"Who? ME?" you asked.
Yep, YOU. Just read 1 Peter 2:9 that says:
"But YOU are a CHOSEN
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a purchased people: that you may
show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
You see, you've been chosen even before you were born. Jesus has died for you (and for me, too!) and shed His Holy Blood on the Cross thousands of years ago to purchase us from this hopeless world and
GAVE us the power to conquer the darkness and be the Royal Priesthood, the Holy Nation, the Generation of Light that He created us to be!
"Whoa wait a second.
You said the "H" word there. That definitely doesn't apply to me," you said.
You mean Holy?
"Yes, HOLY. I ain't holy. Have never been, will never be," you said. "
If you knew what I did in the past, you'd agree with me."
But let me just ask you this:
Did you know that most of the greatest and most celebrated Bible characters had less-than-stellar past/limitations???Peter (who wrote the above passage, btw) denied Jesus 3 times before He died on the cross. The Great Apostle Paul was an Anti-Christ and killed so many Christians in his early life. Joseph was a slave before he became the 2nd most powerful person in Egypt after pharaoh. Our fave kings David and Solomon were generational womanizers. Jonah was a COWARD. Prophet Elijah was depressed and suicidal. Moses was the worst public speaker. Ruth was a widow. Queen Esther was just another pretty face. Leah was UGLY -- while Sarah, Hannah, and Rachel were barren. Mary Magdalene was...well, you know, "that" kind of gal. Lazarus was DEAD. Zacchaeus was greedy and short. Joseph (Jesus' Dad) was a poor, poor carpenter***
...and yet? The Lord God poured His mercy and grace upon them.. so that they became the man and woman He originally created them to be: joyfully shared the Good News and changed the world, powerful leader, beautiful sons and daughters of a King, stands out and respected amongst the rest, full of mercy and loving-kindness towards others, lived a righteous life,
and -yes- HOLY.Not because they did all the right things, obviously, - but because they accepted the Mercy and Grace that God has for them.Not because they are all that to begin with- but because they understood that Jesus' blood gave them the power to overcome sins and weaknesses of this dark world we live in.
~***~
So if you're still struggling with sins, weaknesses, depression, wrong habits, bad relationships, self-image, characters, etc...remember this: the
Lord God,
the same One who did wonders with the lives of the people listed above,
is NOT done with you yet. So go ahead -- don't be afraid to SH!NE. You have ALREADY been CHOSEN as the Generation of Light anyways...and NOTHING you did or do are bad enough to change the fact that JESUS has already proven HIS mighty love for you on that Cross.
So SH!NE on... and shout out HIS excellencies and GOODNESS wherever you go! Other people need to know this, too, you know! :)
- Avina for GOL Atlanta
*** Thanks to Pastor Herman Soegeng for sharing this message a few weeks ago and gave me another confirmation that sometimes (read: Most of the time) God uses the weak to do the UNIMAGINABLE. May God bless you and your FX ministry in Jakarta :)
