ONE MAN

ONE MAN
By Tommy Franks

What can one man do? Let's look at the criticism America has been receiving. A number of Christians have been saying, "If God doesn't destroy America, He will have to repent to Sodom and Gomorrah."

If we are going to compare the United States to Sodom, then the church should be compared to Abraham. If we take this premise to its conclusion, we will have to add, "If the Lord does not rebuke judgmental Christians, He will have to repent to Abraham!"

What am I talking about? I am referring to the fact that when Abraham was confronted with the imminent possibility of Sodom's destruction, he did not jump on the "Destroy Sodom" bandwagon; instead, he went before the Lord and prayed for mercy to be upon the city.

Abraham's prayer is an amazing study on the affect a mercy-motivated intercessor has on the heart of God. It tells us that the Lord is actually looking for a spark of hope, a mercy reason, to justify delaying His wrath.

Let's examine how the Lord responded to the sin of Sodom. First, He showed Abraham, His servant, what He was about to do. Why? Because God desired Abraham to intercede.

When the Lord informed His servant of what was wrong in the world, it was not so he could judge it, but so that he would intercede for mercy. Remember, God delights in mercy and takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Micah 7:18, Ezek 33:11). The Lord always seeks for opportunities of mercy.

Therefore, let's take note of how Abraham approached the Almighty: Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord.

And Abraham came near and said, "Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from Thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly” (Gen 18:22-25)?

Notice, Abraham did not pray from a place of anger. He never said, "God, it's about time You killed those perverts."

Somehow, we have come to believe that non-compromising Christians must also be angry. Abraham never compromised with Sodom's depraved culture, yet he was above fleshly reaction. In fact, throughout his prayer, Abraham did not even remind the Lord of what was wrong in Sodom. He appealed, instead, to the mercy and integrity of the Lord.

This is vitally important for us, because Jesus said, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham" (John 8:39). One of Abraham's most noteworthy deeds involved his intercessory prayer for Sodom, the most perverse city in the world at that time.

Abraham first acknowledged the Lord's integrity, then he spoke to the Lord's mercy. "Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty . . ."

The Lord knew that it would be unjust to slay the righteous with the wicked; Abraham's prayer did not enlighten the Lord of some unknown fact. But the nature of life on earth is this: God works with man to establish the future and, in the process of determining reality…He always prepares a merciful alternative.

In other words, urgent, redemptive prayer shoots straight through the mercy door to God's heart. This door is never shut, especially since we have a High Priest, Jesus Christ, ministering at the mercy seat in the heavenlies. It is open any time and every time we pray. Listen to how the Lord answered Abraham's prayer for mercy:

If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account" (Gen 18:26).

How the truth of God's mercy flies in the face of those so eager to judge America! Incredibly, the Lord said He would spare the whole city of Sodom if He found fifty righteous people there. Now, keep this in mind, the Hebrew word for spare means more than "not destroy," it also means "to forgive or pardon."

This is a tremendous revelation about the Living God: He will minimize, delay, or even cancel a day of reckoning as long as Christ-inspired prayer is being offered for sinners!

Time and again throughout the Scriptures the Lord proclaims an ever-present truth about His nature: He is "slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness" (Ex 34:6). Do we believe this? Here it is, demonstrated right in the sacred Scriptures. He tells us plainly that a few righteous people scattered in a city can preserve that city from divine wrath.

Abraham knew the love of God. They were intimate friends. Abraham, in truth, had a clear view into the heart of God based on his own experience. This interceding prophet had seen the Almighty bless, prosper, and forgive him; he pressed God's mercy toward its limits:

"What if there are forty?"
The Lord would spare it for forty.
Abraham bargained, "thirty?"
He would spare it for thirty.
"Twenty?"

He finally secured the Lord's promise not to destroy the city if he could find just ten righteous people there. Think about this, for herein we discover the heart of God: The Lord would spare sinful Sodom for the sake of ten godly people who dwelt within it!

HOW ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY? Think about your city. Are there ten good folk among you? Consider your state: Do you think there might be one thousand praying people living within its borders, people who are pleading with God for mercy? What about nationwide? Do you suppose there might be fifty thousand people interceding for America? God said He would spare Sodom for ten righteous people. Do you think God would spare the nation for the fifty thousand righteous?

What if there were one and a half million men in Washington, D.C., interceding for America? Do you think God would spare this nation?

Currently, Karen and I live in the Washington DC metropolitan area that has over 5 million people. There are scores of individuals: priests, pastors, intercessors, youth workers, black, white, Latino folk, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Christian business people, moms, dads, godly teenagers, praying grandmothers, secretaries, and righteous policemen…far more than the ten righteous needed to save a place like Sodom. There are thousands here who care and pray for this city.

Think about your church and the greater church in your city. Are there at least ten honorable people who sincerely care about your community? The Lord said He would spare Sodom for the sake of the ten.

Abraham stopped praying at ten. But I will tell you something that is most profound: Abraham stopped too soon. The Lord reveals that His mercy will extend even further. Listen to what He told Jeremiah:

“Roam to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and look now, and take note. And seek in her open squares, if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks truth, then I will pardon her” (Jer.5:1).

God says, "If you can find a man…then I will pardon her."

One holy person in an evil city can actually turn away God's wrath. One godly individual who cares for a city (or a family or a school or a neighborhood or a church) swings open the door for mercy.

If just one soul refuses to give in to the intimidation of increasing wickedness, if that one refuses to submit to hopelessness, fear or unbelief, it is enough to exact from heaven a delay on wrath. You, my friend, can be that “one” who obtains forgiveness for your city until revival comes!

Mercy far outweighs wrath. You see, whenever a person operates in intercessory mercy, the tender passions of Christ are unveiled in the world. Do you want to truly know who Jesus is? Consider: He ever lives to make intercession; He is seated at the right hand of God the Father praying on our behalf (Heb 7:25; Rom 8:34). He is not eagerly waiting in heaven desiring an opportunity to destroy the world. He is praying for mercy. This is His nature.

Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is God in His mercy form. He is God loving the world, dying for its sins, paying the price of redemption. Christ is the mercy of God satisfying the justice of God.

When God declared that man was to be made in the divine image, it is this image of Christ the Redeemer that reveals our pattern. We are to follow the mercy path set by Christ. The Bible says, "As He is, so also are we in this world" (1 John 4:17).

Thus, the nature of Christ is manifest in our world every time redemptive intercession is offered to God on behalf of sinners. Jesus came to earth to fulfill the mercy of God. His title is Redeemer. His role is Savior. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. God calls us to be like Jesus, who says to us, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21). We are sent by Jesus with the purpose of Jesus: redemption.

The manifestation on earth of one Christlike intercessor perfectly restrains God's need for judgment on a society. Let me say it again: "Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). Mercy plays exactly into God's heart. And one man or woman who reveals Christ's heart on earth will defer God's judgment from heaven.

Lord Jesus, forgive us for devaluing the power of prayer. Forgive us for underestimating how passionately You desire to reveal Your mercy. Lord, give us grace to be “one” who never ceases to cry out to You for mercy. Lord, let us not base our obedience on what our eyes see or our ears hear but, upon the revelation of Your mercy, let us build our lives to Thee. AMEN!

One man or one woman can make the difference on Planet Earth.