Before the fall of man God had a perfect plan, To fellowship with us was His desire. But Adam disobeyed, To sin became a slave, Now a perfect sacrifice would be required.
An offering must be made, The sin debt must be payed, So God and man could reconciled be. So Jesus said, “I’ll go,” Because He loved me so, He shed His blood and paid sin’s penalty.
He gave Himself to pay a debt I could not pay. When I was lost, He gave Himself to be my way. Though I deserved to be upon the cross that day, In love He took my place, and gave Himself.
No greater love is known, No greater love is shown, Than when one lays His life down for a friend, But Jesus died for me When I was His enemy. A love like this I cannot comprehend.
He gave Himself to pay a debt I could not pay. When I was lost, He gave Himself to be my way. Though I deserved to be upon the cross that day, In love He took my place, and gave Himself.
My nails were in His hands, My crown of thorns He wore, My stripes were on His back, My heavy cross He bore. And when God turned His back He turned it on my sin, Jesus won a victory that I could never win!
He gave Himself to pay a debt I could not pay. When I was lost, He gave Himself to be my way. Though I deserved to be upon the cross that day, In love He took my place, and gave Himself.
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Tit. 2:13-14)
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn. 15:13)
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
I wrote this several years ago, but have had it on my heart again recently. I pray that it will be an encouragement to someone today.
This morning, my devotions were in Job. As I was reading, Job 19:23-27 spoke once again to my heart. This passage never fails to catch my attention,
“Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” (Job 19:23-27)
Job is crying out here his heart’s desire. He is under attack by Satan, and in agony physically. He is advised by his wife to “curse God and die”. He is accused by his “friends” instead of comforted. He feels, and even fears, that he has been abandoned by God.
He longs to be heard, and so he prays, “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!” Little did Job know that his prayer was answered. I hold his answer in my hands, and read his words “printed in a book”, and not just any book, but THE Book that God has promised to “preserve…from this generation for ever.” (Ps. 12:7)
In the midst of his ambiguity – his doubt, confusion, and fear – his heart still speaks with strong assurance, “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold….”
Whatever you are going through today, I pray that you will be encouraged by the words of Job. You may be under attack of the devil. You may be in agony of heart or mind or body. You may have those closest to you giving you wicked advice, and you may be tempted to heed it. You may be accused and reproached and betrayed by the ones you hoped to give you comfort. You may feel abandoned and afraid that God does not hear your cry.
But open your Bible and read the words of Job 19:23-27. In spite of everything, God did hear Job, and answered him – not in a way that was obvious at the time, but in a way that was absolute. Do you know Christ as your Savior? Then hold on to the assurance that your Redeemer liveth! He is victorious! No matter what the circumstances may seem to be today, Jesus Christ is your Advocate, and He is interceding on your behalf. And one day, your faith will become sight, and your “eyes shall behold”. Trust Him in the dark and know that your “light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (II Cor. 4:17)
I first shared this post in May 2014, not long after I wrote this song. Rather than sharing it as a re-post, I wanted to share it with the video inserted and a link to where you can purchase the sheet music. I pray that this song will be a challenge and blessing to many.
When I was a teenager, beginning to make decisions, I remember my mom saying to me, “How important will this be when you stand before the Lord, one moment in eternity?” I remember occasionally feeling annoyed by this reminder, especially when I knew down deep that what the choice I was making based a lot more on what I wanted, than on what God wanted for me. However, that thought has helped me so many times; and sadly, forgetting or ignoring that perspective has caused me and others grief more times than I like to admit.
Solomon said, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” (Eccl. 11:9) We are reminded in Romans, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Rom. 14:12) And Jesus Himself told us in Matthew 12:36, ” But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
It is so easy to make daily decisions based on our desires, emotions, and plans, and never stop to think of what the Bible says, or what God thinks. And lest we think that God is not concerned, we need to be reminded that we will give account, not only for our deeds, but for our thoughts and words. And while those of us who are saved know that our sins are forgiven, we cannot forget that, “…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (II Cor. 5:10)
How often is our first thought in making a decision, “What will so-and-so think?” instead of “What will God think?” Or perhaps we think, “What will this decision cost me?”, instead of thinking, “What did my sin cost Him?” Even worse, our greatest consideration is often, “Will this make me happy?” rather than, “Will this please my heavenly Father?”
