A Saying That Shouldn’t Go Without Saying

Posted on June 29, 2017 by

“This is a faithful saying…that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (I Timothy 1:15).

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “Don’t criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” I once heard a comedian add, “That way when you do criticize him, you’re a mile away, and you’ve got his shoes!”

While this addition makes that a humorous saying, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” is a faithful saying. That means if you’re a sinner needing a Savior, you can depend on the fact that Christ came to save you, no matter who you are or what you’ve done.

Don’t you wish all old sayings were that dependable? They say, “You get what you pay for,” but I don’t have to tell you that sometimes you don’t. But even under God’s kingdom program for Israel, the Lord declared,

“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick…I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:12,13).

I’m barely old enough to remember when doctors made house calls, and my doctor once came to our home to treat my asthma. Of course, he wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t needed medical attention. Similarly, Christ wouldn’t have come into the world to save sinners if men didn’t need salvation.

But if you’re not saved, and are unwilling to admit you’re a sinner, you’re in trouble, for that would mean that Christ didn’t come to save you! If you’re willing to acknowledge that “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:23), but you think yourself to be pretty godly overall, you’re still in trouble, for “Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom. 5:6). If that forces you to concede you are an ungodly sinner, but you think you and God are still on good terms, you are still in trouble, for you must admit to being among His “enemies” if you want to be “reconciled to God by the death of His Son…” (Rom. 5:10).

But don’t be discouraged, all of this is actually good news! What if Paul had said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save tall people,” and you are “vertically challenged.” You can’t admit to being tall, but you can admit to being a sinner. Why not admit it right now, and believe that Christ died to pay for your sins, and rose again (I Corinthians 15:3,4). If you’re saved, why not repeat this old saying to someone today! “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” is not a saying that should go without saying! source

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