Earlier today, I came across this quote from Leonard Ravenhill:
“Jesus did not come into the world to make bad men good. He came into the world to make dead men live!”
I don't know what to make of it. Can't both be true?
What exactly is wrong with the idea that God is interested in making bad people into good people? Especially when we consider that Jesus implied that one can only be truly good by being like God.
Is it not God's goal that we become good? That we become like Him?
It seems to me that a homeowner's process of demolition followed by a remodel would be a fitting metaphor for God's desire for humanity.
A general breaking down followed by rebuilding is seen all over the Bible:
- Baptism of Repentance followed by Baptism of the Holy Spirit
- Justification followed by Sanctification
- Forgiveness followed by living as the Image of God
- Cleaned Up followed by Faithful
- Old Ways Gone followed by New Life Begun
- Believe followed by Confess
- Death followed by Resurrection
- Grafted In followed by Producing Fruit
- Remove Heart of Stone followed by Giving a Heart of Flesh
It seems like "bad men becoming good" is God's general goal.
And "dead men becoming alive" is just one metaphor of the larger goal.
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