Let me be clear, the message of this post, and of this song, is for those who have already trusted Christ as Savior. If you have not asked God’s forgiveness for your sins, and accepted the payment of Christ as your only means of salvation, I beg you to make that decision today. In eternity, nothing else will matter if you have not received Christ.
However, for those of us who are forgiven, it is important to be reminded that our choices, our daily walk, must be viewed in light of eternity. For good or evil, our lives affect the cause of Christ, as well as the lives and eternal destinies of those around us. We are to be ambassadors for Christ. His will and purpose for us should be a priority in everything we do.
One of Satan’s greatest tools is distraction, and he is skilled at getting us to focus only on the immediate, at the expense of the eternal.
This is not necessarily a “happy”, feel-good song, but I pray that the thought it conveys will encourage us to “…have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:”. (Heb. 12:28)
One Moment In Eternity
I stand here at decision’s door, and wonder what to choose,
I think of what I wish to gain, And what I stand to lose.
My flesh longs to be satisfied, It yearns for ease and fame,
The Spirit whispers, “Die to self, And glorify His name.”
One moment in eternity, what difference will it make? Decisions that I make today, The path I choose to take? Will I be filled with joy or shame when at His feet I bow? One moment in eternity, I’ll wish I had loved Him now.
There are so many dreams and plans that I want to fulfill,
Is it too great a sacrifice to yield them to His will?
Eternity seems far away while I enjoy my sin,
But pleasure’s season soon will pass, and where will I be then?
One moment in eternity, what difference will it make? Decisions that I make today, The path I choose to take? Will I be filled with joy or shame when at His feet I bow? One moment in eternity, I’ll wish I had loved Him now.
If I reject the world’s demands, They’ll say that I’m a fool,
If I submit my stubborn will, and let the Lord have rule.
If I decide that by His grace His Word I will obey,
If I will let the fear of God direct me in His way.
One moment in eternity, what difference will it make? Decisions that I make today, The path I choose to take? If I can hear Him say, “Well done,” when at His feet I bow, One moment in eternity, I’ll be glad that I loved Him now.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Rom. 5:1-2)
“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore….” (Eph. 6:11-14)
My husband, my mom, my little girl, and I were trying this song out last night. This isn’t very “professional”, but we sure enjoyed singing it! And just a bit of trivia, I learned to play the piano on this piano. It is very dear to me 🙂
A note about this song: the chorus is able to stand independently of the verses, and would be well-suited as a church theme chorus or fellowship song. If you would like to purchase the sheet music, the hymn-style download is now available in my store, and is available for only $1 per copy (33% off retail) for a limited time. Order enough for your entire church! I plan to add a choral arrangement and a trio arrangement soon.
Will you join me in committing to stand with and for the truth in 2015? If so, share this post with the hashtag, #WeStand.
Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas is almost here, and if we are not careful, our thankfulness has disappeared quicker than Grandma’s pumpkin pie. We know we are to be thankful more than one day a year, but it’s easy to let our gratitude dwindle and disappear. We know that God commands us to give thanks – always, in every thing – and yet we often fail to obey.
I recently shared some thoughts about struggling during the Christmas season. Many times we have a hard time with joy and thankfulness because of losses that are entirely out of our control (losses of loved ones, changes in circumstances, etc.), but sometimes we struggle because we have allowed a grateful heart to be stolen away from us.
Satan is a robber. He is cunning and devious, and is constantly looking for ways to come in and rob us of many things, including our gratitude, our contentment, our peace, and our joy. We guard against thieves who would steal our material belongings. How much more should we be on guard in our hearts and homes against those thieves that would steal what is truly precious?
