THE WORST

By Rick Mathes

1 Timothy 1:15 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.

The first year I quit drinking I won a sales contest trip to Acapulco Mexico with my wife Trish. Our first night in the hotel I called Alcoholics Anonymouso and finally reached someone who could speak English named George. He picked us up and took us to a roofless shabby building in a bad part of town. Immediately, I had fellowship with about 50 others whose higher power was Christ. I couldn’t understand a word they said but when George drove us back to our hotel and we were safely in our room, we knew we had been with sinners saved by God’s grace as we were.

Every nation, age, sex, or degree of education knows the horrors of sin and the hell that is its reward. When we look at this cosmos with the eyes of Jesus, we are all created in Him image and likeness. Sin is the culprit that separates the people who only want to love each other and to be loved.

I don’t have a happy childhood remembrance. When Daddy God puts His arms around me and says, “I love you Rick” I can’t express my joy without happy tears. I was the worst and maybe you were too. I am so blessed that you don’t know the sins I have committed as the Lord does.

When you repent you go from sinner to Saint: a caterpillar to a butterfly. This conversion is a holy awakening of your slumbering soul to a renewed vitality you have never experienced before. As a penitent, you are in a special class of citizens called Christians. Paul was the chief of sinners, the worst and He became the greatest of Apostles.

Beware of false assurances of salvation. You can’t be half-saved any more than you can be part pregnant. You must be all His or you are not His at all. Also, you can’t save yourself. Follow the horror stories of the Church of Rome (Inquisition) and you will have the model for the stairway to hell.

Nothing but grace can make you feel you have done more good than bad you are going to earn heaven. It isn’t going to happen. You can remain being the worst and if you have no conviction to beg our Lord’s forgiveness, you are probably right. You are the worst and you have no hope of heaven. That position would terrify me, how about you?