but

'But' can be one of the most beautiful words. Think about it. But signals a reversal, a redemption, a change in thought. Such-and-such is true, but. I especially like it when I come across this word in the Bible. Very often, it means something exceptionally good is about to come along. Just like with this verse:

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. - 1 Corinthians 5:11

For some context--Paul has just finished talking about lawsuits between believers, and then gone into the varieties of people that won't see the kingdom of God. Thieves, fornicators, covetous, drunkards...all of these and more have no hope of inheriting the kingdom. They have been severed forever from God by the things they've done. They had a choice, they chose wrong, end of story.

Or is it?

The first part of this verse lets us know that Paul knows the church at Corinth intimately. He knows that the people in this church have committed sins--grievous ones. In fact, more than that, he knows himself! In 1 Timothy, he called himself a 'chief sinner', basically saying "I'm a bigger sinner than all y'all." This verse starts off with an acknowledgement of that fact, of the fact that every one is a sinner, that none of us can inherit the kingdom of God, that there is none righteous, no not one.

but.

but you are washed.

but you are sanctified.

but you are justified.

Yes, we've all done things that immediately disqualify us from going to heaven. Yes, we've all done things that disqualify us from having a relationship with Christ. Yes, we've all done things that disqualify us from experiencing the peace and joy that comes with that relationship.

but.

In the name of the Lord Jesus, by the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, we have been washed. We have been sanctified. We have been justified. We are no longer our own, we are God's, we are no longer what we were, we have been dramatically reversed, like a great big 'but' has been made into the sum total of our lives. Our past record has been erased, and in its place have been put two words:

but Jesus.

- Kyla Denae