Browse Sermons or listen on Apple | Spotify | SoundCould | YouTube
““For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.”
God is not mad at you. Not even a little bit. If he's not mad at you, he's not mad at your neighbor. If he's not mad at you, he's not angry at that person that hurt you. God is not even mad at your enemy. You might be, but he isn't.
Why isn't he mad? Because Jesus bore all of God's wrath on the cross. All of it!!
That leaves us in a good place with him. But it also leaves us in an exciting position with the world. We have been reconciled to God through Christ, but many of your friends and family members don't know that yet. So it's good news for people to hear that God is not mad at them. Who can you think of that would benefit from hearing that message?
To put a Biblical term to what I'm talking about, we have been given "the ministry of reconciliation." Reconciliation means restoring a relationship. In Christ, everything has already happened for God to be able to reconcile himself to us. He has nothing left against us because he has cleared the air in Jesus. Jesus met all the requirements for God to absolve you of your wrongs. What's left is for people to clear their conscience with God and reconcile themselves with him.
You can forgive someone, but until that person comes to you to reconcile their side of the relationship, the relationship is still broken. So we get to help people know that God wants to reconcile with them.
That's where we come in. We get to tell people the good news that God is holding nothing against them. It's now safe to go to God because your crime has been punished, and there is no longer fear of penalty. There may be some work to do in trusting God, but if people looked into what Jesus accomplished, most would receive God's offer with no reservations.
Paul addresses this facet of our role as members of the body of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5.
2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
There is another point to recognize in our ambassadorship. We are to regard no one after the flesh. That means you don't have to convince people that they're a sinner before telling them that God is no longer holding their sins against them.
You don't have to get them to admit they're a sinner before giving them the good news. You are not to regard people after the flesh or their sinful nature, you are to regard them as someone God loves.
Isaiah is the beautiful fruit of Isaiah 53, which is the chapter that prophesies when the messiah would endure and accomplish for mankind.
Isaiah 54:7 "For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," Says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the Lord, who has mercy on you. (emphasis added)
It's God's goodness, kindness, and mercy that draws us to repentance. God's love for us causes us to change the way we think and turn from our sinful habits. This same knowledge and love should compel us to tell others about God's kindness and fulfill our ministry of reconciliation.
Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on another. For on whatever grounds you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 And we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, O man, pass judgment on others, yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you to repentance?
We have no more excuses to withhold the Gospel from people. There is no one too far gone. Remember this the next time you watch the news or hear of a global tyrant that seems to be an enemy of God. Pray for them. Believe with God that someone could cross their path that would help them know and experience God’s forgiveness. Remember that God is not holding people’s sins against them the next time you cringe when you remember what was done to you. You may be the very person who can set them free from their guilt and shame.
Partner with Forward Ministries and help us Change The Way The World Sees God!! Click for more information or to begin supporting. Thank you for your generosity! You can also give a one-time donation here.
DOWNLOAD ALL MY TEACHINGS AND
TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION MEDITATIONS
Become a MEMBER and gain access to all of my teaching series and Tools for Transformation resources. I’ll also give you discount codes for my online courses and eBooks.
