There was a song from years ago which we may have heard. "God uses ordinary people". Many Christian singers have recorded it. It is designed to express the view that God uses us - who are as "dirty rags" in comparison with Him. I have no problem with that thought. It is perfectly true. Click this link to hear Robert Colman's version of this song from a 30-year-old cassette I digitised to save for posterity
Just ordinary people,
God uses uses ordinary people,
He chooses people, just like you and me,
who are willing to do all he commands -
because little becomes much
in the Master's hands
What that view misses is a bunch of other truths about what we become as soon as we genuinely accept Him, accept Jesus' sacrifice, his atoning for our own personal past and present and future sins.
It misses the fact that by salvation we are transformed. A work-in-progress. While still a sinner, we have become a saved sinner, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
That is by no means ordinary, surely?
For it is BY GRACE we are saved. Not by anything we do ourselves - including ongoing repentance.
That is a completely different topic as we tread the path the apostle encouraged when he said "Let us, therefore, (mentioning details) go on unto, towards, maturity - perfection".
Some of the people had been discussing and reading John Bevere's book called "Extraordinary: The life you're Meant to Live".
John Bevere is also the author of a best-seller called "The Bait of Satan". While I do not promote books and authors, I mention this one because it was in the context of studying the book that the sermon I mentioned earlier was preached.
What I will do is to paste a list of a number of ways in which the preacher could well have used in that sermon, and/or may use in the follow-on three he is scheduled to preache on the topic of "Extra-Ordinary".
I am a son (or daughter) of God the Father.
I am a New Creation in Christ.
I am called and chosen by God to be His child.
I am a temple of the Holy Spirit and as such I am holy and without blame before God in His love.
I am a partaker of His divine nature, and am no longer bound to my old sinful, human nature.
I am IN Christ - all by HIS doing and initiative.
In Christ I am in the beloved God, and I am the beloved of God
In Christ I am complete and alive.
I am forgiven of all my sins and I am washed in Christ's blood and healed by His stripes.
In Christ I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into God's kingdom. In other words, I am set free from the hold that Satan had over me.
In Christ I am kept by God and the eveil one does not touch me, and therefore I am free from condemnation.
In Christ I am God's workmanship created on Christ for good works as I am being changed into His image.
In Christ I am victorious, strong and made more than a conqueror. I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
I am the light of the world.
I am salt to our world.
I am an ambassador for Christ.
I am a joint-heir with Christ.
I am sealed with the Holy Spirit.
I am raised up with Christ.
I am established in Christ to the very end.
Because of Christ I am EXTRAORDINARY!
text.
Incomplete, to be finished.