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It seems to me that God isn't very picky about whom He is willing to use :-) Dear Friends, It seems to me that God isn't very picky about whom He is willing to use. I was reading Hebrews 11 recently and was once again struck with the fact that those listed as heros of the faith were, for the most part, definitely not people most of us would have chosen to mention as role models for the community of faith. Or, if we had decided to list their names, at least we would have left out some of the gory details of the inconsistent and carnal behavior which marked their lives at times. There are the exceptions, such as Abel, Encoh, Samuel and a few others about whom we would be hard pressed to find much fault. Then there are the others, the majority in fact, whose lifestyles often looked more like a dirty movie than the biography of a Bible character. Noah is listed as a person of great faith, yet the man was found lying in a drunken stupor no sooner than the ground was dry enough for him to fall down on. In verse 20 of Genesis 8, he is seen building an altar shortly after he stepped out of the ark. But in verse 20 of Genesis 9, he is seen drunk and naked, and (according to many Bible scholars) seemingly doing some things that would make the average church goer cringe to even think about. Mentioned next in the lineup is Abraham, who is commended so strongly in Hebrews 11 that it seems as if the Holy Spirt has completely forgotten that He has already given us the low- down on the man in the book of Genesis. Abraham took a concubine named Hagar to try to produce the God had promised. Nobody would argue that what he did wasn't wrong, but most people who know their own propensity toward doubting God at times can let that one slide. But what about Genesis 12 where he told Sarah to tell everybody she was his sister when they arrived in Egypt? He let her be "taken into Pharaoh's house" to save his own hide. (See Genesis 12:11-15) He was willing to give her to someone else sexually because he was afraid! Okay, we could chalk that one up to temporary insanity, except for one thing. It happened again. (See Genesis 20:1-4) When God spoke to Abimelech, He referred to Sarah as "the woman whom you have taken." Most people wouldn't recommend Abraham as "Husband Of The Year," but God lists him as a man of great faith. Apparently God looks past behavior and into the heart more readily than most of us can imagine or are willing to practice ourselves. In Hebrews 11:32, the writer said that time wouldn't permit him to mention all the heros of faith. Nor will time permit it in this short letter. Read the chapter sometime and consider the lives of those mentioned. There is Isaac, who committed the same sin as his father. (See Genesis 26:6-9) Then there is Jacob, who until this day is remembered as a sneaky and conniving man for much of his lifetime. Moses is mentioned, despite the fact that he once killed a man. (See Exodus 2:11-12) Samson and David are both on the list, even though both of them had adulterous affairs which are remembered to this day. Hebrews 11:31 plainly refers to Rahab as "Rahab the ." How does it cause you to feel to think that God used people who behaved like that? I hope it causes you to be encouraged. Why would God use people who had behaved like cowards, perverts, murderers, adulterers, harlots? It is because of grace! Let the record show that much of their misbehavior came after they had come to know and follow God. Our tendency is to often try to get past the misbehavior of people by saying, "Well, they weren't believers then." But these in Hebrews 11 were believers when they misbehaved in such obvious ways. Does grace mean that God is soft on sin? Sometimes people accuse those who teach grace of that. God is not soft on sin, nor should we ever be. It was sin that put Jesus on the cross. But we should be soft on people! That includes ourselves. Don't think for a moment that God can't use your life because of sins you have committed since you became a Christian. You have failed? Welcome to the club. Read Hebrews 11 to learn the names of our charter members. Our club has a rich heritage. Then after you have read their names and remembered their sins, affirm three things about your own sins: 1. God has forgiven all your sins, even those committed as a Christian.. 2. If God only used sinless people, there wouldn't be anybody He could work through on earth. 3. Since your sin has been forgiven, get over it and get on with serving Christ.  God's grace is bigger than our biggest stupid mistakes, foolish choices and sinful actions. Where sin abounds, grace still much more abounds. Despite your sins, even if they happened after you became a Christian, you can be a faith superstar. Put the past behind. When you fall, get up. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Move forward. And all along the way, thank God for grace! In His sovereign grace, and a member of the club, Steve McVey gracewalk dot org 
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