Ambassadors for Christ

 

Isaiah 6:8 (NET) - I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Before Isaiah’s confident response, he saw the Lord seated upon a throne in His temple.

The glory of the Lord filled the temple.

The temple was also filled with smoke and shook to its foundation.

Isaiah knew that he was a sinner.

He lamented that he was a man with unclean lips who lived among others with unclean lips as well.

Moreover, he had just seen the Lord.

But rather than destroy Isaiah, God took away his sin.

The Lord then asked, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?”

With his sins atoned for, Isaiah’s fear was replaced by courage.

Isaiah answered, “Here I am, send me!”

Isaiah became a great prophet for the Lord.

What about us?

Do we need to experience such a vision before we can serve the Lord?

No.

We often expect, perhaps even demand, that the Lord perform the extraordinary.

The truth is that the Lord can be extremely subtle.

Remember that the Lord revealed himself to Elijah in a whisper.

And, according to Paul, our citizenship is in heaven.

Moreover, we are already ambassadors for Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:20 (NET) - Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

We are His ambassadors because of what Christ did for us.

Nations send ambassadors to other nations in an official capacity to act on their behalf.

As ambassadors for Christ, we are to act on His behalf as well.

One way we accomplish this is through our words.

Another way is through our actions.

These often speak louder than our words.

Christ has already equipped us for the task.

So, plead with the world on His behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, March 5, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, March 12, 2021

A Full Pardon

 

Micah 7:18 (NET) - Who is a God like you? Who forgives sin and pardons the rebellion of those who remain among his people? Who does not stay angry forever, but delights in showing loyal love?

Man rebelled against God in the beginning.

We still do.

Adam and Eve gave into pride.

They were lured into disobedience on a false promise.

The promise that they would “be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3).

We are just as guilty.

So often we want to do things our way rather than God’s way.

The result of our disobedience is all around us.

Things like injustice, division, crime, and hatred make headlines.

C. S. Lewis once wrote: “All that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

Lewis published this in 1952, and the sad tale of our pride and disobedience continues.

It might seem that man is forever lost.

It might even seem that, as individuals, we too are forever lost.

Both assumptions are incorrect.

God is more than capable of forgiveness and pardon.

In fact, He has forgiven and pardoned already.

This is not due to anything we have done.

It is due to what Christ did on our behalf.

Romans 8:32 (NET) - Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?

Those who have accepted Him are completely forgiven.

God completely forgives because of His limitless love.

But if so, why does the world continue in its present state?

For one thing, we have not learned to forgive others.

For another, we have not even learned to forgive ourselves.

If God forgives so much, should we not be willing to forgive others of so little?

If God loves us all, should we not love each other as well?

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, February 19, 2021.

I will be back here on Friday, February 26, 2021