As if you didn't already know, I love the Bible. There is so much history, conquest, wisdom, parables and personalities. It is chock full of the love of God for His people, His miraculous feats against Israel's enemies, fantastic transformations of people's lives and endless praise about His creation. It shows us things that happened so long ago and how all of it can relate to us today. But what I want to address here is how God chose to write about all kinds of people...to help us identify with ourselves on so many levels.
For the most part, the Bible is filled with sinners! There are hypocritical religious leaders, tax collectors, evil kings. There were prostitutes, thieves, liars. There were demon possessed people. He included all types for our benefit. What good would the Bible be if all it did was talk about the good people, the righteous, the disciples, apostles, saints? If we only read about them there would be absolutely no way we could relate and we would give Christianity, God, Christ and the Holy Spirit the heave ho.
But the fact is, we are all sinners, as the scripture above tells us.We all fall into this category. If we have not heard the truth of the Gospel because we have not sought God, we are without understanding and our works, apart from God, are meaningless. It is when we have heard the truth, accepted it and begin to follow it, our sin is removed and we are called righteous. That's called grace through faith. And that faith? That truth? It is Jesus Christ! Righteousness happens when we have heard Jesus' words, accepted both He and His words (He is the Word made flesh) and begin to live out that truth in our lives.
But back to the Bible. Through any one or more individuals we can identify with ourselves. One of the most amazing stories I know is about Saul of Tarsus who later became the Apostle Paul. The name Saul means "responded; prayed for." He persecuted Christians. And one day on his way to Damascus to invoke more misdeeds against them, he was struck down to his knees and blinded. God had stopped him dead in his tracks...and without a word, Saul knew he was facing the Almighty God. He responded! Someone no doubt was praying for him! Three days later his sight was restored and he was a new man no longer bent on persecuting God's people, but turning his life around completely and turning to God and witnessing with the same determination he'd had before, only for the opposite reason. The name Paul means "small, humble." I think I read that he was small in stature--perhaps this caused his need to feel big and to persecute--and he became humble after the encounter with God. Humbleness is a good attribute to have.
Think about it...if the people in the Bible had to turn from their way of living in the world to become Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, Mary Magdalene, etc., His followers, why shouldn't we? They came from all walks of life. They were fishermen, tax collectors, doctors, prostitutes, demon possessed... Some were considered ignorant, like Peter and John. Acts 4:13 - Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. The demon possessed (Mary Magdalene) were healed, believed and followed Jesus.
Then there were the tax collectors and doctors, professions like businessmen today. hey held more prestigious jobs. But they needed to hear the Truth also. Matthew was a tax collector, although not the most upright one, and Luke was the doctor, no doubt of good standing. The Bible shows us that everyone needs a Savior. But it's important to remember that He hung out with the worst of sinners. He believed all sinners were, to put it bluntly, ailing. He came to heal/save them. For some He did it physically so there would be a visible sign that He was able to do this. There was a spiritual healing that would also take place. But Luke the doctor, who was well educated, healthy, "good" person, also needed to be healed.
That's why they are all in the Bible. In an article by R.K. Phillips, he states "The Bible does not shrink from stating unsavoury `incidents' in the lives of any of Israel's famous people." It shows the need for all mankind, from poorest and sickest, to the wealthiest and healthiest! We all need a Savior! God's love for us is so great. There's no getting around it. We just need to tap into it. If we don't know God's love, we don't know what we're missing.
Just as the Bible shows people who were healed, whose lives were transformed, it shows how God used sinners to accomplish His goals. There's the story of Rahab, the harlot who lived in Jericho. This was just prior to Joshua "'fitting" the battle of Jericho. She offered to hide two Israelite spies when they came to her house to obtain quick refuge. She knew of the God of Israel and knew of His power and all He had done to save Israel. For this act she asked for immunity for her family and herself when Israel's army would come to fight against Jericho. It was her faith in God that strengthened and saved her.
I'm glad God chose to incorporate these stories for our benefit. He is the God who saves, transforms and heals us until we are who He has made us to be. He knows just what we should be, not who we think we are. Giving ourselves to Him so He can mold us into that person may sound like a negative thing, but we need to remember who He is. He knows our needs before we even think them. He knows what is best for us. In our own strength we are so-so, but with His strength we can move mountains.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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