John 20:18
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”
Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
There is a simple progression to take away from this series of lessons on the majesty and mercy of God. It goes a long way toward explaining why we do the things we do for the Lord.
Number One. Know God. When we know God, we see the perfect holiness, the power, and the danger of Almighty God, the Creator of the universe.
Number Two. Know Yourself. When you see the perfection and holiness of God, in other words, when you see one who never sins, you suddenly know yourself and see yourself for the first time. You are a sinner. You have been in rebellion against your great benefactor and you deserve the penalty of annihilation.
Number Three. Know Forgiveness. When you see the need for a Savior, you don’t necessarily expect to see that Savior, especially if you don’t deserve it. You are resigned to the fact that your life is over. Until it isn’t. God shows you mercy. He acts as if you didn’t sin. In fact, he sent his Son to act as if he did your sin and he takes the punishment. You are free!
Number Four. Love God. If you experience this mercy and forgiveness and you are not grateful beyond measure, you have a heart harder than steel. To see the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross because of your sin and mine, is to see the perfect love shown towards you. Your first response is to love him imperfectly, but with all your heart.
Number Five. Love Others. Now you have a new master. Your old master, sin, is deposed and Jesus Christ takes up the mantle. You listen to his commands. Love the Lord your God. Check. Love your neighbor as yourself. Yes, Even that one. We all have one that is tough to love but it is not an option. All people are image-bearers of God and we are to love them all; friends, enemies, all.
Number Six. Serve God and Others. If you love God, you serve God. If you love others, you get the picture. We all know the Prodigal Son parable from Luke 15. Did you know there are two prodigals? The older brother thought he earned his father’s love with his good work while the prodigal learned the mercy and grace through surrendering to him. The story ends with both working in the field. They both looked identical but guess which one loved the father more? The one who knew the father loved him more. That is the lesson of Isaiah 6:1-9. To know him is to love him.
God Bless,
Pastor Boyer
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Jn 20:18). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Is 6:8). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.