Black Sheep Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? James 2:25 Recommended Reading Romans 3:21-31 Most families have a black sheep somewhere in the family. How that person is viewed depends on distance. If the person is a faint memory, he is seen as a laughing matter, a faint shadow in the past. But if the person remains a fresh memory, then there is no mention of him or her in polite company. Such distinctions are made only among those who place great pride in human respectability. But in biblical terms, there are no white sheep! We are all black sheep in the family of humanity. None of us deserves mention in the holy company of heaven -- except for the grace of God. That grace is demonstrated by God sending His own Son to be born as the descendant of human sinners. They ranged from a harlot like Rahab (Matthew 1:5) to a deceiver like Jacob (Matthew 1:2); to occasional sinners like Abraham, kings that struggled to rule righteously; and Joseph, a seemingly good man. But they were sinners all, chosen by God to play a role in His grand purpose of redemption. Because all have sinned, all can be forgiven in Christ and all can serve. Don’t ever let your human past keep you from imagining a redeemed future. No creature that deserved redemption would need to be redeemed. C. S. Lewis Read-Thru-the-Bible Isaiah 57-59
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 06:22:37 +0000