If I would describe myself, I suppose I would call myself a rough diamond,yet I feel we are all rough diamond to some extent, for the simple reason we are all sinners. A friend of mine has a young daughter who was having a bit of grief,with other children.Her dad sought to explain to her that there are nice people out there ,and this young child answered ,'yes there are, but they are still sinners'.Very insightful for a young child,all Christians are but sinners saved by grace,and although we have been forgiven, we still have a sinful nature within us (Galatians 5 v 16ff), so does that not mean that we are all rough diamonds to some extent?, I think so .Did not the greatest of the apostles say he was not perfect (Phil 3 v 12). So we are all imperfect beings,rough diamonds. Consider when a diamond comes out of the ground,it may not look like a diamond,it has to go through a process,before it becomes that beautiful gem, that we all so admire . So it is that we have to experience a process which we could call sanctification,in order that we may look more and more like Jesus. That process can involve many things,like Pauls thorn in the flesh, like Davids painful experience with a son who sought to kill him,like Joseph being hated by his brothers,being sold into slavery,of being falsely accused and imprisoned for something he didn't do.Someone has said ,'Nearly all of God's jewels are crystallized tears'.As one song puts it
'When He cometh ,when He cometh
To make up His jewels.
All His jewels,precious jewels
His loved and His own
Like the stars of the morning
His bright crown adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty
Bright gems for His crown.'
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