“The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’
Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.’ But the LORD said to me,
‘Do not say, “I am only a youth;”
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the LORD.’
Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’” [1]
God does not call His servant to perform easy tasks. Easy tasks allow us to go with the flow; hard tasks require us to go against the current. Easy tasks will be left to those who do not have the call of God resting on their life. Hard tasks will ensure that God receives the glory because fulfilling the assignment will require divine power. The LORD will appoint a broken man to confront the leader of the most powerful nation in the world to lead a nation out of bondage. And though Moses is reluctant to do what God orders, God will be glorified in this meek man. Pharaoh will know there is One Who is the True and Living God when Moses has completed his task.
God will appoint a timid man who is beating out grain in secret to confront a powerful enemy; and that timid man with only a small force will confront and defeat the powerful force. Though Gideon is fearful of the reaction of his neighbours, he will cut down the town’s sacred shrine and set in motion deliverance of the oppressed nation.
The LORD will seek out and appoint a shepherd who is watching his father’s sheep to lead his people into security from the nations around them. David was the youngest and the least of Jesse’s sons when the LORD chose Him and anointed him to the hard task of building a nation, giving the people security from their enemies.
He will raise up out of obscurity a prophet who will shut up the heavens and ensure that those leaden skies yield life-giving rains only at his word. And though Elijah seems at last broken by the weight of his charge, he will be remembered as one of the greatest prophets of the Living God. He will be compelled to stand alone when all others who are known to the LORD remain silent because they fear for their lives.
God will appoint a hesitant man to put on the mantle of a prophet in Israel, a man of God holding kings to account and revealing the mercies of the LORD far beyond the boundaries of the kingdom. He will call Elisha and equip him to stand before kings, and with boldness this man of God will face constant threats and unimaginable pressures to be silent, all because he dares speak the truth of the Lord GOD.
The LORD will call an unknown and humble man as he labours at his work as a “fig nipper,” and as a shepherd, appointing him to travel to a neighbouring kingdom where he will expose the perfidy of kings as they resist righteousness and where he will openly accuse religious leaders of their lese majesté to the Living God. Arising out of obscurity and drifting again into anonymity when his mission is complete, Amos will leave only the powerful prophecy given Him by the True and Living God.
The Risen Saviour will appoint a violent man focused only on promoting the religion in which he was raised and in which he was thoroughly trained until he humbly accepts the task of turning an empire upside down. That small, balding, hunch-backed man will spread the message of life throughout the civilised world. And Saul of Tarsus will drive the Roman Eagle from her nest to go screaming across leaden skies as the truth of Christ the Lord penetrates the dark miasma that had settled over all the land.
And in our text, we witness the LORD as He appoints a youth who isn’t eager to accept the weighty honour of serving God. Yet that youth, speaking on behalf of the Living God, will leave a legacy of compassion and courage to ever after inspire the people of God. You see, great men are not appointed to do the hard work of transforming the world—humble men, men of small note, are appointed by God to do His great tasks.
Recall the assessment Paul delivered describing the assembly of saints in Corinth. In 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31, we witness his frank assessment of the people of God. “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” [2]
We are not hearing the words of some demigod whom we are called to serve; the One we are called to serve is the True and Living God, Creator of Heaven and earth. And because He is the True God and because He is Great, He does not call His servants to little tasks or easy tasks, rather He appoints His servant to do hard tasks. And when God appoints His servant to perform hard tasks, the Lord equips that servant so that He can perform the hard tasks. The servant will faithfully perform the tasks he is assigned, and though he wonders how successful he can be, in his heart he knows that the tasks will accomplish great things because the God Who appointed Him is a great God.
GOD’S KNOWLEDGE —
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
[JEREMIAH 1:5]
Though the truth may not be overly popular among many people in this day late in the Age of Grace—and that includes far too many who present themselves as saints of God, we who are twice born know that it is the Living God Who gives to each individual the life that he or she possesses. Indeed, as those who follow the Risen Saviour, we are compelled to confess, “My times are in Your hands” [PSALM 31:15a]. And you, as one who follows in the steps of the Risen Saviour, have received the life you now live by the will of the Living God. Since your life is a gift from God, that life you are now living is meant to glorify your Master. And as you live out that life, you are performing the tasks that He has appointed you to perform. Whether you find the current demands on your life challenging or easy, know that God has given you both your position, just as He has given you the abilities you possess so that you are equipped to meet those demands. Know as well, that whatever demands you now face, the Lord will have greater demands still that you must face before your work is completed.
