Plead With God For Men, Plead With Men For God

Is the controlling passion and vision of our lives to fulfill Jesus’ plan of reaching the world with the Gospel?

If it is, we will not hold grandiose dreams of future service to the Lord without a present reality.  We will never become great soldiers of the faith somewhere down the road unless we actively evangelize and disciple now.  If we cannot do it now, then we will not do it later.  

Charles H. Spurgeon once described the Christian life as “pleading with God for men, and pleading with men for God.”

Our Daily Prayers

First, this means that our day should begin with prayer, entreating God for the salvation of people through us, the Lord’s humble servants.  The Apostle Paul expressed his intense concern for the salvation of his fellow Jews in his letter to the Romans 10:1 ESV, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.”

Paul asked God for their salvation because salvation is only God’s to grant, just as our Lord Christ taught in John 6:44 ESV, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  And I will raise him up on the last day.”  And so, a desire for people’s salvation should lead us to fervent prayer, knowing that only God can cause people to be born again.

Growing in our desire and concern for people’s salvation is interactive with praying for their salvation.  Paul’s prayer intensified according to his concern for people, and the concern grew during, and as a result of, his prayers.  Without both prayer and personal concern in our hearts and lives, we will not plead for men.

Our Daily Conversations

Second, as the spiritual battle rages during the day, this desire and concern for people’s salvation should continue to be our inward prayer as we assault, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the work of the evil one who blinds the eyes of the unbelieving, by begging people to be reconciled to God.  We will plead with men for God.

The Apostle Paul entreats men and women everywhere, along with all our fellow ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”.  The Lord will accept all those who come to Him, for He Himself declared in John 6:37 ESV “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”  God’s success is guaranteed!

If God’s success is guaranteed, then why do we at times seem to resign from our ambassadorship?  It seems to be some fear that overtakes us:  fear of looking, feeling and being thought of as foolish; fear of not knowing what to say or how to answer questions; fear of losing friendships; fear of personal injury or loss of earthly security; fear or confrontation and discomfort; fear of personal involvement; fear of ridicule; or fear or whatever.  

But, it is in going forth with the results entrusted to God that God’s glory is put on display.  Observe Paul relying on the Spirit:

2 Corinthians 2:1–5 ESV “For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you.”

If we do not speak can we truly say that we are convinced that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation?  How can we then assure ourselves that we are truly concerned for people’s needs and faithfully loving them?  Without first pleading with God for men, we will not be able to trust the Lord when we plead with men for God.

Our Life’s Labors

The work does not end with fruits of evangelism, rather the process of perfection just begins.  Disciples must be established, equipped and built up to continue the work of Christ in saving and perfecting the saints.  This is the mission of the church and the final goal is nothing less than perfection in Christ.  

Our Apostle Paul defined his ministry in this manner, in Colossians 1:28–29 ESV “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

May our lives be lived for Christ, and not for ourselves, by pleading with God for men, then pleading with men for God!

Acts 20:24–27 ESV “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. . . . Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”