"But if the wicked man turns from his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die." Ezekiel 18:21

Sometimes when I think of King David I remember the dark passages in his life. The time when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then schemed to have her husband killed. But I also remember how he took control of his life and repented of his evil, and how God lovingly forgave him even saying, -"He is a man after My own heart."

David let sin carry him away for a time, but when he realized the magnitude of what he had done he was so convicted that he cried, -"Lord, please don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. . .create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me." The power of God made the change in David who is destined to reign as King forever.

One of my heroes is the Apostle Paul. He suffered so and was finally martyred, yet he remained faithful to God. But if I had only read the early chapters of his life he certainly would have been no hero to me. Before his conversation to Christianity he attacked and persecuted the Church. But when Jesus revealed Himself to Paul he repented and became one of the greatest of me in history.

His life left a rich legacy of love, dedication, perseverance, sacrifice and selfless service. Most of the letters in the New Testament were penned by Paul. God found him trustworthy and used his life in a mighty way. But first He had to change Paul from an enemy to a servant. It was the power of God and the Truth of Jesus that changed Paul’s life.

Everyone who comes to God must be forever changed by His power into the likeness of Jesus. God loves His children too much to leave them in the cursed state they are in. We all must come to the end of ourselves to receive the fullness of what He is. John wrote of how wonderful it is that God calls us His children and that we will be transformed into the glorious likeness of Jesus at His advent.