Sitting With Sinners

If you think you can’t be used because of your sin or issues, just remember that Jesus chose to dine with sinners far more often than with those who thought they were righteous.

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Throughout the whole entire Bible, we see that outside of Jesus, God didn’t use completely perfect, blameless, 100% holy people. In fact, He used quite the opposite. It was His joy to use those who were in the dumps, in pits of sin. I have been reminded of this recently and found some perfect examples of this fact that have been shared among my friends on social networking.

 

Noah got downright drunk.

Genesis 9:21 states, “When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent” (NIV). As you may or may not know, the Bible clearly says in Ephesians 5:18, “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit” (NIV). Yes, it is actually not cool with God if you get drunk.

He would rather you be filled with His Spirit, and believe it or not, I have ever been drunk with the Spirit (without any alcohol passing my lips; it’s much more rewarding). God used Noah to build a whole entire ark full of every animal you could ever imagine, knowing that he was just an ordinary man who liked drinking.

 

Moses was a murderer.

Exodus 2:12 tells us this: “Moses looked all around and saw that no one was watching, so he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand” (NCV). Murder is in the Ten Commandments, for crying out loud. “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex. 20:13, KJV). Seems pretty straightforward, but Moses killed.

God still used him to deliver His people out of Egypt! He used him to send messages to the Pharaoh, to speak the prophecy of the plagues, and to part a whole entire sea! Leading a whole crowd of people is a pretty large task for someone who killed another person. But God didn’t care. He had plans for Moses.

 

Rahab was a prostitute.

Joshua 6:25 tells us what she was but what she ended up doing. “Joshua saved Rahab the prostitute, her family, and all who were with her, because Rahab had helped the men he had sent to spy out Jericho” (NCV). So, wait, back the truck up. She was sexually immoral, a sinner, and God still used her to save the men who were working for the kingdom? That’s insane, right?

 

David was an adulterer and a murderer.

2 Samuel 11 explains that David was up on his roof and saw Bathsheba from afar. She was very beautiful, and she was married to Uriah the Hittite. David sent for her and had sexual relations with her, causing her to become pregnant.

Later, David had Uriah purposefully put on the front lines in battle to be killed. All of this happened, yet God still used David to be a great and mighty king and a giant slayer. Not only that, but the Bible says in Acts 13:22 that David was a man after His own heart.

 

The Moral of the Stories

“Okay, Becca. How is that relevant to me?” It’s simple. These people in the Bible were just average, everyday humans. God foresaw every single sin that they were going to commit. He knew what kind of lives they would live and how dirty their hearts, minds, and spirits would be. But He still chose them.

God in them made them far more special than they ever could have been by themselves. By His grace, they became leaders and servants for the Kingdom. No matter what, He had a plan for them and loved them.

Respectively, He loves us. Even though our righteousness is as filthy as rags on our best days(Isa. 6:46), He still chooses us and wants us to fulfill the purposes He has created for us.

If you think you can’t be used because of your sin or issues, just remember that Jesus chose to dine with sinners far more often than with those who thought they were righteous and the depth of His grace cannot be outmatched by the weight of our sin.

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on passionpurposepursuit.blogspot.com

Featured Image by Palash Jain

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About the Author

Becca is a gentle soul who seeks the best in the world and in others. She is easily touched by the beauty of books, music, and art. Though she aspires to write as eloquently as Emily Dickinson or Lang Leav, she hopes to make her own mark on the world one day. She dreams of leaving behind a voice that sparks creativity, imagination, hope, love, joy, and faith.