Has your gratitude been stolen? If so, you may not even realize it yet. We often are unaware of our own ungratefulness, but the easiest way to realize it is gone is by recognizing one or more of these attitudes that has removed it and taken its place. Here are seven of the most common “grrrr”-attitudes:
Skewed Expectations – This attitude slips in quietly and whispers, “I dream”. With beautiful imaginings and unrealistic fantasies, this robber steals our appreciation for the simple realities of everyday life. It causes us to be dissatisfied with relationships, people, circumstances, and more because they can never quite meet our expectations.
A Sense of Entitlement – Entitlement says, “I deserve.” He walks up boldly with his hand out, and feels it is well within his rights not only to take what you give him, but to steal from you the moment you turn your back. This character is never grateful for anything, even from God, because he feels it was already his to start with. When we adopt this attitude, we often become very unhappy because we feel that everyone, including God, owes us something.
Stockpiled Excess – This thief smirks, “I don’t need anything or anyone, but I want”. Rather than seeing his abundant blessings as a gift from God to be shared with others, he is greedy and selfish, and never satisfied. He, like the church in Laodicea, sees himself as “rich, and increased with goods, and…” having “need of nothing”.
Sinful Egotism – A close relative of Entitlement, this thief asserts, “I demand.” Willful, narcissistic, and never happy unless life is revolving around himself and his desires, he may appear outwardly thankful when he is getting his way, but he is never inwardly thankful. Sadly, it is easy to embrace this proud and selfish attitude, but it is the opposite of the humble, giving, surrendered spirit that God desires us to have.
Spiteful Envy – This thief is constantly complaining, and you will often hear him saying, “I despise.” He despises who he is, what he has, and others, because rather than looking with thankfulness at what God has given, he is constantly comparing it to what someone else has. Envy is too busy coveting the blessings of others to count his own. Envy is the thief who comes in and chooses to destroy what others have rather than to be happy that they have it. When we allow envy into our hearts, we will eventually become consumed with it.
Slothful Ease – Another cousin of Entitlement, he says, “I desire, but I will not work.” This crook could have what he needs, but he is too lazy to work for it. He cries and whines about all the things he wishes he had, and what others owe him, but he will scarcely get out of bed to feed himself. Thankfulness requires too much effort. When you consider being thankful, this attitude will tell you it’s too hard, too time-consuming, too much trouble.
Sidetracked Extensions – This thief is very sneaky. He simply says, “I delay.” He gets you to procrastinate, get distracted, and put off being thankful. You may feel grateful, but rather than expressing your thanks, he tells you, “Do it later. Say it later.” This may be the most subtle and dangerous and attitude of all, for when we allow this attitude to be a part of our lives, we become unthankful simply by postponement. Gratefulness unexpressed is thankfulness unreceived.
A grateful heart says, “I am a debtor. I will be thankful for every detail of my life – the small and the large, the perfect and the imperfect – because life itself is a gift from God. I will give my expectations to Him, and having food and raiment, I will be content. I will work hard for what I have, and be thankful to God for the strength, and thankful to others for the opportunity. As God blesses me, I will do my utmost to share His goodness with those around me. I will be grateful for God’s mercy, because what I truly deserve is judgment. I will thank God for His grace, because I do not deserve any of His goodness to me. I will be content with such things as I have, for He has promised never to leave or forsake me. I will offer Him the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving every day, because He is worthy. I will be thankful to, and for, others, because God is using them in my life.”
Are you grateful today? Have you expressed your thankfulness to God, and to those around you? Have any (or many) or these “grrr-attitudes” taken over in your life and stolen away your grateful heart? Do you recognize any of these attitudes in your children? Don’t delay. Get rid of these attitudes! God will forgive you if you will repent. Ask Him to help you chase away these bad attitudes, and to make you truly grateful. Have a grateful heart today and every day!
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thes. 5:18)
For many years, Christmas was a very difficult holiday for me: not because I didn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas, or because I wasn’t thankful for the beauty and wonder of the coming of Christ, not because I didn’t love my family, or enjoy the celebrations that surrounded the season, but because I felt there was a giant empty place in my life. No matter how hard I tried, it was hard to see the twinkle in the lights beyond the dark sadness in my heart.
