Our Great Commission

A friend of mine was in a public place when she overheard two women discussing that they thought they were going to go to hell. Standing there spell bound and shocked at the conversation she had just heard she contemplated what she should do with this situation and she settled on doing nothing at all. She later told me about the conversation she had overheard and asked me if she should have said something. My response was, “Absolutely you should have said something!” Those two women were content in the idea of spending eternity in a very unpleasant place. Would we be content knowing that our souls were doomed to eternal torture? I would hope not. So since we are not comfortable allowing ourselves to settle into the path straight to hell why would we knowingly sit back and watch others walk that same path? We live in a world full of souls who have yet to meet the precious saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The whole point to our existence is to show Christ to this lost and dying world.

The Great Commission:

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Christ does not want us to keep the precious gift of His saving grace for ourselves. He bestows this gift upon us not so we can lock it in a closet somewhere and horde it for us and us alone. Christ gives us His saving grace as a precious gift to share with the world, to share with everyone we come in contact with. I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of hiding my salvation message away behind closed doors. But in order to see people freed from the clutches of hell, we must open up our mouths and begin to speak out about what God has done in our lives. There is a sense of urgency in our world today. People are perishing and we have the antidote to save their souls! Why is it that we are so afraid of sharing our faith with others? Is it because we are afraid of rejection, or ridicule, or are we afraid that we will be asked a question that we don’t know the answer to and will consequently feel unprepared and under equipped? I admit, my mind goes to these places, but it should not because it is nothing but selfishness on my part. Christ put in each of us His spirit to share not to keep. Yet so many of us shrink back when the opportunities come our way to talk about what the Lord has done in our lives.

Paul wrote:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

Like Paul, we should not be ashamed of the gospel because it saves the very soul from eternal punishment. We have on the inside of us the keys to life. We hold the keys to free people from the bongages that they find themselves in. If you were bound in chains like a prisoner, wouldn’t you want someone to share with you the key to unlock your chains so you could be free? I certainly would! As hard as it might seem, this is our commission in Christ, to share the power of his saving grace with those around us. Yes, there are going to be those who reject Christ all together, but there are going to be those who will delight in Christ and His saving grace and that is what makes it all worth it! There is nothing in the world better than seeing a heart turn to Christ for the very first time! It is an absolute miracle.    

Please know that I am not talking about shoving “religion” down people’s throats here. I am talking about sharing with people in such a way that they can see our loving Father. I am talking about sharing with people from a place of love and compassion for their souls. Christ did not die on the cross so He could shove it in our faces. Christ died on the cross because He loved us that much, because He had that much compassion on us that He was willing to lay down His life for us. At the very core of the cross is LOVE. This is exactly what should drive us to share with others.

Boldness
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

According to this verse, God did not make us timid. Christ has already placed within us the boldness to share with those around us. So in those moments when we overhear a conversation of two women talking about how they are going to hell, we know that we can step out of our place of fear and step into a place of power. Christ has placed His spirit inside us to share and not to keep for ourselves. I encourage you today to step out of your comfort zone of timidity and into a place of power and boldness in Christ. Share the spirit that has been gifted to you. Just as you have freely received; freely give! 

Along with stepping out in boldness in our speech, we should also step out in boldness in our actions. I have written a previous post called "Our Voice Of Action." This post discusses the importance of allowing our actions to do the speaking for us. There will be times when our words will have little impact on the heart, but our actions can impact far greater then our words can in certain situations. Allow the Lord to direct your steps as to when it is appropriate to step out in words, and when to step out in action.

To read more on this topic of spreading the gospel visit: "Our Calling In Christ" and "Reflection of the Light."

Lord, I thank you that you have already placed within us a spirit of boldness to share our faith with those around us. Help us to not shy away from the opportunities that are placed before us. Help us not to be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power that brings salvation into the hearts and lives of those who hear it. I thank you for this great commission you have placed before us to go and share your gospel to the world. Help us to do our part each and every day in spreading your good news to every heart who will listen. Help us in the moments when we hesitate about sharing. In those moments, fill us full and overflowing with boldness and confidence in you. Most importantly Lord, fill our hearts with immense love and compassion for those around us. Lord, we place in your hands those we will be talking to in the coming days, weeks and months. Begin to soften their hearts. Fill us with your love and compassion as we fulfill this great commission you have placed before us we pray.