God: Catching Bad Fish to Make Them Good

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. —Matthew 13:47-50

In this parable, Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven. The net is cast into the sea and collects sea creatures of every kind. After coming ashore, the good and bad were separated. In like manner, the kingdom of heaven is shared with many people around the world. And many people will come to Jesus, the church, etc. At the end of the world, the angels will come and separate the just from the wicked.

1. God drew you. The just and the wicked will be separated, but the beauty of this parable is that the just and the wicked are gathered together. The wicked has an opportunity to become just.

If you think about it, when the Lord found you, you were wicked. If you were a fish, you would have been spoiled, rotten, and stinking…not good for anything but to be thrown away. But God drew you to Jesus…

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. —John 6:44

In the midst of your spoiled, stinky living, God called you. While you were in the midst of sin, Christ died for you (Romans 5:8). Through His love for you (and in spite of your sinful ways), God intentionally and purposefully called you to Himself.

2. God will help you. In calling you to Himself, God is preparing you to spend an eternity with Him. He provided His Spirit to teach, lead, and guide you and to be with you forever (John 14:16-17, 26-27). God will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He will continue the good work He started in you (Philippians 1:6). This is His promise to you.

3. Don’t forsake the process of holiness. In your life with Christ, there might be suffering, trying times, and various temptations. Sometimes you might not be able to understand why they are occurring, but each situation is an opportunity to trust in the Lord; to solidify your faith in Him and His word; grow into maturity; and be perfected unto holiness (Hebrews 12:9-13; James 1:2-4). God wants to mold you in the image of Son (Romans 8:29); to reflect His nature and character upon the earth (Matthew 5:14-16).

God wants you to be just. He takes no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). He wants you and everyone around the world to be saved (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Trust His process and know that what He is doing (and trying to do) in your life is for your ultimate good.

Be patient and trust in Him. Trust His process toward holiness. His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).

^{Photo courtesy of Philipp Rassel (via freeimages.com).}