CALLING ALL CHRISTIANS!

WARNING

THERE’S A HOLE IN OUR GOSPEL

by Jean Cader

A person who has discovered Jesus Christ is a changed person! That person can no longer wake up each day, like everyone, and get on with life as if nothing has happened to his or her awareness of a spiritual reality. A person who then goes on to understand God’s plan of salvation for the whole of humanity cannot ignore the call to go and make disciples of all nations.

In an inspiring book on God’s call, entitled Unfinished: Filling the Hole in Our Gospel, Richard Stearns writes ‘[i]t was not a call to give up on the world, now holding our “tickets to heaven” firmly in our hands and retreating into our churches. It was a call to go into the world to reclaim, reform, and restore it for Christ.’ The author goes on to expand this thought along the line of finding purpose in life as Christians. He notes: ‘[t]he implication of this is profound. God created you intentionally to play a very specific role in his unfolding story. God didn’t create any extras meant to just stand on the sidelines and watch the story unfold; he created players meant to be on center stage. And you will feel fully complete only when you discover the role you were born to play.’

Two points jump out from the above passage. First, in the call to action in God’s great work of salvation among the Nations there are no substitutes who stand on the sideline waiting for injured or disqualified players to be called off the playing field before they can be involved in the action. All who have discovered Jesus Christ and His commission are called to take part in God’s great work of salvation among the nations! There are no exceptions. We all have a specific role to play in the unfolding event throughout the world. Second, it is that involvement in the plan of salvation that gives purpose and direction to the Christian life. And without this purpose and direction the Christian can never really feel fully complete in their life, as they will have missed the very thing they are called to do as disciples.

This then raises the question whether all who have discovered Jesus and God’s wonderful plan of salvation are called to go to the nations. To address this pertinent question we must refer to the Commission as Jesus issued it in the New Testament; and also note Stearns once more. Matthew 28:19 reads, “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” There is really no specificity in the command to particular individuals, unless we want to argue that the gospel commission was only binding on the few who were present when Jesus spoke these words. That of course is a slippery slope argument, as we would need to apply the same logic to everything Jesus ever said. But the commission appears to be a broad and inclusive command to go to the nations. Verse 20 of the same chapter indicates that Jesus issued the commission to everyone who will ever become His disciples, even “to the end of the age”. And as Stearns noted earlier “God didn’t create any extras meant to just stand on the sidelines and watch the story unfold; he created players meant to be on center stage.”

The author of Steps to Christ, Ellen G White, adds validity to this argument when she writes on page 91 of her book: “If the followers of Christ were awake to duty, there would be thousands where there is one today, proclaiming the Gospel in foreign lands. And all who could not personally engage in the work would yet sustain it with their means, their sympathy and their prayers.”

The rationale brought out in the above argument suggests that the commission in Matthew 28 is a requisite for all who have discovered Jesus and His call. It appears that all are called to help take the gospel to the nations.  And all who for legitimate reasons cannot go will yet seek to respond to the call via their finances, their encouragement and their intercession. I’m fully aware that many Christians take issue with the argument that we are all called to go; and present the argument that we all have a specific calling on our individual lives. While this is certainly true, it nevertheless does not negate the general command to help take the Gospel to the nations. That command does not seem to be negotiable even if we are fully involved in our home church as clergy or laity; or even if we are involved in compassionate activities throughout the world. The command to go and make disciples of all nations is binding on all who have accepted Jesus!

If we are true to ourselves we would recognize that Matthew 28:19 is unquestionably rallying every Christian to answer their call of duty to help take the Gospel to the nations. For a deeper and richer appreciation of God’s call on your personal life the two books I’ve quoted from will direct your steps to a focused and purposeful life in Christ. Make an effort to acquire and read them both. And then determine to take the Gospel to the nations in ways that God is revealing to you.