Our Message

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Monday March 24, 2008

1 John 2:1,2 (NIV)
1. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD.

Thank God for Jesus! He is the "atoning sacrifice" for every believer's sin! And not only for the believer's sin, but for the sin of the whole world! Jesus took the sin of the worst sinner walking the face of the earth! There is only one sin that Jesus couldn't bear on the cross:

John 16:8,9 (NIV)
8. When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9. in regard to sin, BECAUSE MEN DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME

The only sin Jesus couldn't bear on the cross is the sin of not believing in Him. Every other sin was born by Him on the cross. God has reconciled the world to Himself and is not counting men's sins against them:

2 Corinthians 5:18,19 (NIV)
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 sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Believers carry with them the message of reconciliation, NOT the power to reconcile! God has already done the work of reconciling the world to Himself; the church as a whole has the job of telling the world they are reconciled! God has only committed to us the MESSAGE of reconciliation!

When we tell an unbeliever that he or she is reconciled to God, and that all they have to do is receive that free gift by accepting Christ, then whether they receive or not is not our fault. It is not our job to save the world; it is the job of the church as a whole to spread the MESSAGE of reconciliation!

Because the love of God is in us, it breaks our hearts that some people refuse to receive; but unfortunately we cannot force them into salvation.

John 3:17,18 (NIV)
17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your life-giving Word. Thank You for reconciling the world to Yourself through Christ. Help me understand what my own personal part is in spreading that Good News; whether it be supporting ministries, loving the unlovable, or reaching out to particular people.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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