Made a Saint
IllustrationAnalogy★★★★DURING one of the NFL drafts awhile back, everyone was shocked when Mike Ditka gave up all of his draft choices in order to get University of Texas running back Ricky Williams. Why would Mike Ditka do that? He wanted to make him a Saint. So, he took Ricky Williams from the amateurs and made him a pro at the cost of every draft choice he had.
As an amateur Ricky Williams was a star. As an amateur he was an award-winning running back. As an amateur he was victorious. As an amateur he was a champion.
As an amateur he was successful. As a Saint thus far he’s been a disappointment. As a Saint, Ricky Williams didn’t do so well initially, and yet Mike Ditka took all of his draft choices and made amateur Ricky Williams a Saint. On the cross of Calvary, Jesus Christ gave everything He had so that you could be a saint.
Some Christians are “fumbling the ball” saints. Some Christians are “being tackled in the backfield” saints. Some Christians are “falling on their face” saints. Some have been injured and are on the sidelines.
No matter what your position, though, you are still a saint because the price has been paid to make you a saint. Now, you may have to learn to run like a saint, walk like a saint, talk like a saint, move like a saint, act like a saint, think like a saint, or dream like a saint, but a saint is who you are.
You are a saint because of your identity, not how you perform.
Also attributed to: Ricky Williams
The point
Mike Ditka traded all his draft picks to make Ricky Williams a Saint. Now, as a professional, Williams must learn to play like a saint. Similarly, Christ paid everything to make you a saint—now your identity is secure regardless of how well you perform.