ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR. 1st Timothy 2:5 The foundation of our public prayer is that there is "One God, and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." One God is contrasted with humanity and the countless people who have their own ideas about how to reach God—'if there is a God." Some men believe God will take everyone to heaven because He is merciful, so they don't bother to seek Him. Others think there are many ways to reach God, so their way should work just as well as any other. Some believe that if they sincerely think they are right, they have nothing to worry about. Others don't care either way. The basis of our public prayers is that God’s plan of salvation is available through Christ Jesus alone. His death is our ransom.
The qualifications of the Lord Jesus to serve as our Mediator are that He bears God’s image and man’s likeness [Phil.2:6-8; Heb.2:14-17]. He is both sinless and a sin-bearer [Isa.53:6-10; Eph.2:13-18], enduring God’s wrath and bringing God’s righteousness [Rom.5:6-19] to us, as well as imputing it to us. He is both the sacrifice and the priest [Heb.7:27; Heb.10:5-22]. He performs the office of Mediator by taking our nature [1John 1:1-3], dying as our substitute [1Pet.3:18], and reconciling us to God [Eph.2:16]. No one is beyond the reach of God's mercy or outside the scope of salvation while they are alive, but they must know and accept that there is only one way to God, regardless of what others may say.
One God testifies to His authority and power, providing the only Mediator. Job knew he needed and wanted an umpire or mediator in Job 9:33. The fact that there is only one God highlights the contrast between deity and humanity. We need only one Mediator to bring salvation, which opposes the false ideas held by men and their religious beliefs. The Man, Christ Jesus, alone, qualifies Him as the One Mediator. He alone could meet the demands of the law. He who alone is the ransom for all gave Himself. The testimony of the Gospel and declaring the fact of the One Mediator is the work of the Gospel herald.
One God: revealing Himself with unmistakable evidence. I see the proofs – the greens, the browns, the blues – as great backdrops to the changing colors of the seasons. The gradual color changes of early spring, transforming into brilliant sprays of color, as the changes come through summer, fall, and winter – evidence of One who makes and enjoys what He created. He looks at all of it with pleasure and says, “Very good!” and so do I.
One God: producing sounds ranging from the quiet murmurings of brooks and breezes to the overwhelming noises of winds, rain, and ocean storms. The individual sounds of living creatures include the chirp of a solitary bird, the shivering roars of African lions, or the piercing bugle of an elk. There are sounds of exuberant playing children, deepening voices of youths – sounds in the sky as thunder voices the promise of a living God. Proofs exist as we hear the sounds of new life – and approaching death also has its sounds of faith. We listened as Jesus said, “Finished!” and I rejoice.
One God who holds the keys of life and death and uses them—bringing life, hope, and meaning to our existence that would otherwise seem vain. By His power and supreme authority, He maintains the order of planets and ages—bringing peace to earthbound men who seek answers with their hearts. They find it when they come to the place where the God-man made peace—peace at the highest cost, “The blood of His cross.” The key of life is turned—opening eyes once darkened to see the light within the soul that springs forth—the gap that separated sin-bound men is bridged. New life—a new creation begins—“Accepted in the Beloved!” and I am at peace.
Every time you stop to pray, whether in the morning, noon, or night, there is One listening to every word who fully understands what you mean and say; He is the all-knowing “Man Christ Jesus.” The words you choose—even how you speak—show your sincerity and whether you are truly meek and lowly in heart, like Him who hears. He is God’s unique Son—the “Man Christ Jesus.”
When the need is real and the burden on your soul is heavy to carry, you have full access to speak with God in prayer. He hears your heart calling out to the One who is always near – the listening “Man Christ Jesus.” No problem is too big for you to describe, but He already knows all about it. No issue is too small for you to bring before His throne and patiently wait for the interceding “Man Christ Jesus.” He reaches with one hand to the throne of God, then with the other to you, carrying the heavy load you bear, and by the power and authority of His own shed blood, He mediates – the “Man Christ Jesus.”
Prayer is not meaningless; it is the believer’s breath and lifeline to God. From the day we are born until the day we die, we can simply pray — He understands the height and depth of our needs, for He is God and the “Man Christ Jesus.”
Giving thanks to God is the best way to start any prayer. It helps us become aware of God's goodness and the ongoing blessings He has given us. God sends us His love, grace, and forgiveness through our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank Him for what He has done for us and is doing through others. “In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Everything that pleases God, including prayers and praises, is done through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our efforts and fellowship with God’s people around the world are through Him. It's common for us to find reasons to praise God or pray when we think about what God is doing through His people in different nations and situations we may only hear about.
How can I support my brothers and sisters who are standing for God in difficult places and during these challenging times? I can approach the throne of grace! Thanks to their faith in Christ, interceding allows me to join in their efforts and sufferings. As I pray for regions like Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and around the world, I become a fellow laborer to the extent that I enter into their lives and struggles. One thing I can do, even if I don't know much about what they are experiencing, is give thanks for them. Like believers in Rome, when Rome was the center of the world in the eyes of people at that time, we have the opportunity to let our faith and commitment to the Gospel be known worldwide. Our support for those who go to the “regions beyond” is a testimony to God’s grace and His Gospel.
I am thankful that God has saved them and given them a concern for the souls of men, women, and children in other places. I am thankful their testimony was such at home that they had the confidence of the Lord's people to send them elsewhere. I am thankful for those who listened to their testimony for the Lord. I am thankful that those saved by grace in distant places have counted the cost and publicly stood for Christ where they are known. I am thankful for the multiplying principle practiced in the book of Acts, which still works today in every place where the Gospel is preached in fellowship with God. I am thankful that God's Word will not "return unto Him void" because of the faithful sowers of the Gospel seed worldwide. “I praise Thee, O God, for Thy faithful people.” The Savior who suffered for us, "The just for the unjust that He might bring us to God," has fully satisfied God's righteous justice on our behalf. He is God’s High Priest forever for us… Heb.6:20; 7:21,24,25. As High Priest, He has a priestly ministry on our behalf, constantly making intercession for us. He has obtained eternal redemption for us… Heb.9:12.