I read the words, every sinner has a future and every
saint has a past, on a billboard on a local freeway. Those words touched something in my spirit.
Each time I saw the billboard, I’d remember the person I
was before becoming a Christian. I was
not someone who was acceptable, in any form of the word, in the presence of
God. I had such a past that when I
think about some of my behaviors now, I hang my head in shame. The church, by
all rights, should have imploded when I came in the doors or I should have
immediately burst into flames. I’m
always amazed at the depth, breath, and length of the grace and love of God has
for us in our sinful conditions.
I embraced the title of saint that signified my sin
cleansing, soul changing experience with God.
Because of my new birth experience I was given a future. I was born into the family of God and given
His name. I had to learn that just as
I’m an heir to my parents, I’m an heir and joint heir to all that God has
through Jesus Christ. My past
infractions were placed into a sea of forgetfulness. This opportunity enhanced every part of my
life and everyone in my life, family, friend, or foe, was affected
positively.
More important, this billboard reminds me that I have no
right to frown on someone who hasn’t had the new birth experience or living a
certain kind of life. We all are in some
mode of transition. We all have a past. I have no right to remind, hold against, or
make public someone for their past, no more than I’d want that done to me.
It keeps me humble.
I know if Jesus withdrew His grace for a minute from me, I’d be back
doing some of those same things. It
encourages me that I do have a future, no matter what my past may be or what
hardship I may encounter.
Be encouraged to know that you don’t have to live in a
terrible today. You can put those
failures in your past, then forget them, God will. Enjoy a bright promising future and press
toward a better tomorrow with a loving God.
No comments:
Post a Comment