BECOME A BLESSING

I Want To Be A Blessing

"And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; And so shall you be a blessing... And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3; NASB)

I think it would be safe to say that most of us want to be blessed. And being a blessed people, most of us “want to be a blessing” to others. Indeed, such a desire is perfectly in keeping with the heart of God. For whoever the Lord has blessed has experienced an inward transformation of the heart, in their receiving the blessing of God. In this transformation of the heart, upon receiving the favor and fortunes of Christ, somebody who is blessed isn't looking to simply keep those blessings selfishly to themselves. Instead, they wish to share the riches they have in Christ with others.

The Redemptive Blessing

God made a promise to Abraham that in blessing him, Abraham’s name would be magnified and exalted, resulting in the blessing of Abraham being spread to every people and in every nation of the earth. Through this blessing, the curse that entered the world through the fall of man in the Garden of Eden would be reversed, and the world ultimately transformed. All of redemptive history has centered around this very promise God made to Abraham almost four thousand years ago. Indeed, the history of the world that yet remains still centers around the working out of the promise that God made to Abraham. There has yet to be a day where God hasn’t been actively looking to bring this promise of blessing to pass. But how has He done this?

First and foremost, this promise made to Abraham centers itself in the work and person of Jesus Christ. God saw the lost spiritual state of mankind, and knew that we were sinners in need of a Savior. So, God sent His only-begotten Son into this world to die for our sins on the cross. Though innocent and blameless, doing nothing deserving of death, He received the wrath and punishment of God for us on the cross. And in the conquering of death by means of His resurrection from the grave, Jesus Christ made it possible for man to be brought into a right relationship with Him, and experience the new life that is available to all who would become a part of His kingdom.

What comes with the new life for those who partake of His kingdom? First and foremost, with it comes being made righteous in the sight of God. And now being in right relationship with the Lord through the work of Christ on the cross, we can enjoy the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. Through being made at peace with God, we now know the love of the Father. Knowing that love, we can now have joy unspeakable. And having such overflowing joy, there is an accompanying glory that rests on our lives.

These are but a sampling of the blessings that are available to us now. So many more could be spoken of, and we haven’t even touched on all of the blessings that are yet to come when the Lord returns at the end of the present age, and in all the subsequent ages that follow. Suffice to say, the riches that are available in Christ are great. Being the King of kings and the Lord of lords, enthroned at the right hand of the Father in heaven, all things are His. And whatever is His, we have been made partakers of by virtue of our spiritual union with Him.

But, as I mentioned earlier, the blessings of heaven afforded to us are not ours to hoard selfishly for ourselves. Just as an apple tree grows fruit for others to consume, so we have been blessed in order that we might be a blessing. And so long as we live in the present age, it is our job as Christians to further God’s redemptive plan in history by dispensing these blessings to others.

Making A True Difference

What then does it mean to be a blessing to others? We all know people, sinners and saints alike, who are “nice” people that make a positive difference in the lives of others. But, if you look at this from a Biblical perspective, being a blessing to others goes beyond showing superficial displays of niceness to others. It goes beyond saying a simple, “God bless you,” to somebody who sneezes at the check-out line in the grocery store.

Indeed, the ability to bless others is a priestly function of the kingdom of God. When one “blesses” another person, they serve as a mediator between two worlds. When we bless others with the riches of Christ and His kingdom, an “I… you… world” relationship is established. And in that relationship, and in that blessing, something is communicated of the knowledge of God. And that knowledge of God is ultimately redemptive in power and scope.

Being a tangible thing that is actually capable of making a redemptive purpose in the life of the nations, it is therefore very important that the nations embrace the blessings God has charged us to dispense. That is why God told Abraham that whoever cursed him would themselves be cursed. For without the blessings God has given us to dispense to this lost and dying world, the nations are filled with nothing but hell and subject to the decay of the curse which began in the Garden. When the mind is left to its’ carnality, and nothing of the knowledge of God is communicated to it by those who minister on behalf of Jesus Christ, then nothing but a “curse” can continue to rule and reign in the lives of people.

