But............

This morning in my time of prayer and studying God’s Word, God brought me to a passage of scripture that really touched my heart.  It started with one of those little words of the Bible that I love so much! (The word “and”) Then it moved to one of those little words that I absolutely love:  BUT.  That’s right I love the word BUT in the scripture!  It usually has some bad news in front of it followed with the good news of a promise from God.  Here it is…..1 Corinthians 6:11 says, “And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified I the name of the Lord Jesus by the Spirit of our God!”

Paul has just listed a bunch of sins in the previous verses – BUT!!  Isn’t that a beautiful word?  Paul just refuses to lump those who have been WASHED, SANCTIFIED AND JUSTIFIED in with all of those other sinners!  He is not minimizing their past because he says that some of them used to commit those sins.  BUT now………they are WASHED clean of any sin they ever committed, they are SANCTIFIED (made saints of God) and are declared righteous, and they are JUSTIFIED!  Yes they committed those sins but they are not identified by them anymore because with God it is JUST AS IF THEY NEVER SINNED AT ALL!!  (Justified).

Now….don’t you just love the word BUT???