The Mission Is Not Yet Complete

 

S: Mark 13:9-13 “You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them. First the gospel must be preached to all nations. When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

O: Three major ideas here are backed up by many other parts of the New Testament:

• The Gospel will be preached to all ethnic groups. “Nations” (Greek: ἔθνη) refers not to modern countries but to ethnic groups.
• Our faith will be challenged, but we should not worry, for the Holy Spirit will guide us.
• It’s not “once saved, always saved”. While we are saved by grace through faith and not by our own works, Scripture also calls us to remain faithful to Christ to the end. You can’t say “I received Christ back then, so I’m saved no matter what I do now.”

A: I must do my part to share God’s love with people who have yet to know Him. Christ Himself told us that the Gospel must be preached to all ἔθνη – so the Church’s mission is still incomplete. This is why I am sceptical whenever people confidently insist that Jesus must return within a particular timeframe. I lived through the “88 reasons why Christ must return in 1988” craze, and such failed predictions can damage people’s faith unnecessarily.† As Augustine of Hippo wrote around 419 AD, it cannot be said that Christ's return is immediately upon us while His own sign—the preaching of the Gospel to all nations—remains unfulfilled. (Paraphrasing Augustine’s Letter 199.) This remains true today, though we are all called to do our part in proclaiming the Gospel. We are all ambassadors for Christ – it’s not only the job of the “official” evangelists to share the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit will guide us, as this and other passages promise. This is not an excuse to neglect study, wisdom, or preparation, but it does mean we need not be ruled by fear.

And finally, we must be steadfast in Christ. We must daily take up our cross and follow Him. When we sin, we must repent and turn back to Him. We must not indulge or wallow in sin. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, so let’s make sure to confess to God and repent.

P: Father, thank You for Your salvation. Thank You that when I sin, You are faithful to forgive as I repent and turn back to You. May I be Your good and faithful servant and ambassador. May my lips be guided by Your Holy Spirit to share Your good news. May I be salt and light for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

† This should never become an excuse for complacency (see also Matthew 25:1–13). Even if Jesus does not return during your lifetime, you will still meet Him. We may "meet our Maker" today through death, so we must always remain watchful and steadfast in Christ.