We Are All On A Mission
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Jesus commanded His disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15-16). These important verses place every child of God on a mission.
ALL PEOPLE
This was a divine call for every disciple of Christ to reach every creature no matter what gender, ethnicity, social status, or age. Of course you understand that the word “creature” - ktisis - used here merely speaks of anything created by God. Rabbinical scholars used this term to refer to a man who had converted from idolatry to Judaism. Jesus used the term to mean all of mankind around the world.
HAVING GONE PREACH
The verb go here is an aorist passive verb. Young’s Literal Translation says, “Having gone to all the world, proclaim the good news to all the creation.” The main idea is that of preaching the good news, not so much as that of going.
MISSIONARY TRIPS
I have had the honor of doing short-term missionary trips to the islands of the Bahamas, to Honduras, and to Mexico. I have seen men, women, boys, and girls yield to the precious moving of the Holy Spirit. However, due to responsibilities, it was always necessary for me to return to Baton Rouge.
MOST CANNOT GO
Most in the church are unable to leave all and travel to distant lands to minister for Christ. In order to be part of the Great Commission, many are now equipping missionaries with Expositor Study Bibles so that others may learn and grow in the knowledge of God’s Word.
GOOD NEWS
“Good news” comes from the Greek word euaggelion. Strong’s Concordance (G2098) translates this word as “a good message, that is, the gospel.” Thayer’s Greek Definitions went into more detail: “Good tidings, the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, the glad tidings of salvation through Christ, the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ, or simply the gospel.” Notice, nowhere in either definitions of euaggelion does it refer to religious works as being good news.
HE THAT BELIEVETH
Within the wording of the Great Commission the means by which we are saved is declared. “He that believeth” is saved. Some stress, “and is baptized.” We need to see the condition by which mankind is condemned, or is lost. Jesus said, “But he that believeth not shall be damned.” The state of unbelief produced the state of condemnation. There is no mention of water baptism.
WHAT IS WATER BAPTISM?
Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward work. Those who truly believe will follow in obedience into water baptism. However, there are times when water baptism is not possible. Those who believed are still saved. Water baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Water does not save anyone. The thief on the cross believed and was guaranteed salvation: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43). He died under the new covenant which began when Jesus died for the sins of mankind. And yet, he was not baptized in water. Belief is always the means of salvation. Not believing is what produces damnation.
WE ARE ALL ON A MISSION
Charles Spurgeon once said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” Spurgeon was a great believer in the Great Commission. He obviously felt, as I do, that the burden of reaching souls for Christ rests on every child of God. Therefore we are all on a mission.
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