by J. Randal Matheny

As my son, Joel, and I traveled to Texas recently to report to churches, we saw in a couple places along the highway a simple billboard, with a single phrase followed by a phone number: "We buy ugly houses."

Why ugly houses? Why not just any house? Maybe this company specializes in dispatching houses that have lost their general appeal to home-owners. I can't really say.

But the phrase suggests a spiritual application. God specializes in redeeming lost mankind. His advertising slogan, if we might apply such words to the divine mission, might be: "We redeem ugly lives."

Ugly because every human being has become repugnant to the Lord from welcoming sin and giving it space. Because the wear and tear of transgression left us dilapidated. Because we no longer deserve to take up space in the exclusive real estate of God's presence.

From space, the earth presents a breathtaking sight. From heaven, however, the "world" is one large, polluted segment of the universe in God's eyes.

That favorite verse of the Bible describes the ugliness of sin. When John 3:16 says that "God so loved the world," the connotation behind the word "world" is dark, sad, bleak, and heavy. The world describes rebellious and estranged mankind running from the Creator's blessed purpose.

Paul uses a one-two-three punch to describe how God redeems ugly lives. In Romans 5, the apostle to the nations scales the heights of the Father's love by sounding the depths of man's sin:

• "when we were still powerless" (v. 6)
• "while we were still sinners" (v. 8)
• "when we were God's enemies" (v. 10)

Who would want us in such a state? Why would a self-sufficient Deity care for such creatures, after we have royally bunged things up? I can't really say, but Love with a capital "L" is the only explanation behind this unbelievable offer, "We buy ugly lives."

Like the stark billboard offering to buy ugly houses, God, too, follows his simple revelation of redemption by a phone number. A means of contact to take advantage of the offer. A way to receive the free gift of grace to beautify and restore what was once perfect.

Faith and obedience. "Trust and obey." A "yes" answer to accept cleansing, purification, restoration of an ugly life marred by rejection of God's greatest gift of himself.

He redeems ugly lives.

Have you called him about that offer?