I WAS OF NO USE

I recently heard a teaching on “Agape Love,” and Romans 5:6-8 using the Message Bible was quoted in the presentation. It said, “Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.”

Of all of the words in those verses, the terms “we were of no use whatsoever to him” penetrated my spirit. It really hit home to me that when I had no value or worth, God loved me enough to send His Son to ransom me. He knew I would fail Him, and my actions would grieve His spirit at times, but He chose me to be part of His royal family.

God allowed my parents to hear the gospel and receive salvation. Growing up in a God-fearing household, I too came to accept Jesus, and with His continuous, gracious, merciful help, I yet stand. I can shout it from the rooftops, “Christ died for me. He paid my penalty when I had nothing to offer Him in return.”

Additionally, in accepting Jesus as my Savior, I became useful for God allowed me to partner with Him as His ambassador in the earth. He gave me dominion, blessed me, and told me in Genesis 1:28, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

So, I end this blog rejoicing in the fact I who was of no use has become useful, a vessel of honor, sanctified and meet for the master’s use.