W ho CAN stand complacently beside a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple and see thousands of Japanese, created for fellowship with God, give their worship and devotion to an object made with hands? Who can hold back the tears or anguish of heart when seeing a million people stand on the banks of the Ganges River in India, waiting for the chance to plunge in and “wash away their sins” ? These unhappy ones know the burden of sin, but they have never heard that Christ died to take away the sins of the world. The charter for world evangelization was issued on the highest authority of the universe by Jesus Christ, the risen Lord. He declared, “ All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). His authority had been verified forty days earlier by His triumph over death and the powers of darkness. On that authority He based His command: “Go ye there fore, and teach all nations . . .” The invoking of author ity clearly indicates that world evangelization is God’s program and that He is vitally concerned in it. The redemption of mankind is God’s central activity, and He wants the evangelization o f men everywhere to be the central activity of His children. P rovision for M an ’ s R edemption The redemption of man cost God the highest possible price, but His love made Him willing to pay that price. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as sil ver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ” (I Peter 1:18,19). God’s first step in the redemptive process was send ing His Son to be born of a woman, to live among men, to die on the cross, and to be raised from the dead. Luke tells us: “ It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day” (24:46). If man was to be redeemed, there was no other way. When Christ on the cross cried out, “ It is finished!” the work of redemption was accomplished. Nothing more could be added—nothing more needed to be added. But the responsibility committed to His followers is not finished. P roclamation of R edemption R equired The second necessary step is the proclamation of this message. In Luke 24:47 we read, “ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.” Even as it was necessary that Christ die for the sins of men, so it is necessary that this message be pro claimed to them. Without the proclamation of redemp tion, the death of Christ would have been in vain. When men do not hear the message, there is a double loss: Christ is deprived of the fellowship of those for whom He shed His blood; and these undying souls, who should have learned of the possibility of forgiveness of sin, of reconciliation with God, and of eternal fellowship with Him, are doomed instead to eternal condemnation. Little wonder that Jesus affirms His absolute author ity as risen Lord when He gives His command. He re minds His disciples that obedience is not optional but obligatory. His glory and the welfare of souls are at stake. The disciples understood that authority of Christ. When He taught, He spoke with authority. He demon strated His authority over nature, over demons, and over death itself. His disciples also understood the imperative of the command. Peter said: “We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Paul, who met the living Christ on the Damascus road and re ceived a commission to go to the Gentiles, declared: “ I
am debtor” (Romans 1 :14), and, “Necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16). P erishing M ultitudes Y et U nreached God is as much concerned about men now as He was in the days of the apostles, for “ the Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3 :9 ). Today, more than ever before, multitudes are per ishing. The world’s population is burgeoning, now hav ing passed the three-billion mark. The number of souls outside of Christ is more than two billion, eight-hun dred million. This vast throng is made up of individuals who, for the most part, have never heard, in any ade quate way, that Christ died to save them from eternal death. Likely the majority has never heard His name. P ossibility of A ccomplishment If it is true that world evangelism is God’s program and if He has committed this responsibility to His chil dren, then He must have provided adequate means for its accomplishment. Bear in mind that His command was issued before the days of printing presses, radio, and rapid transportation. If fulfillment of His command was possible then, how much more so now? It is said that, “ God’s commands are His enable ments.” Consider the means put at our disposal: 1) His Power. “ Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be wit nesses unto me . . . ” (Acts 1:8). The indwelling Spirit of God anoints the believer for witness and energizes the spoken Word of God to do its work in those who hear. 2) His Word. “ The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 3) Prayer for Laborers. Jesus was moved with compas sion on the multitudes scattered abroad as sheep without a shepherd and said to His disciples: “ The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37, 38). The Lord has set up this procedure for recruiting laborers, and He is to be implored to send them forth. 4) Prayer for Utterance. “ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, . . . for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:18, 19). 5) His Presence. In the commission given on the Mount of Olives, the Lord promised: “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Mat thew 28:20). The disciples went forth to proclaim the message, the Lord working with them. Yes, world evangelization is of the greatest concern to God. It is the program that occupies His activity. Now it is man’s responsibility to carry it forward. Do we, who have inescapable responsibility, give evi dence of burden and concern for the souls of men ? “Shall we, whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high, Shall we to men benighted The lamp of life deny? Salvation! 0 salvation! The joyful sound proclaim, Till earth’s remotest nation Has learned Messiah’s name.’’
—R eginald H eber
11
JANUARY, 1965
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