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Does God only use righteous, holy people, or is God Big Enough to use people who you and I believe fall short?

Before we speak on this subject I want to make our position clear in regards holiness. We absolutely believe that God calls every Christian to walk in purity and holiness. He is coming back for a beautiful bride, not a dirty tramp that thinks she can do whatever she wants and who enjoys "playing the field". As Christians we are given the power to have victory over sin and to reflect the character of Jesus. And we believe that you should be careful who you allow to minister to other people.

Now back to the question-Who Can Be Used By God? The Lord has really challenged me on this one. In the past I have worried that unless we only allow committed Christians to minister, too many mistakes can be made. Or the person will be a poor witness because of the sin or flaws in their life. Or people will think they can live any way they want and still be sued by God. And God is a Holy God and wants to use become who are walking in His holiness.
I have not necessarily changed my viewpoints on this, but the Lord has said, "Your box is too small. I am a bigger God than your doctrine. Study My Word. I use willing vessels no matter what they look like. Study the concept of righteousness."

Willing and Obedient to the call of God
If you read the bible you come to understand that God uses people who are not perfect. In fact, many times they have flaws and even sin in their life. What He uses is people who are willing to be used by Him and who are obedient to what He tells them to do. His definition of righteousness is different than ours. (That is a whole other study, but we will touch on it lightly in this nugget).

Examples of flawed people who are called righteous by God
Noah-Genesis 6:9, 9:21. Noah is called a righteous man, yet you read he gets drunk.

Job-Job 1:1. Job is called blameless and upright. However, when you read through the book of Job, it appears at times that he is boasting and prideful about his righteousness.

Moses. We would all agree that Moses was a righteous man, but he murdered a man and responded in anger to God.
Abraham. Another man of God, but had a problem with lying and tried to accomplish God's will his way with his handmaiden from Egypt-Hagar.

Lot-2 Peter 2:7,8. Lot is called righteous by Peter. Yet when confronted by homosexuals, he offers his virgin daughters to them. He also gets drunk and has sex with his daughters.

David-Acts 13:22. Almost all of us know that David is called a "man after God's heart." Yet he lusted after a woman, had her husband killed, was a poor father, disobeyed God in regards to the Ark and in taking a census of the nation.
There are other examples in the Bible. God even used an obedient donkey.

Why does God call these 'messed up' people holy and righteous?
Because their righteousness was not based upon who they were, it was based upon who He is.
Scripture makes it clear that none are righteous (Romans 3:10).

The Bible also makes it clear that we are not made righteous by doing good things or even obeying the law of God (Galatians 3:11).

Instead Scripture states that we are made righteous by the what Jesus did for us. ("For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19)

The Bible also states that the "gifts and calling of God are irrevocable" (Romans 11:29).

So what does all this mean?
God uses willing vessels, not perfect ones. That means he will even bless people who are not always living according to His will. He will use extremely overweight, boisterous preachers and evangelists. He will use evangelists who fall into sexual sin. He will answer the prayers of gossips. He will heal through the laying on of hands of rebellious people. He will speak through liars. He will use convicts in jail. He will use people who seem 'very flaky' at times. He will use churches that do not follow biblical principles and guideline.

I don't know about you, but this disturbs me. I don't like it. Can't he find better people? Isn't He worried about His reputation? Isn't He afraid that these people will not see a need to change because God uses them in the midst of their sin?
Now this disturbs me a whole bunch. But then the Lord showed me something. He has used me to do His work and has touched others lives in a very positive way through me as a willing vessel. Even though I have been a person who has struggled with depression, a very angry man at one time, divorced, a poor father in the past, prideful, lack of faith, etc. So then I saw with confidence, If He can use me, He can use anybody. There are no perfect people. All God has to accomplish His work is you and me.

Why this nugget?
Because there are many Christians who are rejecting the works of God because they do not like the type of people God uses. Some even call the works of God demonic (what a dangerous thing to do-God will not be mocked). Some deny the miracles of God because they are brought to pass by less than desirable individuals. Many are looking at the vessel instead of the fruit. Some rather sit around and bad mouth those used by God while the lost are going to hell because of their judgmental, self-centered, haughty, character. Some people are not being used by God because they are waiting until 'they arrive'.

Let God Be God
So can you make your box bigger for God? Or better yet-how about not putting Him in a box at all. And at the same time acknowledge that God Almighty does give us Biblical guidelines and principles to follow. In our next nugget we will summarize this series on "How Big Is Your God?"