By Charles Fleming
Caribbean regional director
How does God feel about the unsaved?
Isaiah gives us a clear view of God's feelings for those ensnared in sin. In 30:18 he describes God as longing to be gracious to sinners. Isaiah says God actually rises to show compassion. Imagine that!
We rise to greet people we respect. We spring to our feet in anticipation at a football game when a wide receiver crosses the 10-yard line on his way to the end zone. We leap to our feet in celebration when our favorite pitcher strikes out a batter.
God's reaction to sinners
Through Isaiah God shows us his reaction to all sinners. He rises because he respects us. He rises in anticipation of meeting our most pressing needs--the need to be forgiven and blessed by him. He rises in celebration in the face of the victory he is going to give us through Christ Jesus.
How do you feel about the unsaved people you meet each day?
Does your reaction resemble that of the prodigal son's father? In that parable Jesus dramatically shows us what the heart of the Father in heaven is like. "But while he [the prodigal son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20).
Look for the lost
Jesus expects us to have that kind of love for the unsaved. In fact, we are not to wait for the lost to come to us, but rather he tells us we are to go looking for them! "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15).
According to Jesus, your self-image and my self-image should be that we are his witnesses.
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
Jesus knows that on our own we are incapable of such self-sacrificing compassion. That is one reason why he gives us the Holy Spirit.
Paul further spells it out. He tells us that we must not be timid or ashamed to testify about Jesus our Savior, because we have received the Spirit of power, of love and of sound mindedness (2 Timothy 1:6-8).
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2000