To Save Sinners 1Tim. 1:15 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

We read in 1 Tim 1:15 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  Most people think they understand what this verse says about Jesus.  The truth is they only understand what they have been taught about him and not necessarily what the Bible says.  There are many different religious views of Jesus and what he came to do.  So, today, we are going to pretend that we know nothing and discover what the Bible truly says about Jesus and what he came to do.

We are going to approach the exposition of this verse with the five W’s.  The five W’s are questions you ask when you are gathering information to get the complete story on a subject.  We’ll ask and answer these five basic questions, who, what, why, when, and where.  When we finish, you will understand what this verse says and what you should do about it.

Who came to save sinners – “Christ Jesus” – Who is he?  Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh.  For all eternity there has been God and there is God and there will always be God.  He was here before all of creation and he will be here when all of what you see is gone.  Whether you like it or not, whether you understand it or not, God is one God in three persons: the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost [1 Jn 5:7].  You’ve heard of the Trinity.  Over 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit conceived a child in Mary’s womb.  This child is the Word, the second person of the God head [Jn 1:1], who became the Son of God [Lk 1:30-35].

So, Jesus is God manifest in the flesh [1 Tim 3:16].  Anyone who is honest about what Jesus did when he was here will know that he is God.  A man named Nicodemus said, “… we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him,” [Jn 3:2].  The blind man healed in John chapter 9 said, “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing,” [Jn 9:33].  The centurion, and those who were with him, when they saw him at his crucifixion said, “Truly this was the Son of God,” [Matt 27:54].

He is not some lesser God or some created God, he is God.  So, get this.  Your creator, your judge, your provider, the very supplier and sustainer of your life humbled himself to become a man like we are so that he could save us [Phil 2:5-8].

What did he do to save sinners – “came into the world.” God is a Spirit [Jn 4:24] and so he is in all places at all times.  Yet, he also has a physical presence.  The Bible refers to his eyes and his face and his feet and so forth.  His physical presence is in heaven, on the outside of our universe.  It is light where he is because he is light and it is darkness where we are because we are separated from his physical presence.

When Jesus came into this world, he left his throne of glory, he left all his riches and he came into this world [2 Cor 8:9].  And this world was very hostile toward him. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  He came unto his own, and his own received him not,” [Jn 1:10-11].  He knew before he came that the world would be contrary to him but, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” [Jn 3:16].  He came to this world to save us, in the same way that a rescuer comes to you when you are in danger.

And when he came, he came to die, not to rule.  He knew when he left heaven that his purpose was to die.  The reason is very simple.  When he made Adam and Eve, he made them sinless.  When they ate the forbidden fruit, sin entered the world and affected all the world.  You can explain all the chaos in the world by this one fact, sin entered into the world [Rom 5:12].  And when it entered, death came with it.  The wages of sin is death [Rom 6:23].  We all die and everything in the universe dies.  So, it is understandable that to be redeemed from sin, our Savior would have to die.  And he died on the cross of Calvary.

Why must he save sinners – “to save sinners.”  We are sinners and we need saving.  We can’t save ourselves.  You may not realize that you are a sinner.  All these religions convince me that men know they are sinners and they are trying in vain to prove their righteousness by good works. But all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  You don’t match the glory of Jesus but you must in order to spend eternity with him in his glory in heaven.  And no religion can do that for you.  So, he died to take away your sins.  And he rose so that he could give you his righteousness.  That’s the only way.  It’s God’s way.

When does he save sinners – “worthy of all acceptation” – he saves you when you accept him, Jn 1:12.  Then you are accepted in the beloved, Eph 1:6.  He has already done all the work necessary to save you.  You simply must decide whether to receive him and his free gift of salvation or turn him down.  Salvation is a free gift that you receive, Eph 2:8-9.

Where does he save sinners – “this is a faithful saying” – he’ll save you right here and right now, 2 Cor 6:2.  There is nothing more to it.  You can put your faith in this saying and in the man who authorized Paul to write it.  Paul was saved on the road to Damascus.  The eunuch was saved on his way to Ethiopia.  Cornelius was saved at his house.  Many were saved in “church” in Acts 2.  You can be saved right here, right now.

Conclusion: will you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior today?