My husband and I struggled with infertility for 11 long years. Not every moment was sad, and I am thankful that God gave us those years, and for the comfort and strength He gave me in the midst of them, and yet they were still very difficult. It was a very real, and sometimes very raw, grief. The joy and excitement of the Christmas season seemed, by contrast, to make our melancholy more pronouned. It wasn’t a grief that was always evident to others. We hadn’t “lost” anyone or anything, but our empty home bore a silent witness to the fact that something precious we longed for was missing.
I do not share this to gain your pity. God has been so good to me. My husband and I now have two beautiful children, and even if we did not have them, God has always been good to us. The silence and sadness of my barren years caused me to look to the Lord in a way I would not have done if my heart and hands had been filled immediately with what I wanted.
There are some of you who may be reading this who know exactly the feeling I am speaking of, although your “loss” may be of a different kind than mine. It may be the physical loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, the loss of health, or an unfulfilled dream. It could be a transitional season in your life, where you feel that others have moved on, and you’ve been left behind. It could be that you are simply overwhelmed by trials or heartache. It could be a number of other things. Whatever the reason, if you are struggling to realize the joy and celebration of Christmas, do not despair. Even in our lonely, sad, empty, uncertain times, there is hope. God has not failed us. God has not forgotten us.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? If not, I encourage you to trust Him today. He came to bring forgiveness, peace, joy, and life. The birth of Christ was just the beginning. His death on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, are the answer to our deepest needs. Recognizing and admitting your need of salvation from sin, repenting of your sin, and trusting Christ as the only means of that salvation, will transform not only your life, but your eternity.
If you know Christ as Savior, but you feel like (or someone tells you) that you aren’t understanding the true meaning of Christmas because you are struggling with fear, pain, or loss, please pause now and remember the first Christmas. It was not a joyous gathering of friends and family around a bountiful feast, nor a special service in a church, nor beautiful, heartwarming songs.
The first Christmas was a time of weariness, financial strain, personal shame and misunderstanding, upset plans, confusing changes, rejection, discomfort, and hard travail. Yes, there was singing by the angels, but only the shepherds in the field heard it. There was worship, but in a dark stable by the few who truly believed. There was joy, but it was mingled with pain. There was revelation of the work of God, but it was met with fear before it was received by faith. There was miraculous fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan, but the reproach of Jesus Christ came the moment He was conceived, and was borne by those who chose to identify with Him. There was praise and prophesying in the Temple, but only by two elderly saints who had long been looking for His appearing. There was a bright star, but only a few wise men from a distant country understood its significance. There was rejoicing by a few over the birth of a baby, but there was weeping because a wicked king saw Him as a political threat and went on a murdering rampage of innocent children. The great God who is our Refuge came to earth, and Joseph and Mary had to flee with Him at night as refugees to escape Herod.
Christmas is a wonderful thing because of all that the coming of Christ accomplished. If you feel that you cannot celebrate Christmas because you are burdened, or broken, or sad, or confused, or fearful, that is not true. Those who celebrated the first Christmas did so in spite of those things because by faith they looked past themselves and their circumstances to the One whose coming transformed their lives. Fix your heart, your mind, your eyes in faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the joy, the peace, the glory, the wonder of Christmas.
The grace and mercy of God are wonderful things to consider and to experience. God’s grace to us–His giving to us what we do not deserve and could never earn–is beyond expression. As many writers have said, it is amazing.
God’s mercy is also amazing. In fact, mercy is spoken of more than 300 times in the Scriptures, over 100 times more than grace is mentioned. I think perhaps we do not meditate enough on the mercy of God.
While the grace of God is beautiful and reminds us of all the goodness God offers to us, His mercy reminds us of how deeply we need Him, and of how undeserving we are. When I plead for God’s mercy, it is because I am aware of how much I deserve His judgment. When I praise Him for His mercy, it is because I am conscious of my guilt and sin, of His holiness and justice, and of how profoundly grateful I should be that God has extended His mercy to me.
