Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17
When contemplating great Bible truths and the miracle of our salvation, I say again the miracle of our salvation (Paul’s was indeed), what is left but to burst forth into a doxology as Paul does in verse 17?
I’ve been to many church services and retreats where there is nothing more to say about the greatness of God, and all that can be done is punctuate the proceedings with The Doxology.
Here Paul pays tribute to the invisible sovereign hand of God that reached down from heaven in blazing light and turned him around.
We should never stop thinking about how we too have been plucked out of the mire and placed into the perpetual palace of the eternal immortal King, and as such, we too have been transformed forever and ever.
I remember the ancient saint at my old church that they would call on regularly to close in prayer. He would always quote one of Paul’s many doxologies (they start out with “Now to…” or “Now may…”)*. He would pronounce each word reverantly and emphatically, and in each word was packed away a sermon of a thousand words.
So it is in verse 17. And all God’s people…well, you know what to say.
*For starters, Romans 5:5 13, 33; Ephesisans 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 3:16.
At the Gate 
Very moving and very exciting! When you know God is using you, your assurance of salvation grows, along with a sense of freedom from past wrongs. Paul never lost sight of his past, but his understanding and appreciation for his Savior grew in proportion to his service and faith. Thanks for taking the plunge by contributing to At the Gate. Looking for more! Thanks for your transparency too!
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
I started to write my testimony down today because I was going to speak to the St. Leo baseball team, and this is the thought that came to mind: “How can God have wanted to take ME in?” how can the Innocent Lamb have wanted me to build His Kingdom? As I was writing some of my past onto virtual paper, it was all I could do to keep from crying. I know I don’t deserve any grace or mercy, but it becomes even more evident when you write it down. It’s almost like having to wear this huge weight vest of guilt and shame, that you created all on your own, just to have Jesus walk up to you and put it on. No questions asked. I often find it severely difficult to forgive myself. I can usually forgive others with ease, but my own sins I tend to carry for a long time. In fact, I thought about how I still think I haven’t forgiven myself for a couple things that I’ve did over 15 years ago. I hate that about myself. Why do I keep God from giving me that gift of mercy?
Tonight, when I shared my testimony with the team, I spoke about some of my sins, hoping to connect with them that if they struggled with similar things that we don’t have to carry them around any more. Jesus WANTS them. My Savior ha already paid severely for these sins. All we have to do is confess and repent, not remind ourselves. I don’t know if just talking publicly about this stuff was God’s way of helping me release myself from their weight, or if it was the reaction of 8 or 10 hands receiving Christ for the first time that helped my own forgiveness. It could have been God using my own words to relieve me, or the guys that thanked me afterwards for sharing, but what I do know is that what I was expecting going into the room and what I experienced leaving was such a work of the Holy Spirit that I felt forgiven for the first time. Much like those 8 or 10 hands that raised to honor God.
My Father amazes me when I least expect Him to even be paying attention to me. His passionate love for me is so encouraging. I can’t believe how much I continue to fall in love with Him even more throughout my journey. Praise the Lord!