“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” - 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11
The Lord God is a God of hope, justification, restoration, and sanctification. God does not choose the way the world choses. The world does not accept, or embrace what we could be, but rather what we are. It loves those who by reason of strength, charm, or good fortune, have exalted themselves above the rest. God through Christ reaches out in a far different way; he calls out “whosoever will.”
If a man walked into a job interview, drenched with the stench of alcohol, and clothed in tattered clothing; do you think he would get the job? How many colleges do you imagine would admit an applicant that was illiterate? Would a professional sports team draft a blind man? Imagine with me for a moment, if a radical known the world over for hunting and killing Christians walked into your church Sunday morning. What if he strolled right up to the pulpit, opened the Bible and began to read Matthew 7: 7 -8? What would you do? Would you believe him? Would you be terrified of him? Can it happen? It has already happened, the very scripture at the top of this page was penned by a man such as this. A man that vehemently persecuted the church, and imprisoned followers of the gospel. A man that made it his life’s work to destroy Christianity. Then one day Jesus stopped him in his tracks and changed his life forever. How thankful we ought to be that God sees through a lens that is totally different from the world. If God can take a man such as Paul, a man that killed Christians; if he can sanctify this man, if he can make a: preacher, teacher, minister, apostle, out of this man. What can he do for you in your life? He does not see us as the world does. He doesn’t see us for what we are, but what we could be. Though we see a filthy, ruined, broken life. He sees a white, clean, complete, testimony. Though we are sin enslaved prisoners. He sees liberated ambassadors. A child of the king, an heir to salvation, and a preacher of the ministry of reconciliation. A person that can proclaim to all who will hear “he did it for me and he can do it for you!” Simply put, Jesus can change your life, if you give it to him. As the old hymn goes “give up, and let Jesus take over.”
The gospel is for whosoever will, not for whosoever is qualified. You don’t get your life in order and then come to Christ. You must come to Christ and give your all to Him. Past, present, and future. As rose among thorns, God can make something beautiful blossom from a sharp, barren, and harsh vine. If you give your all to Him.
