Every Saint has a Past. Every Sinner has a Future.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11 NIV
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11 NLT
What you were does not have to determine what you are or who you will become. Change is possible. Redemption is real.
Saint Augustine, which is pronounced differently from the town in Florida, reportedly said, “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” This was Paul’s message to a messy church full of sinful sinners redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. You think today’s sinners are more extravagant than any ever? Spend a little time reading 1 and 2 Corinthians. Paul’s reports make it sound like they were trying to set Guinness World Records or something.
The Corinthian Christians, then, should give the rest of us hope. If God can redeem that bunch of spectacular sinners, surely he can save your rotten soul. If those guys lived today, they would most likely appear on The View to great applause for their their boldness in being who they were.
You may be one of those who considers your past dark and dirty and beyond repair. God sees future you as his uniquely created snowflake sent to adorn the world in purest white and joining with others to display unparalleled beauty. You know how snowflakes form, right? A particle of dust rises in the atmosphere and is baptized in moisture. The further the rise, the more solid and spectacular the dust becomes. Then it begins its ride upon the wind and descends through the air until it silently settles into its ultimate beauty.
Change is Possible
Change is possible. Redemption is real. Even for dirt-clogged hearts like yours. And mine. And that guy. And that gal. And everyone who will receive God’s gift of eternal life.
Snowflakes melt. Dust returns to dust. Life endures forever in beauty, wonder, and awe.
Jesus is ready to wash you clean. He will justify your life. He will sanctify your soul. He is preparing a home for you with him forever.
Redemption is Real
Who you were does not have to determine who you are or who you will become. Change is possible. Redemption is real. Jesus cleanses us as white as snow.
Application
I will live according to who Jesus says I am and not who I used to be.
Prayer
Our Father, thank you for turning dust into snowflakes, coal into diamonds. Thank you for taking us as we are and shaping us into a masterpiece of your unique styling. May the dirty core of our past forever and always drive us deeper into your redeeming blood. Amen.
