Bible Passage: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
Scripture Reading: Romans 3:23-24; Romans 5:1-10
My wife and I’s first home was a “fixer-upper.”
It was trashed, yet we bought it “as-is” and eagerly invited friends to come see it (and help!).
Years later, after we’d extensively renovated it, one friend confessed that he thought we were out of our minds to buy that place when he first came. He couldn’t imagine what we saw in it or how it could be renewed.
Did you know God only buys “fixer-uppers?”
The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It says we have sinned in what we’ve done and in what we’ve failed to do (Luke 10:25-37; Proverbs 3:27).
We are more of a “fixer-upper” than we know or want to admit.
If you’re a Christian, your life is a home that God Himself lives in (John 14:23). He purchased us “as-is,” despite having an inspector’s report revealing devastating flaws throughout the homes of our lives.
It’s not just that the walls need repainting; the rot and mold of sin lurk behind every wall.
Men, He didn’t just purchase us; He immediately moved into our lives “as-is.”
He looks at each and every house (man), loves us, and eagerly shares His plans to renovate the house and neighborhood with anyone who will listen.
This week is about becoming men of righteousness.
To become men of righteousness, we need:
- some initial sense of our desperate need for God’s grace (sin is in our walls);
- to accept God’s offer to purchase us and renovate our lives at His expense and by His Spirit; and
- to show up to work with Him.
Imagine the Church as a street full of homes, with God dwelling in each of us. We get to spend our weeks joining God as He works on the house of our lives, and we join Him in that work as He invites us.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” (Philippians 1:6)
Prayer: Lord, this is good news and hard news! I don’t want to know or admit how extensively the rot of sin has infected my life and our community. Help me face the truth without defensiveness. Give me the courage to face my need, and also fresh joy that You’ve purchased me and will renew me. Give me a vision of Your smiling face, looking at me and my life with love. Take away my fear of how You’ll renovate as You lead me into Your love and a life of loving others. Amen.
Reflection: Read and reflect on this quote today:
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”[1]
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/13641-imagine-yourself-as-a-living-house-god-comes-in-to (C.S. Lewis: Mere Christianity)
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