And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:11)
OUR FAMILY LIVED in a small town in a white frame house with a big yard that my father mowed faithfully. Morning glory vines climbed a trellis in front of the wraparound porch. A big oak tree shaded the yard on one side. Next to our property sat a vacant lot where the neighborhood children played baseball.
Recently, we traveled back to that town for a reunion. All of my family has moved away, so the home had been sold many years before. We decided to drive by the old house and take a look. Much to our dismay, the house is in disrepair. No one lives there anymore. Weeds have taken over the property. Part of the roof sags inward and shingles are missing. The trellis is gone, and most of the paint has peeled away. The baseball field is empty. It is no longer the same happy home of my childhood. It’s in need of change and repair.
Before we met Christ, we were like the old house—in need of change and repair. Weeds had to be cut out of our lives, new life planted within. The sagging parts needed support, the missing parts restored. When we meet Jesus, He washes, sanctifies, and justifies us by His Spirit. He takes up residence within our hearts. We are no longer the same.
Choose Christ that you might be different through Him, no longer the same.
Vickie Phelps lives in Texas with her husband and their schnauzer. She collects books, plays the organ, and is a trained cake decorator.
