We live in a culture today that strives for longevity of life and desires external beauty. Of course, beauty standards are fickle and change from culture to culture.
However, internally we see a remarkable contrast. On the one hand, we are morally corrupt, and on the other hand, we are made in the image of God and thus possess enormous worth.
I appreciate the fact that God is no respecter of persons in that He loves the world, and He seeks the lost. He goes after not only the “good” but also the “bad”. The book of Acts provides many examples of God seeking “the good, the bad, and the ugly.”
The preaching of Philip in Acts 8 reaches the Samaritans (definitely bad people in the eyes of the Jews) who believe in Jesus and are in fact baptized. Philip also preaches Jesus to a local ugly man, Simon the sorcerer, who also believes and is baptized. But then the story shifts to the Ethiopian eunuch coming back from worship at the temple, reading Isaiah, and Philip shares Jesus as the fulfillment of the words of the prophet Isaiah. The eunuch, a “good man,” believes and is baptized. It is the same message by the same messenger with the same result.
I need to remind myself of four facts each day as I encounter “good, bad, and ugly” people. First, I was one of them. Second, each of them is eternal. Third, each of them is loved by God. Fourth, I am an ambassador for Jesus and so are you!
Serving Him with you Until He comes for us, Fred | 