Jesus always sees people through the lens of anticipated redemption. Seeing them for who He intended them to be, rather than seeing them for who they really are.
The Russian writer and philosopher Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “ To love someone means to see him as God intended him.“ It’s this idea of seeing every person and treating them as kingdom contributors before they even know what the kingdom is. It means treating people as if they are already functioning in the body of Christ, giving them a picture of what could be and should be.
God has expanded my view of prayer beyond a verbal exchange between God and I. This idea of anticipated redemption is living out a prayer for people far from God. I believe that God sees the faith of our anticipation for people and answers it by drawing these people to himself. It’s prayer with feet. It’s living out our prayer life with anticipation.
It’s not our job to arrest people with our judgment, but rather by grace. Being arrested by judgment produces guilt, shame, hostility, and hopelessness. Being arrested by grace produces repentance, hope, worth, and redemption.
Try seeing and treating those far from God as already followers of God, as to win them through anticipated redemption.
Awesome way to look at the world! God knows the potential in each of us, we shoudl realize that there is hidden potential in everyone also.
Thanks Dave! Great word.
Mike,
I like your post for a couple of reasons. First, I love the imagery of being "arrested by grace," and the fruit of such an encounter. I think that this thinking is incredibly reflective of both Jesus' encounters with people, as well as the apostle Paul's exposition of who Jesus is and what is accomplished in and through Him.
Second, I really love how you have chosen to make use of the term "redemption" rather than "salvation." I think that the term redemption has a much fuller meaning, which allows us to envision God's work in terms of total transformation rather than as mere assent or acknowledgment of who Jesus is, with an accompanying ticket to heaven. Redemption is a beautiful image which captures the cost, the potential, and the work it takes for that potential to be realized.