Sinners into Saints

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Have you ever made something, or seen something made by someone else, by taking things that normally would be deemed “useless” by most people? Things that don’t appear to have any inherent value, or unimportant?

During the process of grinding wheat into flour, the outer coat of the seed, called “bran,” was often thrown away years ago, or it was burned or composted to get rid of it. Today, bran is used as a nutricious ingredient in human food, as well as feed for animals. What was at one time viewed as something useless, is now an important food source.

In a way it is also similar to someone who picks up a “shell” of an old vehicle, sitting out in a field. Just the body; no motor, no axels, no seats. Just the body. By itself, it is little more than scrap metal, but if someone decides to put in the time and effort to collect all of the parts to fully restore it into a working automobile, it can become something great once again.

This is what God does. He takes people who the world would view as unimportant, or foolish, and uses them for His purpose. The things which the world despises, God calls to be His servants.

The apostles Peter, Andrew, John and James were these such men. They were fishermen, catching fish in nets in the Sea of Galilee. A rather simple profession, wouldn’t you say? They weren’t lawyers, or priests high up in the Judaic faith. They were plain, simple men, but they were who Jesus chose to be His disciples.

John the Baptist was another such man used by God. Preaching the coming of the Messiah, John preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. He was called by God to be a messenger before the Lord, pointing them to Christ. As Jesus said in Matthew 11, people said that John had a devil because he “came neither eating or drinking.” They thought John strange because he chose to live on locusts and wild honey. He wore clothes of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle. A simple man. And this is who God used; a man who dedicated his life to the ministry of the Lord.

That is something the the world has a difficult time understanding. Companies search for employees that have the best resumé. They look for the brightest and the best to join their workforce. But not God. God uses the people that the world looks down on and despises. God takes the lowly and meek, and lifts them up. Jesus prayed to the Father in Matthew 11:25,

“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”

It is the poor of the world who God has chosen to be rich in faith. It is those who the world despises that He uses. He turns something from nothing into something great. He turns sinners into saints.

In Christ,

Andrew