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Author
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Topic: A CHRISTIAN OBLIGATION
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
WildB...
What a great topic!
I found something to add from Concise Theology
MISSION
CHRIST SENDS THE CHURCH INTO THE WORLD
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
JOHN 20:21
Mission is from the Latin missio, which means “sending.” The words Jesus spoke to his first disciples in their representative capacity, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21; cf. 17:18), still apply. The universal church, and therefore every local congregation and every Christian in it, is sent into the world to fulfill a definite, defined task. Jesus, the church’s Lord, has issued marching orders. Individually and corporately, all God’s people are now in the world on the king’s business.
The appointed task is twofold. First and fundamentally, it is the work of worldwide witness, disciple-making, and church-planting (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20; Mark 13:10; Luke 24:47-48). Jesus Christ is to be proclaimed everywhere as God incarnate, Lord, and Savior; and God’s authoritative invitation to find life through turning to Christ in repentance and faith (Matt. 22:1-10; Luke 14:16-24) is to be delivered to all mankind. The ministry of church-planter Paul, evangelist (so far as strength and circumstances allowed) to the whole world (Rom. 1:14; 15:17-29; 1 Cor. 9:19-23; Col. 1:28-29), models this primary commitment.
Second, all Christians, and therefore every congregation of the church on earth, are called to practice deeds of mercy and compassion, a thoroughgoing neighbor-love that responds unstintingly to all forms of human need as they present themselves (Luke 10:25-27; Rom. 12:20-21). Compassion was the inward aspect of the neighbor-love that led Jesus to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and teach the ignorant (Matt. 9:36; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13), and those who are new creatures in Christ must be similarly compassionate. Thereby they keep the second great commandment and also give credibility to their proclamation of a Savior who makes sinners into lovers of God and of their fellow human beings. If the exponents of this message do not display its power in their own lives, credibility is destroyed. If they do, credibility is enhanced. This was Jesus’ point when he envisaged the sight of the good works of his witnesses leading people to glorify the Father (Matt. 5:16; cf. 1 Pet. 2:11-12). Good works should be visible to back up good words.
Though Jesus anticipated the Gentile mission (Matt. 24:14; John 10:16; 12:32), he saw his earthly ministry as directed to “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, always went to Jews first wherever he evangelized (Acts 13:5, 14, 42-48; 14:1; 16:13; 17:1-4, 10; 18:4-7, 19; 19:8-10; 28:17-28; Rom. 1:16; 2:9-10). The right of the Jews to hear the gospel first is a matter of divine appointment (Acts 3:26; 13:26, 46), and evangelistic outreach to Jews should continue to be a priority as the church seeks to fulfill its mission. Christian Jews are free from the ceremonial law but are also free to follow Jewish customs that express their ethnic culture. The long-standing expectation that Jewish Christians will leave behind their Jewish identity rather than rejoice in being “fulfilled” Jews is a cultural prejudice with no biblical basis.
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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WildB
Moderator
Member # 2917
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posted
by Cornelius R. Stam
Three times in Rom. 1:14-16, the Apostle Paul uses the phrase "I am," and each one carries an important message for every true believer in Christ.
First he says in Verse 14: "I am debtor" -- debtor to all men, to tell them about the saving work of Christ. But why was he indebted to people he had never even seen? For several reasons.
First, he had in his hand what they needed to be saved from the penalty and power of sin. If I see a drunkard lying across the railroad track and I do nothing about it, am I not a murderer if he is killed by the train? If I see a man drowning and I have a life buoy in my hand but do not throw it to him, am I not a murderer if he goes down for the last time? If I see millions of lost souls about me and, knowing the message of salvation, do not tell them, am I not guilty if they die without Christ?
Further, Paul felt himself a debtor to others, because the Christ who had died for his sins had also died for the sins of others. As he says in II Cor. 5:14,15: "Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto Him who died for them and rose again."
Finally, the Christ who had died for Paul’s sins, had commissioned him to tell others of His saving grace. Thus he says in I Cor. 9:16,17:
"Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel! For... a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me."
Paul could say further what every true believer should be able to say: Not, "I am debtor, but," but rather, "I am debtor... So, as much as in me is I am ready" (Rom. 1:15). He was ready to discharge his debt because he had that with which to discharge it -- the wonderful "gospel of the grace of God." And he did indeed make this message known to others with all that was in him.
And now the third "I am": "I am debtor... so I am ready ... for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." (Ver. 16). Paul was always proud to own Christ as the mighty Savior from sin. Do you know Christ as your Savior? Do you tell others about Him?
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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