Jeremiah 10-13

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2010-13&version=ESV

Jeremiah 13:23: " Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil."

Jeremiah just cuts to the quick doesn't he? He is telling the people of Judah that they are natural born sinners. It is their nature to do evil, and that to change without the help of God is not going to happen.

Just like one can not change his or her skin color, or can a animal change the color of its spots, neither can we change our sin nature.

But praise be to God that He has made us a new creation in Christ, for those who have believed in His Son's saving work on the cross and have applied it personally to themselves.

Martin Luther called Christians "simultaneously saint and sinner" because he redefines "saint" as a forgiven sinner. We are called saints not because we change into something different but because our relationship with God changes as a result of God's grace. Luther said: "The saints are sinners, too, but they are forgiven and absolved."

Let us always remember that we are sinners, and never lose sight of that. And let us always remember that we are saints in Christ, and never lose sight of that as well.


Soli Deo Gloria.


Today's post was submitted by Russ Shellhamer.