[God] is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9, NIV)
You may have noticed that there’s something rather intriguing about the PGA Tour these days. Not only can any player win on any given Sunday, but every Sunday it looks like any one of six or eight or even ten players just might come out on top. It is golf’s version of the ensemble cast, and it gives you a chance to root for several players rather than just one.
When we look at Scripture with these same eyes, it’s easy to find similarities. The universal church—that is, the collection of those who believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again as the atoning and living Savior—is comprised of a wide swath of humanity. The door is open to any who would walk into the assembly of God by faith in his Son, without regard to upbringing, race, position, education, or whatever other filter you want to view people through.
In Christ, filters do not matter. To walk with Christ, only faith matters—faith in the work he has done.
So we are blessed to read of Peter’s exclamation upon introducing Jesus as Savior to the Gentile house of Cornelius: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34). We read in those words the hope we carry for every unbelieving friend and family member, that they would respond to the invitation of God.
We are fascinated at the melding of peoples when we read Paul’s words to the Galatians: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Sure, when we look at one another, we may see differences in outward appearance or hear differences in language or accent. These are insignificant when we all have been given new hearts and new minds in Christ Jesus.
And we are most blessed to know the truth of today’s verse, that God wants everyone to be saved. It’s the wonder of wonders—God wants us! Still, his desire arches over a world that’s broken by sin, and many resist this yearning of God, building a life on the foundation of their own strength and wisdom. But any strength that does not carry you to the cross and any wisdom that does not find reason to say yes to Jesus misses the open door. It is the way that seems right to a man yet leads to death (Proverbs 16:25).
Can we who believe then take up any more important task than to point others to that open door? Likely not. To equip ourselves for evangelism is to lead others to life. Let it be our desire—and our practice—to speak of Jesus with a friendly urgency, just as we do when we say to a buddy, “Come on, let’s go play a round!”
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Jeff Hopper
February 23, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.