Articles
Jesus Said "Go"
There is one thing all people have in common: they all need salvation from sin. Our Lord, in recognition of this universal need, commanded His apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). Matthew writes, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations….” (28:19). The reason for this command is simple, wherever people dwell in the world, sin abounds. Paul describes such in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But thanks be to God that the answer to our problem with sin is revealed in the gospel of Christ which is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16).
The book of Acts reveals what the gospel can do when it is taken into all the world. It convicted those who had killed the Savior and led to their conversion by answering their question, “What shall we do?” The gospel opened the eyes of the Samaritans who had long been deceived (Acts 8:12) and gave joy to a man from Ethiopia who had traveled hundreds of miles to worship (Acts 8:35-39). It changed the life of Saul of Tarsus, a fiery persecutor of Christians (Acts 22:16). Its message was joyfully received by a successful business woman, Lydia (Acts 16:14-15) and saved a jailed who was on the verge of committing suicide (Acts 16:3033). At Thessalonica the charge was made against those who proclaimed the gospel were “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). In each case, it was the message and not the messengers which produced this life changing impact.
God’s soul saving gospel is no less powerful today than it was in the first century. God designed the gospel message so that it is fully adapted to supply the spiritual needs of people when or wherever the live, whatever their background may be and regardless of their problems. It is a message that never needs changing or updating. God designed the gospel message to be pertinent and applicable to all people wherever they live to the end of time.
The responsibility to preach the gospel to “every creature” is a great assignment. The responsibility to fulfill this great task falls on the Lord’s disciples in each generation. This task requires dedication, determination, sacrifice, hard work, faith and the wise use of available methods. As we go about fulfilling this responsibility we must exercise caution not to substitute human wisdom for God’s divine plan. Any faith produce by our efforts must not stand in the wisdom of men, but “in the power of God” (I Cor. 2:5).
This month we are focusing on preaching the gospel. What are you doing to propagate the gospel among your relatives, friends and other acquaintances that are a part of “all the world?” You have an influence with these people that no one else has. Use your influence to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus. It takes every Christian to reach every sinner in “all the world.”
