“I am black, but beautiful, O you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon” (vs5)
Solomon’s curtains were glorious, and so is the believer. We are BOTH vile and BEAUTIFUL beyond description. As depraved as we are naturally, is as holy as we are in regeneration and newness of life. He put His righteousness on us and in us, transforming us into new creations that honor God. We have been saved, not merely in acceptance, but we have been saved to live acceptably, so that we’re not only forgiven, but we’re given power to sin no more - “Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more“ (John 8:11).
The gospel is REAL; it doesn’t promise and not deliver, but the Christ who says, “I forgive” is the One who says, “I cleanse and sanctify”. In fact, “saint” is FAR MORE often your designation in the apostolic writings than sinner (61 times). Paul and James WARN and rebuke us, but they never shriek from declaring how changed we are in Christ - “And such were some of you: but you washed yourselves, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God“ (1 Cor 6:9). In fact, the change that God makes is the hope that believers have with the gospel, that as we command men to love God, they can, by FAITH in Jesus Christ do all that we tell them to do - “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). They can be new, pure, upright, and gracious. They can love, and live godly in this present world, because the Commanding is a Performing God. He is the doer of the work.
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