I would suggest that you can't spend a day of Bible reading, even a few chapters without passing verses that state God's purpose and desire - to be glorified in the restoration of people back to Himself through the shed blood of our risen Saviour Jesus Christ.
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Luke 19:10 -
God's primary interest is not in our hobbies, our bank accounts, our activities, our careers or even our families outside of how those things can be used to glorify His name so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven (Mt 5:13-16).
Today I continued in Numbers and again read multiple accounts of the way that man rebelled against God and His leadership He established through Moses
how God then responded in judgment on the people
how Moses and Aaron pleaded with God for a rescue
and how then God offered that rescue through various atonements like the serpent on the pole (all of which are a picture of THE Atonement of Jesus Christ)
this atonement allowed for a restored relationship with God.
In Psalms, you often cant go a few verses without seeing the desire that the sweet psalmist of Israel had for God to be magnified and individuals to turn to God
Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
Although this is context of physical help and deliverance -
- Who is more poor than the lost?
- Who is more needy than the lost?
- Who is more in the hand of the wicked one than the lost?
- Who is to deliver them?
- By WHOSE Power?
Now is the only life we have and the only chance they have. That chapter ends with the wonderful promise of victory and rule that Christ will have
Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
We have the privilege to influence some to worship Him for all of eternity.
Then in Psalm 83 is one of those chapters where the psalmist (Asaph) is praying for judgment and wrath to be poured out on the enemies of God.
This poses a problem for many because clearly we are told to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us.
How to reconcile - we do love them, bless them, do good to them... but we pray that God will do to them WHATEVER is necessary to humble them and bring them to seek him - see what I mean below
Psa 83:13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.
Psa 83:14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
Psa 83:15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.
Psa 83:16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
Psa 83:17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:
Psa 83:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.
The prayer is that judgment will come upon them - this results in people seeing the judgment of God and having it impact them to consider their standing with him. (corporal punishment was ordained by God for that individual to change their ways). The prayer is that they are so leveled from thinking that everything is ok, that they are in control, that they dont need God, that they will never have to give account - to the point where they are broken and trembling before the holy God and that they may seek thy name, O LORD.
If that person doesnt break, convert and as a result impact others by his testimony of God's goodness to him... then the prayer continues that they even perish if necessary That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. (capital punishment was ordained by God to influence others to change their ways).
Our responsibility in interaction with people and witnessing is to love, bless, minister and overcome evil with good (Mt. 5:44-45; Rom 12:14). Remember, we dont love them by not giving them the truth with the grace - it is the law, and sincere warning of judgment by that law that is the schoolmaster that brings people to Christ.
Our hope and desire is that people will be saved by the wonderful goodness of God leading them to repentance (Rom 2:4)
Our prayer, though, should be that God will do whatever is necessary for that individual to be broken over their sin and put their faith in Christ.
I would rather a soul reach heaven because God brought tremendous and even painful circumstances in their life to break them instead of that soul going to hell having lived a prosperous and successful life by this worlds standards, amen?
Tell someone about Christ's mercy today!
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