"The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost." There is a popular television show called
The Biggest Loser in which contestants compete to see who can lose the most weight in a certain period of time. The Apostle Paul says that he could not imagine anyone being a bigger sinner than himself, possibly because of his previous persecution of the church. Because Paul was a big sinner, when God saved him all of Paul's sin was forgiven, which allowed him to serve as an example of the extent of God's grace:
"But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost [sinner], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life" (vs. 16). Because of the Holy Spirit's powerful conviction of sin, most people who have received the saving grace of God are predisposed to think of themselves as the biggest sinner. If, like Paul and like me, you are a big sinner that has been saved by God's grace, then remember that Jesus wants you to be an example of His grace so that others might believe in Him for eternal life.