As a child of the Living God, you may be assured that God knows you. He knows who you are—your abilities, your potential, your desires. God knows your weaknesses, just as He knows your strengths; and you may be certain that God knows the success you will have in the days that lie before you. Has not the Lord God promised, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” [JEREMIAH 29:11].
You who serve the Lord may be certain that the God Who appointed you knows you; He knows what he will accomplish through your life. God assured Moses when the great Lawgiver was pleading with God to reveal His glory, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name” [EXODUS 33:17]. In the same way, as God’s beloved child, you may be assured that the Lord knows you by name. God is working out His divine will through your life, even now. God has invested His very life in you as His beloved child.
When Isaiah writes of the love the LORD has for Zion, he pens a comforting promise given by the LORD. Listen as the LORD speaks:
“Zion said, ‘The LORD has abandoned me,
the sovereign master has forgotten me.’
Can a woman forget her baby who nurses at her breast?
Can she withhold compassion from the child she has borne?
Even if mothers were to forget,
I could never forget you!
Look, I have inscribed your name on my palms;
your walls are constantly before me.”
[ISAIAH 49:14-16 NET BIBLE 2ND]
And what God has done for His ancient people, we can be certain He has done for us who now follow His Risen Son. The Lord our God will not—indeed, cannot—forget His beloved child.
God knows you, just as the Psalmist has confessed.
“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.”
[PSALM 139:1-6]
Elsewhere, we read of God’s knowledge even of those who attempt to stand apart from Him. In another Psalm we read,
“Though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.”
[PSALM 138:6-8]
God’s knowledge both of the righteous and of the wicked is complete. We see the warnings throughout Scripture. For example, we read,
“The wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.”
[PSALM 1:5-6]
One of my favourite Psalm includes a cautionary warning against presuming that any mere mortal can know more than the LORD knows. In the ninety-fourth Psalm, the Psalmist has written,
“Understand, O dullest of the people!
Fools, when will you be wise?
He who planted the ear, does he not hear?
He who formed the eye, does he not see?
He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?
He who teaches man knowledge—
the LORD—knows the thoughts of man,
that they are but a breath.”
[PSALM 94:8-11]
Nor should anyone think that the knowledge God has of mankind is something that was restricted to the pages of the Old Testament. On one occasion, Pharisees heard Jesus and they were offended in what He was teaching. Jesus had just told a parable of a dishonest manager, concluding with this pointed teaching; “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” [LUKE 16:10-13].
Then, Doctor Luke appends this observation, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him” [LUKE 16:14]. What these religious leaders loved exposed their hearts through their reaction to the teaching Jesus provided. Their reaction elicited this additional pointed warning from the lips of the Master: “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God” [LUKE 16:15].
And those words should give each individual among us pause. God knows the heart! There is nothing hidden from the eyes of the Lord. Though sinners imagine that they can keep their thoughts secret from the Lord, He knows them and He knows their thoughts. And knowing that the Lord knows who the righteous are, knowing even their character and their desire, is a source of great comfort for the one who walks with the Lord. Indeed, as a lesser-known seer rebuked a king at great expense to his own safety, it is still true, “The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him” [2 CHRONICLES 16:9a].
That the Lord knows us will prove to be a source of terror to the lost. If God knows us, the unrighteous realise that their wickedness cannot be hidden and can be revealed at any moment. The wicked are exposed, though that exposure may not be public just yet. We Christians are contrasted with the lost when Paul writes, “You are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night” [1 THESSALONIANS 5:4-7].
That which is a terror to the lost will be source of comfort for the righteous soul. God knows my heart; He knows that I want to honour Him even when I fail to stand firm in the Faith. God knows that though I have failed, I’m not content with being a failure. He knows that I long for Him to reign supreme in my life. God knows me!
GOD’S EQUIPPING — “The LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,
‘Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’”
[JEREMIAH 1:9]
It is comforting to know that God does not appoint His servant to accept responsibility for an assigned task without divine preparation. We can take steps to prepare ourselves for service, enrolling in courses that will provide education and training, but in the final analysis we must be equipped by God Himself.
By no means do I want anyone to draw the conclusion that I am depreciating training through enrollment in schools of higher learning or through taking courses meant to train one in some particular skill. I believe in education! Nevertheless, I stand by my contention that without divine equipping, your efforts will be futile. The biblical dictum still holds true: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” [ZECHARIAH 4:6]. Nothing of eternal consequence is ever done without having been energised by and blessed by the Spirit of the Living God.
