May 31, 2008

The Unspeakable Privilege

matthew 13:1–17

We are a privileged generation. In fact, we are the most privileged in history. Each generation gains an advantage over the other. We learn, or should learn, exponentially more from history’s successes and failures. We are flooded with knowledge from countless books, articles, commentaries, lectures, and sermons—all of which ideally build upon one another. And we have learned from those who have gone before us, including heroes of the faith and those who have failed.
While we have all those great privileges, they pale in comparison to our greatest. We have been given the unspeakable privilege of knowing Christ and His saving sacrifice through God’s revealed Word (Eph. 1:17–21). Through the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1–17, we learn that from Christ (the sower) we have been given the seed (the Gospel) to deliver it to the soil (the hearts of men). And we learn that all of this has been freely given to us by God who opened our hearts (Matt. 13:11a). Also, consider this privilege in light of its alternative, which is that this truth would be concealed (Matt. 13: 11b).
This privilege is unspeakable because God Almighty, through the power of the Holy Spirit, has chosen to open our eyes and ears, so that we may be able to see and hear the truths of His Word (Matt. 13:16). We are clearly shown that we are not saved by anything that is in us, but that the Lord Jesus has saved us by grace alone. This overwhelming and incomprehensible truth about our sinfulness and God’s grace should humble us to the point where we feel like Job and place our hands over our mouths and speak no more (Job 40:4–5).
Do you believe? If you do, do you see the significance of the privilege you have received? Do you feel the weight of responsibility to proclaim what has been granted to you?
We have the remarkable opportunity to share Christ to a dying world. May we proclaim Christ boldly, realizing that even if we are the least in the kingdom of God, we are greater than all the prophets that have gone before us, because we have been given the unspeakable privilege to point to Christ (Matt. 13:17; Luke 7:28).

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John Cobb

John Cobb is vice president of strategic initiatives.