From Dishonor To Honor; From Disgrace To Grace!
1 John 3
KJV
1+ Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Growing up I was told a story about a young man which resonates with the title of this writeup. I was told he was a young man who grew up in one of the poor communities in Accra.
His early life showed no promise of an outstanding future, he struggled through school What made his story pathetic was that his mates were from well-to-do homes, with signs of a great future. He was seen as a failure!
In his community, because of the poverty of his parents, he was despised and unrecognized. But as fate would have it he graduated with flying colors and decided to join the military. Which he did.
Here is where the story becomes interesting, upon graduating from the military academy as a second lieutenant, that very day of graduating he walked from the Teshie Military Academy to the community where he grew up fully dressed in his military attire.
On his arrival, he went round the various houses where he was known to be a “ nobody “ to greet the occupants! You can imagine the surprise on the faces of the naysayers
This is exactly what the scriptures above mean! God took us from a lowly position, a position of dishonor , a position of no hope, one of disgrace because of who and where we grew up; and conferred on us His sonship.
Read it again ;
1 John 3:1
NIV
[1] See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Many who knew our humble, poverty-stricken etc, beginnings often wonder when they see the great transformation that has taken place in our lives.
When a once known drunkard, thief, womaniser, prostitute suddenly becomes a changed person living a decent life and teaching people the gospel message!
It is this surprise that high alludes to when he said “ The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” Yes, the reason our transformed lives surprise many is that they do not know God. If they do they’ll know that He can mend that which is broken, bring back to life that which is dead etc!
God can bring us from dishonor to honor, from disgrace to grace, despised and rejected to be acknowledged and respected. This is the transformative power of God! He does so to prove that no one who believes in Him shall be the same! A new life He gives.
Beloved you are a testimony of this, the transformative power of God as long as you continue to walk in the Light as He is the Light; your fellowship with Him remains intact.
Hallelujah, thanks be to Him who has made us who and what we are today.