Gospel Reflections #383: Mission is our response of gratitude and joy to God's forgiveness

Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? Who should we send? Who will go in our stead? I said, "I am here. I am here. Send me.

This verse is often used in missionary preaching.

When we hear this verse, how do we receive it?

Have we ever taken it as if we have to control ourselves in order to get ourselves up and going at a rally or something like that?

I believe that Isaiah was never like that.

Isaiah saw the Lord and feared that his uncleanness would destroy him.

Then one of the Seraphim flew to Isaiah with a burning coal in his hand that he had taken from the altar and said, "Behold, it has touched your lips, and your evil has been taken away and your sins forgiven. Isaiah had experienced forgiveness.

Isaiah experienced forgiveness.

Isaiah believed and accepted that God had forgiven him of his sins.

Isaiah did not do anything to be redeemed by God, nor did he break through God's passing line.

Sometimes we, too, are so focused on our own weakness and ugliness that we think we are only worthy of being destroyed by God. At such times, Jesus said to each of us, "I have become the substitute for your sins. You are free from sin."We believe it, don't we?

Do we believe it?

Do we receive it as our own?

Do we accept that we have been forgiven and saved from our sins by Jesus?

If we receive it, if we believe it, if we accept it, we are in gratitude, joy, and hope. And we offer ourselves to God to help Jesus in any way we can.

Isaiah's grateful and joyful response to God's forgiveness is, "Here am I. Send me."Isaiah had the power to do what he could do, so he said, "I am here.

Isaiah said this not because he had the power to do so, but only as a response of gratitude and joy to God.

We too can become a part of God's mission only when we have the joy of redemption and salvation.

God's redemption and salvation are gifts from God. God is a God who will give it to us if we ask for it.

Let us ask boldly and respond boldly.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.