One way to appreciate the “Great Commission”, is to see what the Good News is, initially through the eyes of the unconverted.
Ready?
It is too good to be true.
Whether heard from the lips of a Christian, seen as the snippet of a Bible verse on a church marquee, or read in a novel quoting someone’s brief words of trust in God—these truly are expressions of something so beyond the realm of human grasp, that if it were not for the birth of Christ on our planet, there would never be the possibility of acceptance.
When faced with this exposure to the miraculous, what can the receiver do but inwardly exclaim, “What?” The result can lead to incredulity, a joyful reception, rejection, wonder, inquisitiveness, etc. The “What?” inwardly manifests itself as the first result of a seed sown.
Now it remains for the believer to understand and work from these reactions: past, present, and future ones. We must keep in focus that the Gospel message is miraculous in itself, being an expression and revelation of God’s character and will. It is “auto-evangelizing” by the inherit power to work via the Holy Spirit. We, as conveyors of the Good News by Word, deed, and lifestyle aren’t just waiting to evangelize. We, as well as the unconverted, are responding to it, albeit the latter (us) at an intimate and saving level. In this sense, inside and outwardly, followers of Jesus do fit the label of being evangelicals.
This too-good-to-be-true sense that wells in us is the unstoppable impetus to daily commit to the Great Commission. To borrow from the title of a Keith Miller book from the '70s, we can call ourselves "The Becomers". We are not forcing things. Together, we are expressing in understandable terms, the “Wow!” of gratitude.
Ready?
It is too good to be true.
Whether heard from the lips of a Christian, seen as the snippet of a Bible verse on a church marquee, or read in a novel quoting someone’s brief words of trust in God—these truly are expressions of something so beyond the realm of human grasp, that if it were not for the birth of Christ on our planet, there would never be the possibility of acceptance.
When faced with this exposure to the miraculous, what can the receiver do but inwardly exclaim, “What?” The result can lead to incredulity, a joyful reception, rejection, wonder, inquisitiveness, etc. The “What?” inwardly manifests itself as the first result of a seed sown.
Now it remains for the believer to understand and work from these reactions: past, present, and future ones. We must keep in focus that the Gospel message is miraculous in itself, being an expression and revelation of God’s character and will. It is “auto-evangelizing” by the inherit power to work via the Holy Spirit. We, as conveyors of the Good News by Word, deed, and lifestyle aren’t just waiting to evangelize. We, as well as the unconverted, are responding to it, albeit the latter (us) at an intimate and saving level. In this sense, inside and outwardly, followers of Jesus do fit the label of being evangelicals.
This too-good-to-be-true sense that wells in us is the unstoppable impetus to daily commit to the Great Commission. To borrow from the title of a Keith Miller book from the '70s, we can call ourselves "The Becomers". We are not forcing things. Together, we are expressing in understandable terms, the “Wow!” of gratitude.
