G O Y E I N T O A L L T H E
by Samuel M . Zw em m er
N O OTHER GENERATION of Christians ever faced a larger missionary task, or one more clearly defined, than that which confronts the church to day. “ Go ye into all the world” has become a geographical possibility. No matter where we live, we stand squarely in the midst of the Battle of the Ages: the Prince of Darkness against the Prince of Peace, the pow ers of evil against the Kingdom of God. In such a scene there can be no isolationism for those who believe the Great Commission and desire to crown our Saviour Lord of all. If we would pray for missions with understanding, as well as with the Spirit, we must have a true picture of the world today. Ignorance is always a cause of misunderstanding. Only when we are adequately informed can we go into all the world intelligently and sympathetically to tell others the old, old story of Jesus and His love. This Bewildered World The world today is a very disturbed world. The earth’s papulation—more than 2,900,000,000 — has never been higher. Mankind has never been so restless in spirit. Social strife and eco nomic unrest are the two spectres that haunt every nation. Families, even whole communities, are on the move. Confusion and disturbance are ram pant on every hand. The result is obvious: mankind has never been in such need of Christ and so responsive to the gospel message. A bewildered world seeks the Way; a disillusioned world needs the reality found only in Christ; a decadent world needs the resurrection and the life that is life indeed. In some ways the progress of mis sions is greater than is generally be lieved. The American forces in the South Pacific were surprised to find former cannibals eager to preach the gospel to soldiers and sailors who landed. The church of Jesus Christ in all its branches has become literally world-wide. While there are bright areas in the global scene, we must not forget that as a whole the picture is dark and desperate. The world today, with its enormous population, its vast unoc
The effect of the Great Commission on Paul was a transformation of his whole character and life. Paul’s mis sionary passion was due to his sense of eternal values through the resurrec tion. The things that are seen are only temporal. Paul saw the invisible glory of the world to come. He laid hold of the intangible realities. His passion for proclaiming the message of re demption was due to his sense of eter nal values. A Crisis A t Hand All earnest Christians of every school of theological thought seem agreed that we face a crisis. The day of the Lord is at hand. We hear the same note of warning from many voices. Prof. D. R. Davies of England concludes his book, “Divine Judgment in Human History,” with the words: “Repent—that must be the burden of the Christian message to this age, which is drinking the bitterest waters of all historical eras. In a day when the judgment of God has melted into burning lava and is pouring through the ruins of man’s achievements, let the prophetic trumpet call of repen tance pierce the tormented soul of man, so that men, here and now, may lay hold of the redemption done, once and forever, by God in Christ.” Evangelism that preaches Christ’s resurrection and His return goes far beyond social reformation, new-world plans or political blueprints. We can no longer invite the East to share the social and cultural benefits of the West, for the whole of so-called Chris tian culture stands at a period of ter rible crisis, every section of it under God’s judgment. We are compelled by the present situation to “ look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness r” (2 Peter 3: 13). The hour is late, and the need is urgent. This is no time to put forth anything less than a maximum effort. Every Christian must do all in his power — by sacrificial giving and by prevailing prayer — to “ go . .. into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) and to DO IT NOW! Available in printed form from the American Tract Society, Oradell, New Jersey.
cupied areas of human need, its soul restlessness and disillusionment after two World Wars, is in dire need of evangelism. Why W e Preach Christ There never was a time when the command of Christ was more appro priate and more urgent. The primary basis of missions always was, and still is, the command of our risen Lord to “go . . . into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). There was a time, in the re cent past, when this fundamental mo tive was almost lost sight of, being replaced by all sorts of secondary motives. But today, under the ham mer of the times, these secondary mo tives are smitten to pieces. It is no longer enough to recommend Chris tianity as the “ bringer of enlighten ment and freedom,” or as “ a social tonic to make nations powerful,” or as “ the infallible guide to progress.” To meet the appalling spiritual hun ger of today’s world, the emphasis must revert to the fundamental proc lamation of Christ as the personal Sav iour and sinbearer of the individual. The missionary enterprise has its foundation in the eternal purpose of God. “ God . . . loved the world,” His Word tells us (John 3:16). Christ died not for our sins only, but for the sins of the whole world. We are to pro claim the good news of redemption, going in the strength of His Spirit, be cause He has committed to us the word of reconciliation, that we should plead with men, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God. The “ Great Commission,” as re corded in the last chapter of Matthew, is a general commission. It was spok en not to the eleven apostles only, but to them and the five hundred brethren to whom Paul refers in I Corinthians 15:6. Christ spoke as King in the consciousness that His gospel is for all nations. We find the message of the Great Commission interpreted in the life of Paul — in fact, the only adequate commentary on the last com mand of Jesus is in the lives of the apostles, saints and martyrs who, down the ages, have carried it out across the seven seas and do so today.
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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