Many “preachers” and “teachers” today shy away from speaking of the judgment of God. They avoid crying out against sin and reminding us of its accompanying wages. They refrain from making anyone feel “guilty”, but we are guilty; and until we recognize how desperately wicked we are, how woefully worthy of God’s judgment, we will never repent and appeal to Him for mercy, and receive His grace.
It is fairly easy to admit that we are undeserving of God’s grace, but it is only when we stop to consider that we are deserving of God’s judgment that we can understand the goodness of God to us.
We can never fully appreciate the grace of God until we humbly acknowledge the mercy of God.
A deep appreciation of His mercy will prevent us from abusing His grace.
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” (Lam. 3:22)
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” (Rom. 6:1-2)
There is an entire psalm dedicated to praising God for His mercy (Ps. 136). The phrase “His mercy endureth for ever” is repeated 41 times in the Bible!
Have you asked God for mercy? Have you experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God? If not, you can do so today! If you have, then take some time to think about the mercy of God – of what you deserve, of what He forgave and continues to forgive, of the judgment from which you have been spared.
I was reminded of this song as I was thinking on God’s mercy:
“I stood condemned to die,
And nothing I could try
Would ever satisfy
God’s just demands.
The works I thought so right
Were filthy in God’s sight,
By my deeds justified
I could not stand.
But mercy made a way
My debt of sin to pay
Atonement has been made
For all my sin.
For Jesus took my place,
Redeemed me by His grace,
And so I came by faith,
And called on Him,
And God was satisfied,
Redemption’s price was paid.
Yes, He was satisfied,
On Christ my sin was laid.
My Savior gave His life,
The perfect sacrifice,
So when God looks at me, He sees the blood applied,
And He is satisfied!
Have you thanked God lately, not for what He has given you that you do not deserve, but for not giving you what you do deserve?
Thank God for His mercy today!!!
“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Ps. 106:1; 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1)
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Ps. 100:4-5)
“The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” (Ps. 147:11)
I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.” (Ps. 101:1)
Do you have the privilege of being a part of the music service in your church tomorrow? If so, are you prepared?
I have been thinking recently about sharing some thoughts on preparing for special music in the church service. There are a lot of aspects that we could discuss – some more technical, some more practical. However, it occurred to me that in our desire to make a good presentation, or have a pleasing performance, we often forget the most important aspect of preparation – the spiritual. This has been very convicting to me. As in every part of our lives, the spiritual is the most important, but usually the most neglected.
If a song is technically accurate, vocally perfect, emotionally moving, but spiritually dead, it has completely missed the mark.
We must never forget that our service is to the Lord. This is true for the congregation, the choir, the instrumentalist, and the vocalist.
If we say that we want to use our music to worship God, it must contain two essential components: spirit and truth. Without these two elements, there is no true worship of God. Spirit and truth are inexorably linked. They cannot contradict one another. The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth”. He guides us “into all truth”. “The Spirit is truth”. His Word is “the word of truth”.
The Holy Spirit will never use music that is filled with the spirit of the world to seek to convey a message of truth. He will never guide us to sing a song whose words that are not in agreement with the Word of God. Calling something spiritual does not make it so. And just because someone is worshiping does not mean they are worshiping God. Music has always been associated with worship – both spiritual and unspiritual. We must be very careful that our music is truly worshiping God.
A song can appear to have “spirit”, but if it is not filled with truth, then it cannot worship God. Spiritual music has nothing to do with excitement, or emotional impact. It has everything to do with goodness, and righteousness, and truth. (Eph. 5:9) To have the “Spirit of truth”, our music must be filled with the “word of truth”. And if we attempt to speak (or sing) truth, but have a spirit that is not right with God, not filled with His Spirit, then we are still not worshiping God. In order for “spiritual music” to have any effect, it must not only be true, but it must be sung by spiritual people.
Spiritual music is to be an outflowing of the Spirit and truth.
Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “…be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”. Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
As you prepare for church tomorrow, as you seek to worship the Lord, consider your song, and consider your spirit. Are both filled with the Spirit and with truth?
