It’s spring and the goldfinches are turning their lovely canary yellow. It’s fascinating to note the different stages of maturity at our bird feeder. One or two are bright yellow while some are still gray. Others show various shades of transition.
I have always been fascinated by Paul’s addressing his letter to the Corinthians to the saints at Corinth. When you read the letter one soon becomes aware that these people were far from perfect. A very important lesson may be drawn from this. Each church member at Corinth was at their own personal stage of maturation. Yet each qualified to be a saint. To Paul, the person who was an infant Christian qualified compared to the old hands who had weathered the battles of character growth and development.
Just as our gray goldfinches are still goldfinches, so everyone who makes Jesus the Lord of their life is a precious saved child of the Lord. Justification makes us saints and sanctification is a reflection of our growth. We are saints before we are sanctified. Just as I am looking forward to all the goldfinches displaying their dazzling summer plumage, so our heavenly Father is anxious to see us radiating Jesus in our attitudes and actions.
There is a wonderful hymn with the words, “Just as I am without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.” Jesus never told anyone to go, clean up their act and come back later. He first touched the leper and then said, “Be thou clean.” Awesome. Just plain awesome.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 27, 2017
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