people who are excluded by culture, excluded by respectable society, and even excluded by the law of God can be brought in to Jesus' family. It doesn't matter your pedigree, it doesn't matter what you have done, it doesn't matter whether you have killed people. If you repent and believe in him, the grace of Jesus Christ can cover your sin and unite you with him. In ancient times there was a concept of "ceremonial uncleanness." If you wanted to stay holy, or respectable, or good, you had to avoid contact with the unholy. The unholiness was considered to be "contagious," as it were, and so you had to stay separate. But Jesus turns that around. His holiness and goodness cannot be contaminated by contact with us. Rather his holiness infects us by our contact with him.
( Timothy J. Keller )
[ Hidden Christmas: The ]
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