I have often contended that any pagan can write and present a sermon, but only one who has been in the presence of the Living God will have a message. Perhaps the following story is apocryphal, perhaps it is true; whatever the case, the story is told that years ago the great actor Richard Burton was given a grand reception in his childhood parish. While replying to the complimentary speeches in the parish auditorium he asked if there was anything, they specially wanted to hear from him. After a minute’s pause his old pastor asked him if he could recite the Good Shepherd Psalm (Psalm 23), which he had taught Burton in his Sunday school.
A strange look came over the actor’s face. He paused for a moment, and then said, “I will, on one condition—that after I have recited it, you, my pastor and teacher will do the same.”
“I,” said the old, retired pastor, “am not an actor, but, if you wish it, I shall do so.”
Impressively the actor began the Psalm. His voice and intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound, and, as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from the audience.
As it died away, the old pastor rose from his wheelchair and began to recite the same Psalm. His voice was feeble and shivering and his tone was not faultless. But, when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The actor rose and his voice quivered as he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears, but my old pastor has reached your hearts. The difference is just this: I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd.”
A man may preach a homiletically precise sermon that excites everyone who hears that man speak, and yet it is doubtful that any will leave the meeting with a changed heart. However, the one who has spent time in the presence of the Master, prayerfully reading the text and listening to hear what the Spirit says will have a different impact on the congregation. While he may not be as polished, those who hear him will be compelled to determine whether they will obey the message given by the Spirit of Christ or whether they will leave with the same heart they had before.
Here is what I find especially encouraging as one who has received God’s call. Not only does God know me, and not only does He equip me, but when He equips me, He empowers me. Listen as the LORD spoke through Jeremiah, condemning the false prophets by comparing what they said to the words of a true prophet of the LORD. “Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another” [JEREMIAH 23:23-30].
Did you get what the Lord said? Straw is not to be compared to wheat. The Word of the Lord is like fire, burning down the puerile arguments the lost may raise against God and His power. The Word of the Lord is like a hammer, smashing in pieces the seemingly strong points that the wicked may raise against the Lord. This is precisely the point that the Apostle makes when he writes, “Though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” [2 CORINTHIANS 10:3-5]. And this is the power you received when Christ Jesus appointed you to the task He has given.
Do you recall how the Apostle wrote earlier in that same book as he spoke of his service, indicating what would happen in your own service? Paul testified, “As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” [2 CORINTHIANS 6:4-10].
The Apostle clearly stated that he served with the power of God. Though those who witnessed the service the missionaries performed would have said their lives were marked by “afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger,” God’s servants would have said their labours were marked by the presence of “the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God.” And that is the same power that is supplied to each of us as we serve the Saviour.
Remember how Jesus said as He charged His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:18-20].
When you, as one who is twice born and who has received the Spirit of Christ, go forth to fulfil the responsibility He assigned, you are going forth in His power. As one who is serving Christ, whatever the responsibility He assigned may be, you are empowered to perform that duty and nothing can hinder you as you do what Christ has commanded. At issue is not whether you are empowered, but rather whether you are obedient. On the authority of God’s Word, we can be assured that the power of Christ is at work in you at this moment. Therefore, the sole question for you to answer is whether you are obedient to the call Christ has given.
I need to do a bit of an excursus for your sake. As Peter opens his first missive, he writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” [1 PETER 1:3-5]. As a redeemed soul, you are being guarded by God’s power through faith. What is this other than God equipping you to fulfil the work He has assigned!
The Apostle Paul cautioned those who questioned his authority in Christ. Listen as he writes the Corinthian Congregation, “I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God” [2 CORINTHIANS 13:2-4]. Just so, when you serve Christ, you will be assured that you serve by the power of God.
Recall Paul’s assessment of His service before the Saviour. In that same Letter to the Corinthians, Paul waxed personal, saying, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” [2 CORINTHIANS 12:2-10]. You may see yourself as weak, frail, and fragile in your own labours for Christ. Nevertheless, I am urging you to see what God is doing through you, realising that His power is resting on you. In confessing your weakness, you are forcing all who know you to realise that Christ’s power working through you is accomplishing all that is being done! Christ’s power is being revealed through you, through your prayers, through your testimony, through your service.
Dear people, above all else, I want you to know that as one who follows the Risen Saviour, the Lord will employ in His service you so that you are truly God’s fellow worker [see 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9]. He will supply the power that is required to do the work to which He has appointed you and enable you to do far more than you could ever imagine. As one whom the Lord Jesus has redeemed, He has invested His very Being in you so that whatever He has appointed you to do will be accomplished in such a manner than He is glorified. The work you will perform will be done better than anyone else could do the work because the Spirit of the Risen Christ will be working in you.
