Ambassadors of salvation

This morning I was thanking God for the privilege of writing these little blog notes. I asked Him to let me take dictation from Him every day. I wanted my writing to be all of God and none of me. But immediately I realized that this is not God's way. Even the prophets, who wrote and spoke as men "carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet.1:21), did not for the most part produce their utterances by a passive transmission from the Spirit.

God so accords his creatures dignity that He deigns to make us authentic coauthors with Him in His endeavors. He does not emasculate us to use us, but enlists the very personalities and experiences He gave to allow us genuine creativity. So Scripture is "God-breathed" (2 Tim.3:16) but it is man-breathed too, in a seamless operation.

I heard a preacher pray before his sermon, "Lord, get me out of the way of your Holy Spirit." I appreciate that petition, but I hope he meant to request that God get his sin out of the way, and not his manhood. Likewise, God insists on using our agency to send out the gospel appeal, making flawed men ambassadors of salvation. Seems pretty risky to me, but somehow the job gets done.