To Carry His Heart

One of my favorite descriptions of why Jesus came is found in John 3:17. In Jesus' words no less: "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it."

Of all the people who could have condemned the world, couldn't it have been Jesus? Think about it. He came as the true expression of the Father. He knew the Father's heart. He longed to see the fulfillment of the Father's plan and purpose in the Earth. Why not condemn it? Why not simply bring judgement and start all over? The only answer that we can derive from what Jesus has said is that it wasn't the Father's heart. He did not want to condemn. He did not want to judge. He longed to save.

It is my belief that the heart of the Father became the cornerstone upon which Jesus built the foundation of His ministry and sacrificial life. Through everything He would face, everything that He would experience, and amidst the denial and criticism He would endure, the Father's heart continued to beat heavily within His chest. He never wavered. He never pulled back. He saw the Father's heart through to the end. And we now stand to build upon Him. Jesus Christ, the resurrected Lord, becoming the cornerstone of our faith. Each of us allowing His heart to beat within our chests.

If it was/is the heart of the Father to save the world rather than condemn it...
If it was/is the heart of the Son to save the world rather than condemn it...
If it was/is the heart of the Holy Spirit to save the world rather than condemn it...
What should our heart be?

Is it not our heart to see people set free? Is it not our heart to see people come to know the love of their Heavenly Father? Is it not our heart to ensure that people experience the exact representation of the Father's glory that the Son carried? If that is the case, I believe that we must come down from the high horses of condemnation and discover what it means for us to see the complete salvation of the world.

Paul referred to himself and the other Apostles as Ambassadors for Christ. Those who go out in the name and authority of a Heavenly Kingdom. It was their job, their commission, and even their calling to be ministers of reconciliation. "As though God were pleading through us..." were the words of Paul. He recognized his ministry as embodying the very heartbeat of Jesus. That just as God was in Christ bringing about reconciliation, Christ is in us to help others be reconciled within themselves. To communicate to others the reality of all that Jesus accomplished, and to aid in the affirmation of this faith in every man. A ministry that is fueled by the heart of the Father as embodied by Jesus: Not here to condemn, but here to save.

I, for one, am grateful to live in this reality. I have participated with those who have felt the need to condemn this world. I have done missions and ministry with those who believe that there is this constant need of pronouncing judgement. While it may have helped gain a few decisions, it did very little to create true disciples of Christ. I love being able to enter into another country without judgement and without condemnation. I love to be able to sit across from another person with absolute confidence in my heart about the Father's heart for that individual. To know that the Lord did not show up through me for condemnation, but as a minister towards their salvation. What a joy to share the story of God's unconditional love. What excitement to help them understand all that Jesus did for us. What an invitation to give to a person who has never heard, an invitation to experience the love, forgiveness, and acceptance of the Father through Jesus.

This is not just something I carry overseas. I want to the people of my own nation, my homeland, to experience this as well. I want to help people be able to reconcile themselves to this amazing Gospel. To help them be in awe of the love of our Creator. To share with them what it means to enter into a genuine and authentic relationship with a God who is love.

It's about carrying His heart for all of the people within this world. To see creation itself through His eyes. To feel the Father's longing for each and every person. To know that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to a place of repentance." A place of acceptance. A place of having their minds changed regarding our Father.

The Bible makes this statement:
"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?"
This statement is what fuels my passion for all people to hear and experience the salvation that God has provided. They will never call on Him if they do not believe, and they will never believe until they have heard.
We have the privilege of opening eyes, ears, hearts, and minds. And we get to share in this ministry with absolutely no condemnation.

May we carry His heart. May the world see Him in us. May we carry no condemnation. May we bear the Good News of His Kingdom.