◄ Mission Accepted ►

There was a man sent from God….
John 1:6

Lord, Here am I….
Isaiah 6:8

Messengers of God

John the Baptizer was a man with a mission and a commission from God. Isaiah the Prophet was man with a humble and devoted heart towards God. Both came as messengers from God, proclaiming the good news about God. Both were voices in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord.

Consigned to Duty

We may not be listed in the annals of scripture – as a devoted Mary of Bethany. We may not be like Joseph of Arimathea – living the open secret life of a disciple, but each of us likewise, are called, cleansed commissioned and consigned to duty. Each of us, however insignificant by birth, have been ‘sent by God’ into this world. Each, however unclean, have had our lips touched with coals from off the altar. Each, however depraved our past lives, have been told “your guilt is gone forever.” Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine. Isaiah 43:1

Peculiar Assignment

If we are called by God, we also have a mission and a commission. If we are sent by God, He gives us a definite errand – a peculiar assignment. He has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives, however insignificant we may be... speak Lord, for your servant hears 1Sam.3:10. Lord here am I, send me. Isa.6:8. No soul ever came into this world by accident. He knew you before your birth: for You formed my inward parts: You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

God-Orchestrated Mission

No blood-bought believer walked this earth without a God-orchestrated mission. Each day of my life was fashioned for me: when as yet there were none of them. Psa.139:16. No born-again believer need ever fear rejection, for we are accepted in the Beloved Eph.1:6. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love – with loving-kindness I have drawn you. Jer.31:3

Men of Like Passion

Mighty men of yore like Moses or Isaiah, John the Baptizer or Paul, were each men of like passions – sinful to the core, men of unclean lips and lives. Each had to be buried in the waters of death to the old life of lust.. before their God-appointed mission could be fully realized.

Equally Precious

And like these saints of old, we too have a calling and commission from Him. It did not come in form or a burning bush nor a vision of the throne-room of God.. but we are equally precious and equally beloved of the Lord, for there is no partiality with God. God does not show favoritism. Rom.2:11

Allotted Tasks

Whether we meet Him on a Damascus Road or speak with Him on an Emmaus Way, or if we see Him in a revelatory Patmos vision, such as God gave to His servant John, we are all without fame or favour, background of service – accepted in the Beloved, and we all are ‘sent from God,’ and we all have a definite and allotted task to do.

Who Is Worthy?

Are you living the life and performing the assignment apportioned to you? Are you living the thought and plans that God had for you before you were born, or do you constantly beat yourself because of your unworthiness to perform His will? Well, the truth is that there is none righteous, no - not one. Not one of us could begin to fulfil the task that He has designed for us, for Jesus said, without Me you and can do nothing.” John 15:5. And yet the wonderful truth is that I can do all things through Christ – I can do all things through Christ because He lives in me.

Christ In Me

You see it is not “I” that carries out the allotted task set before me – for if I do it is done in the flesh. But it is Christ Who lives in me, and the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me – I myself no longer live but Christ lives in me Gal.2:20

Important Questions

Are we fulfilling His will for our lives, in Him, or seeking to achieve it another way:- by Self-Denial, Self-Discipline, Self-Protection, Self-Importance, Self-Interest? These are important questions, and ones that all Christians should reflect upon. Are we doing what He wants us to do in action and attitude, word and motive?

Obedience and Submission

We shouldn’t stop short of honest, Spirit-led answers to these all important things. We should question ourselves to see if we are the person He chose us to be – or are we putting on a mask and hiding behind a protective barrage of excuses? We find our work and our mission through simple obedience and submission to Him, but how few choose that route. First He weaves us together in our mother’s womb.. then He patiently starts to call us and sooner or later we respond to His call – until we recognise and accept Him as Saviour and we tell of our glorious discovery.

Alternative Directions

After the initial honeymoon period of glorious delight in His inestimable love, we often leave Him. We fall into an alternative direction. We go our own way.. until we “turn to Christ”. We try to live by Self-Denial; Self-Discipline; Self-Protection; Self-Importance; Self-Interest – until we turn again to the delights of our first love and do the first works.. then He graciously starts to prepare us:- He breaks us in order to remove all traces of the original Adam. It’s a breaking, grinding, painful, and lonely pathway – often over years, even decades, until in humility of spirit we nail every semblance of self to the Cross.

Accepted IN Christ

Many believers fail throughout their entire Christian life to fully accept this truth.. to understand they are totally and unreservedly accepted in Christ: accepted in the Beloved. Eph.1:6, for none can pluck them out of My hand, and none can pluck them from the hand of the Father. John 10:29

Positioned IN Christ

Until we can fully believe that we are unconditionally and unreservedly accepted.. until we can trust that the coals of the alter have fully cleansed our ‘unclean lips’.. until we can truly accept that it must be none of me and all of Him.. until we stand on the promise of our position in Christ – we miss the mark in our commission.