Sometimes truth loses its splendor. Sometimes what was beautiful becomes commonplace. I forget the miracle of my relationship with the most powerful Being in the universe. I forget I have full access to His throne room. Sometimes I have had access so long that I forget to use my access or to worship the Giver of the access. Sometimes I simply forget truth.
“As my Father sent me into the world, so I am sending you into the world,” Jesus declared to His disciples as He left this world to return to His Father.
Jesus came into the world as a perfect picture of His Father. “The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.” Was I meant to be a perfect picture of Jesus?
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew, he also predestined to conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” That is the Apostle Paul’s take on it.
Jesus came in His Father’s name. Now I come in His.
I have learned that it is actually easier to represent God than people. Doesn’t that sound absolutely blasphemous? But I have begun to think it is true. People are so critical. They look on the outward appearance and judge harshly. God simply wants me to have a pure heart which is surrendered to Him. People put a lot of emphasis on external appearance and competence, but God doesn’t work that way. Paul specifically declared that he purposely preached to the Corinthians without using wisdom or eloquent words because he did not want the Cross of Christ to be emptied of its power.
Can you imagine if I purposely wrote this blog simply and without a lot of forethought, so that God would get all the glory and the gospel would get to shine in its full power?
Paul goes on to declare that another reason he chose to teach without “wise and persuasive words” was so that their faith might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.
According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2, being an ambassador of Christ seems to have less to do with outward appearances and everything to do with a “demonstration of the Spirit’s power”. Recently I have quit trying to figure out how people or current culture may judge my actions (something I can truly only guess at since I don’t instantaneously have any idea of the person’s background to whom I declare God’s truth) and simply ask myself if God is ashamed of my actions right now based on what I know about Him from His Word. The latter is a much easier load to carry. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
It is incredibly amazing to consider that I am an ambassador of the most powerful Being in the universe to the people of that universe, but what humbles me even more greatly is that I am an ambassador of the Son of God to the Father of that Son. Not only did Jesus send me into the world in His name, He sent me to His Father’s throne in His name. Jesus has full access to the Father and so do I. That’s crazy.
I have the invitation of the Son of God to come boldly into His Father’s throne room to ask for grace and mercy anytime I need it. I don’t come as a representative of myself. I come as a representative of Jesus. In my own name, I wouldn’t get past the door. I would have no access. But in His name, I have full access to ask the most powerful Being in the universe for whatever I want. I can ask Him for the abundant life His Son promised me.
I can come to Him because His Son sent me.
Who do you represent? Do you come with wise and eloquent words or a demonstration of the Spirit’s power?
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