The Prostitute Who Became a Queen

Here's an illustration that I preached today that made an impact on me...

Knowing that you can change doesn’t always motivate you enough to change. Knowing you could stop disobeying God doesn’t mean you will.

That’s like a story I heard about a king that decreed in his land that there would be a blanket pardon extended to all prostitutes. Obviously that was great news if you were a prostitute. No longer would you have a criminal record; all past offenses would be wiped off the books. But with all that new freedom, and your way of making a living legitimized, would it be any motivation at all for you to change your lifestyle? No, not really.

Now let’s take the illustration a little further. Let’s say that not only is a blanket pardon extended to all prostitutes, but also the king has expressed his eternal love for you and asked you in particular to become his bride.

So, what happens when a prostitute marries a king? She becomes a queen. She has no problem leaving her old lifestyle behind, and quickly understands what it means to be a chosen and precious bride in the eyes of her adoring king. She freely elevates to the lifestyle befitting her new royal identity.

What is the difference between the two scenarios. In both scenarios freedom and complete forgiveness were granted. But only in the second do we see that love motivates real life change. A queen would gladly give up her old lifestyle for the love of the king, and would never want to go back to her previous life.

In the same way each Christian has been offered freedom and complete forgiveness and a part as the church, The Bride of Christ, but so often we just see Christians who are very thankful they will not be judged for their sins, but who have no significant self-motivation to match their lifestyle with their new identity.

When we understand that not only has blanket forgiveness been extended to us for our sins, but that Christ genuinely loves us, offering to us an intimate relationship as part of the Bride of Christ, our actions will gladly change.
(adapted form Bob George, “Grace Stories: A fresh look at God’s unconditional love”)