We Buy Ugly Houses Series

Christ Can Redeem Even The Ugliest Houses

Too often we’re guilty of quoting Romans 3:23 without reading the context. In Romans 1 Paul stated in no uncertain terms that man is at his best filled with unrighteousness. But like today, there were some who would read his letter, look at all the sins Paul mentioned, then who would stand back and judge themselves better than those vile people. In Romans 2:1 he says to those people,

“Thou art inexcusable O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.”

Romans 3:9 says that all are under sin. You see, “there is none righteous, no, not one person.” Verse 19 says the whole world stands guilty before God, and there’s no amount of good things you can do to make yourself right before God. Think of it this way: the other night my truck was sitting next to Ron’s truck after he had it detailed. I made the statement, “With enough Bondo and paint my truck would look as good as yours.” But you know as well as I do there’s no amount of Bondo or paint I could apply that would make my truck measure up to a new one.

The same is true of your life. Verse 20 says, “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” In other words, there’s not a thing in the world you can do to make yourself measure up to the glory of God. We all fall short.

That’s why verse 24 is so wonderful! Romans 3:24 says,

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” We all fall short of God’s glory. We all are sinners. We are all on our best days just ugly houses. But Jesus has made possible the redemption of the whole world! One of my favorite verses in the whole Bible is 1 Timothy 4:10.

“For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.”

In other words, when Jesus died on the cross, God didn’t drive through the neighborhood and pick out the houses He wanted to buy. “I’ll take this one and that one, but not those over there.” No! He bought them all! He paid the price to redeem us all! Jesus died for all of humanity, but only those who believe…those who put their faith in Him will benefit from that purchase. Don’t you ever forget that every soul in hell goes there with a Savior they would not accept.

Does God buy ugly houses? Even the ugliest! But listen…

Not Only Does Christ Buy The House, He Takes Up Residency

The Bible takes up this subject again in 1 Corinthians 6:9-20. We’re told in verse 9 that those without Christ cannot enter the kingdom of God. Verse 11 tells us though that “such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus…” Paul then makes an appeal to the believers there to live like those who had been redeemed. Drop down to verse 19 and read with me,

“What? Don’t you know that your body is the temple, dwelling place, residence of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”