Saturday, June 10, 2006
John 20:21-23 Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
GO IN PEACE
Our Savior Jesus, with all the authority of the victor over death and hell, here sends and empowers all of His disciples to carry that salvation to the world. These words do not apply only to the first disciples but to all of us as well. Jesus authorizes each believer from that day to ours to speak for Him -- to make His forgiveness personal and individual. By these words we have been appointed to direct the penitent to Christ's wounds that they may have peace. We are to tell them, "Look, you have peace with God -- at Christ's expense."
So, whether we are coming to an unbeliever or a fellow Christian, our role, our goal is the same: To speak Christ's peace. The only question is: Where do we start? Is there knowledge of and sorrow over sin? Is there knowledge of and confidence in the Savior?
Remember also that part of our God-given responsibility in this, our highest calling, is to make it plain to those who hold fast to sin and not to Christ that they have no forgiveness. After all, the forgiveness of sins is received through faith -- and faith by its very nature turns away from sin, turns to the Savior from sin.
Does this scare you, this responsibility you have? It should, for none of us in ourselves is equal to this work. Not one of us. But Jesus does not send us out unequipped. We may not feel Him exhaling on us, like His first disciples, but we also receive from Him the Spirit (literally "breath") of God.
The One who creates faith where there was none, gives knowledge where there was none, imparts courage where there was none, creates love where there was none -- He it is that enables us to speak the word of peace we have been given. And He it is who works with power through that word.
In the power of the Spirit we also are able to speak Christ's forgiveness in Christ's stead.
Go in peace.
