted the early Christian church more zealously than did Saul, and no one preached forgiveness more than Paul” (Stanley).

“The grace of God turned the persecutor into a preacher and the murderer into a minister and a missionary! So dramatic was the change in Paul’s life that the Jerusalem church suspected that it was a trick, and they had a hard time accepting him (Acts 9:26-31)” (Wiersbe).

“Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners” even some of the most defiant and vile. The Father has mercy on them, and so they serve as remarkable examples for others who would later believe in him and receive eternal life (1 Timothy 1:15-16 ).

Regrettably, many children of the King become so discouraged that they feel they are the worst sinner ever. Not! However, in comparison, they cannot hold a candle to the apostle Paul.

Do you have a lamentable past? Rejoice; the Father is at work to transform you into an exceptional, devoted child of the King.

Philippians 2:13 God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

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© Dr. H 2024