1 Timothy 1:12

1 Timothy 1:12 says, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;  Paul said he thanked Jesus Christ for seeing him as worthy to proclaim the gospel.  Paul had spent his early years learning the law and persecuting those who did not obey it, but then he encountered the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus, and he was never the same after that.  As Christians, we had to have encountered Jesus Christ at some point in our life and put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, and once we do, we should never be the same again.  

Verse thirteen adds, Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.  Paul said that he had been a blasphemer, persecutor, and had been injurious to Christians when he was trying to live by the law of God as he understood it.  The law was to condemn others and to glorify himself as he zealously did what he thought the law of God called on him to do.  We can be very zealous about God’s law and still be lost.  Paul said that after He encountered the grace of God, he realized that what he had been doing before was based on ignorance and unbelief.  Once we accept God’s gracious gift of salvation, we should realize how wrong we were to try to justify ourselves by any other means.  

Verse fourteen continues, And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  Paul said that God’s grace was abundant in faith and love, which were all exemplified in Jesus Christ.  He didn’t say that God’s grace and love called for him to judge and condemn others.  We likewise should never attempt to use God’s grace and love for us to judge and condemn others.  

Verse fifteen concludes, 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.  Paul then said that this was a good saying worthy of all acceptance, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners.  If we are to be a part of God’s kingdom, we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Paul said that he was the chief of sinners, even when he thought he was faithfully carrying out God’s law.  It doesn't matter how sinful we have been as for as being saved is concerned. The smallest of sin separates us from God, and we can do nothing by our own ability to be redeemed.