GOD’S APPOINTMENT —
“See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”
[JEREMIAH 1:10]
God appointed Jeremiah to fulfil what is admittedly a challenging task. Some among us might be inclined to say that Jeremiah was appointed to carry out an impossible task. People that are inexperienced might eagerly encourage such a ministry, but those with even a minimum of experience would be less enthusiastic about accepting such a demanding assignment. The young prophet was appointed to both destroy and to build through his words. Jeremiah was assured that he would have a consequential ministry by the appointment he received from the LORD. I’m not suggesting that God is going to appoint you to a task that calls you to rule over nations or that He will appoint you to perform a task that is significant in the world, but I am suggesting that whatever God appoints you to do as His servant is critical and essential. God will use you, His child, to glorify His Name and to advance the Kingdom of His Son. God will appoint you to fulfil His will for your life and for His glory. And that is not an inconsequential work.
What I am about to say is not merely a throw-away thought—it is a truth that lies at the heart of service to the Risen Lord of Glory. God will not appoint you to an easy task; He appoints to hard tasks—always! God does this because He is a great God. And His servants are not responsible for mundane and repetitious duties. All who serve the Living God will be engaged in great tasks because we serve a great God.
God has appointed each one who follows His Son to a task. In the eyes of the thoughtless, that task may appear insignificant, mundane. However, because that task was given by the True and Living God, that task is essential, vital, critical. Superficially, you may imagine it doesn’t matter whether you perform the task you are assigned, or even whether you perform that task well. You may say, “I’m just a mother; I don’t count for much.” Of course, your children would not agree to that assessment. To them, you have an essential role in making them into productive citizens and godly people.
You may be inclined to say, “I’m just a dad; all I need to do is work and earn money to pay for what my family needs. I don’t need to pray with my children before they go to bed. I don’t need to be in church with them. It isn’t necessary for me to do anything with them.” Your family would not agree with your minimalist assessment of your role. You have an exaggerated importance in the life of your family, Dad.
You may say, “I’m just a paid worker, a cog in the wheel. What I do won’t make any difference in the world.” However, where you labour is essential to the work of the Kingdom of God. Your responsibility may seem insignificant and unimportant. However, your faithful labour ensures that the work of God moves smoothly and efficiently. Did you ever hear this little poem?
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
I am urging each person who wears the livery of a Christian, each individual who walks in the way of the Master who hears the message this day to determine what the task is that God has assigned to that person. Of this we may be certain, each one who is born from above has been assigned to fulfil a task to the glory of Christ the Lord. And there are no unessential tasks in the advance of Christ’s work. You, because you are born from above and have thus been given the Spirit of Christ, have been entrusted with a role in the advance of the Kingdom of God. Though the faithful will witness many desertions among the supposed faithful, the Kingdom of God is destined to prevail in the struggle to advance the cause of Christ. And we who are appointed by Christ Jesus our Lord will share in that victory. Because the Saviour has invested His own life in you, you are essential to the ultimate victory. Because Christ has given His own Spirit to you, you cannot fail in the great task which the Master has entrusted to you.
We are promised, “God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” [2 THESSALONIANS 1:6-10].
I read the end of the Book. God tells us that this is how things will end when John writes, “I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords” [REVELATION 19:11-16].
Christ is coming on a white horse, leading the armies of Heaven. The armies of Heaven that are said to be following Him are the redeemed of God. They are dressed in white, pure garments of fine linen. These are the saints whom Christ has redeemed with His blood and whom God has so clothed [see REVELATION 19:6-8].
I was blessed with the friendship of a dear man when we lived in Duncanville, Texas. Bob was faithful in another communion, but we became fast friends in no small measure because we shared a common faith in the Risen Lord of Glory. Bob would say on multiple occasions, “I will see Christ coming on a white horse. He won’t be riding a roan, or a dapple, or a black horse; He’ll be riding on a white horse. That’s what it says, and that is what I’m looking for.” It’s hard to shake that sort of faith. God said it, and that settles the matter.
I’m going a step farther in encouraging you to know that those white robes are provided through the service you are performing now. As you fulfil the work that the Master has assigned, you are ensuring your dress in eternity. As John writes this Apocalypse, he testifies, “I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
‘Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure’—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” [REVELATION 19:6-8]. God said it; the issue is settled. Even now, you who are redeemed are advancing this great cause that will eventuate in the return of Christ the Lord at the head of His armies, the redeemed of God. Amen.
No one need feel excluded from this glorious event, for even now, the Lord God calls you to receive the life that He has promised all who believe in His Son. God has promised, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” [ROMANS 10:9-10]. The Son of God sacrificed Himself so that you need not be condemned. He conquered death, and now the offer is extended to you, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [ROMANS 10:13]. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[2] NET BIBLE