May God help us to be true worshippers.
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (Jn. 4:23-24)
On this day when evil, and darkness, fear, and death are paraded and glorified, I celebrate life, and light, and peace, and the power of the resurrection. I am thankful that through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, I need not fear death. What Satan desired and planned as an eternal dungeon of torment for my soul is now just a portal to eternal life and light with my Savior!
Do not be deceived, my friends. Satan may portray death and wickedness as “child’s play”, something to glorify, or to mock. He may try to desensitize us to its horrors, or distract us from its reality, but in truth, if our eternity is not secure in Jesus Christ, we are in bondage to death and its fear. Perhaps this is the reason for the morbid fascination today with zombies and vampires and witchcraft. Perhaps that is why Satan tries to get us to equate this day of darkness with costumes and candy – because he is the king of deception, (does he not make himself an angel of light?), and a master of offering something that appears sweet, but has no lasting value, and is truly detrimental (remember Eve?).
Today I will celebrate ultimate victory – the victory of Christ over the devil, the victory of life over death, the victory of His blood over my sin, and the victory of love over fear. Do you know this victory? Do you live free of the fear of death because your eternal future is settled and secure in Christ? If not, you can. Choose life. Choose victory. Choose freedom. Choose repentance. Choose faith. Choose Jesus Christ.
If you would like to know how to be certain of your eternal destiny, I would love to tell you more about my Savior. Feel free to contact me anytime.
If we are truly Christians, we must be careful that we walk as children of light. If our lights are to shine before men, and to glorify our Father in heaven, we must refuse darkness. We must reprove darkness.
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” (I Jn. 1:6) “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 5:8, 11; 6:12)
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Heb. 10:9, 14-15)
“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. (I Cor. 15:55-58)
I am just the messenger. I have been entrusted with the most valuable and urgent of messages, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is not my responsibility to be certain that the recipient likes the message, agrees with the message, nor responds to the message. I cannot avoid giving the message because I fear it may be rejected. I cannot fail to deliver it because I am unsure if it will be well-received. My success or failure is not found in the responses of those to whom I deliver the message, simply in whether or not I deliver it. I am just the messenger.
I have no right to change the message to make it agreeable, or acceptable. I have no right to alter any terms, nor to offer any promises or assurances not stated therein. I have no right to insert my own opinions, ideas, or views. I do not need to “pretty it up”, nor “water it down”. I am just the messenger.
I must deliver this message clearly, concisely, consistently. I must speak it fully and faithfully. I must recognize its urgency, and act accordingly. I must convey it honestly and honorably. I must not be distracted, deterred, or delayed. I must not fall into wickedness, falter when I am weak, nor faint when I am weary. I must stand firmly, walk circumspectly, and run patiently. It must not be of any consequence to me the location to which I am assigned, the language in which I must speak, nor the length of time which is required to deliver it. I am just the messenger.
I am to deliver the message I have been given, by the method I am instructed, for the purpose it is intended. It isn’t my message; it is His. It isn’t my method; it is His. It isn’t my mission; it is His. I should have no motives, other than to fulfill His will. I should seek no honor if it is accepted, nor feel shame if it is refused. I am just the messenger.
It is an honor to do His work. It is a privilege to be commissioned to deliver such an important message. If it is rejected, I should not be surprised. He was rejected. If it is scorned, I should not be shocked. He was scorned. If it is mocked, and I am mocked along with it, I should bear it gladly, knowing it is not for my sake, but for His. Will I be despised for bearing His message? If I bear it faithfully, it is certain that I will be despised by many. Will I be misunderstood? Falsely accused? Counted a fool? Doubtless I will. But there will be some who will receive it gladly. There will be some who will be eternally grateful. There will be some who will be encouraged. There will be some who will join the ranks, and gladly take up the message themselves.
And one day, when I stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to give account, I hope I will hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” With grateful heart, I will kneel before Him and praise Him for His goodness, His grace, His Gospel, His unspeakable gift, knowing I am worthy of nothing, for I am just the messenger.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Rom. 1:16)
“…as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:15)