When the Lord sent the apostles out on their first missionary journey, He instructed them as follows:

[11] "And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. [12] "As you enter the house, give it your greeting. [13] "If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. [14] "Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. [15] "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. (Matthew 10:11-15)

The, “blessing of peace,” Christ instructed the apostles to minister, as you can see, is a very tangible thing that makes a practical difference in the lives of people. So much so, that should the apostles choose to remove that blessing of peace, an intolerable day of judgment would be reserved for the people from whom the blessing was withdrawn. A horrible vacuum of wrath is created in the lives of those who make no room for the redemptive blessings of God. And such wrath doesn’t always wait until the day of judgment to be demonstrated in some measure.

Such can be seen historically in any nation which has directly opposed the people of God and the gospel message. In 70 A.D., Jerusalem was raised to the ground by the Romans for their rejection of Jesus Christ and the blessings that come through His kingdom. Rome itself would eventually suffer the same fate as it eventually rejected the true knowledge of God for a counterfeit gospel message propagated by Catholicism. And in more recent times, Nazi Germany and Communist Russia came to similar violent ends in their rejection of the gospel and persecution of God’s people. Such should cause those who live in the United States, England, and many other countries to tremble at the steps actively being taken to oppose the work that the Lord is doing in their midst today. An intolerable day of judgment awaits them all.

A Priestly People

Now, I haven’t said all of this to take some opportunity to make an appeal that we put the Ten Commandments back in our court houses, and that we seek to have prayer re instituted in the classroom. Nor have I said all of this to throw some prophetic gauntlet down on the nations of the world, or to send terror into your bones. Rather, I have said all of these things simply to reinforce the idea that the blessings of God are very real and tangible things we have been called to minister. They are blessings the world has gone mad for in their lacking of them. They do make a difference. And if we as the people of God wish to make the redemptive difference God has called all of us to make, and to be a blessing, then we must look at these sobering thoughts as an opportunity to take up the serious nature of our calling to be the type of people that are capable of ministering such blessings. And I believe such requires us to be a “priestly” people.

For as I said earlier, these redemptive blessing of God is not a cheap niceness we exhibit in our conduct, but are tangible things that can only be ministered by those who are priests. Now of course, as the apostle Peter said, by virtue of our new birth, we have been made into a “royal priesthood.” (1 Peter 2:9) But my question to you is, are you living up to that calling? Are you faithfully executing the duties of the priesthood Christ has given to you? Are you priestly?

If you truly wish to be the blessing God has called you to be, then you must become priestly in your mindset and way of life. “Priestly-ness” is marked by sacrifice. Your life must be something that is not your own, but is entirely the Lord’s. You must be holy and consecrated unto Him in all things. You must minister unto the Lord, and serve Him. You must know the word of the Lord, and be able to discern between the holy and the profane thing.

And while having access to the presence of God, you must also be willing to meet the people where they are at, to stand in their place, and get your hands on them. When being a priest, there is no place to be aloof from God or man. A true priest does not keep his distance from either, rather, he is drawn intimately close to both. And it is assuming this posture that the priest successfully bridges the gap between heaven and earth, and allows the blessing of God to rest upon all those who are willing to receive his ministry in the Lord, and the blessing that he brings.

Conclusion

The world is fallen and corrupt. It is suffering deeply because of the curse that was released upon it since man first turned his back on God in Eden. But God being rich in mercy set forth a plan of redemption to restore the blessings of heaven that were once lost to this world. God has chosen to restore those blessings, by making a promise to a man named Abraham, and ultimately through work and person of Jesus Christ and all of those who would follow Him, to yet again dispense those blessings to the uttermost ends of the earth. Such blessings aren’t to be confused with random acts of kindness or good manners, but rather, they are to be seen as eternal and tangible things that communicate a knowledge of God that is ultimately redemptive in value. And such blessings require a people who have surrendered their all in service to their God, and ultimately, their fellow man. For only in complete abandonment does a man find the ability to actually bless others, and bridge the gap between heaven and earth.

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