The "Pastoral Epistles" are three New Testament letters-1 & 2 Timothy and Titus-traditionally attributed to the Apostle Paul, though some (since the 17th century) have questioned whether the Apostle really wrote them. Curiously, whoever the actual author was, he used a consistent phrase throughout the "pastorals." Some five times the phrase this is "a faithful" or "true saying" appears, suggesting that the same author wrote all three of these epistles.
In all three of these epistles, the phrase this is a "trustworthy" or "true saying" appears to be used as a way of emphasizing the point that follows it. So, what is it that the author of 1 Timothy 1:15 wants us to internalize? What is it that he is so convinced that we should "fully accept"? It is the truth that Jesus Christ came into the world for the crucial purpose of saving sinners. As perhaps the most famous passage in the New Testament attests: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) The author, presumably the Apostle Paul, wants his readers to know this was Jesus' primary purpose. This was God's chief aim in sending Him.
Now, this message from Paul is particularly poignant in that (prior to his conversion) he lived a rather sinful life. Saul (as he was known prior to his conversion) devoted his days as a Pharisee to terrorizing Christians, to trying to destroy the Church, and to the killing of the faithful followers of Jesus. Saul, like King David, could say, "I was a sinner from my mother's womb" (Psalms 51:5; Galatians 1:15); and "I am the worst" of reprobates (1 Timothy 1:15). The point is, if Saul of Tarsus could commit some of the most grievous sins and still be saved, how much more likely is it that Jesus could save you and me? Thus, the apostle bears his emphatic witness that Jesus came to save "the worst" of us, and he begs you and me to "trust" this declaration, to "fully accept" it-just as we should "fully accept" Jesus as the Savior of us all.
In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah is speaking to the Israelites at a time of great despair. They were exiled, living in Babylon, far from their homeland. Jeremiah's words were meant to offer hope and assurance during this period of upheaval. His message was not just for their immediate comfort but also to give them a perspective of a hopeful future planned by God.
This passage in Jeremiah speaks directly to the heart of encouragement, especially in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. It's a reminder that even when our current circumstances seem bleak or disheartening, there is a broader plan for good, for hope, and for a future. This can be particularly resonant for us when we face our own periods of doubt or when our path seems unclear. It's a call to trust in a greater plan that we might not fully understand yet.