Several weeks ago I mentioned about a wonderful little book entitled Worldliness edited by C.J. Mahaney. There is a chapter written by Jeff Purswell on How to love the World that really excited me. Even as we are called to "stop loving the world, and the things of this world" in 1 John 2:15; there is also a sense in which we are to love the world. The apostle John reminds us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world" and in John 17:8 that it was Christ's intention that the church would be in the world. So the question is how are we to live in this world that God loved and not love it, yet at the same time how can we love this world that God so loved? Jeff Purswell proposes three God given task that give substance to our loving the world in which we live. We looked first at the first task which is that we are called by God to Enjoy the World. Last week we looked at the second task which is that we are to Engage the World. The third task Purswell writes is:
Task 3: Evangelize the World
This final point may strike you as a bit predictable (like the first two tasks, it even begins with an E). It's also likely to elicit the inevitable guilt most of us experience when the subject is broached. Raise the topic of evangelism, and most sincere Christians will nod their heads, even as their eyes look down and their feet shuffle in embarrassment. It need not be this way, however. Once again, a biblical worldview can transform evangelism from a neglected Christian duty or a mark of elite spirituality to an exhilarating privilege for every believer.
Recall the Bible's storyline: creation, fall, redemption, consummation. As Christians, it's critical that we locate ourselves within this story, for this will inform and guide the nature of our involvement with the world. We live in that period of salvation history between the redeeming work of Christ on the cross—where sin was atoned for and Satan's stranglehold on humanity was broken—and the consummation of God's saving plan, when Christ will return to earth, Satan and all his works will be vanquished, and God will dwell with his people in a transformed creation. Until that glorious day, Christians have the consummate privilege of being God's ambassadors in a fallen world, proclaiming to sinful men and women the stupendous news about Jesus Christ and the way of salvation through him.
This cosmic vantage point should bring fresh perspective and motivation to a task we often shy away from. Far from being an optional extra of the Christian life, evangelism lies at the core of God's campaign to restore his entire creation—the reconciliation of his rebellious image bearers to himself. The unfolding of salvation history has therefore expanded the job description of God's people. In addition to filling and subduing the earth (Genesis 1:28), God now calls us to "Go . . . and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) through the proclamation and teaching of the gospel. These two facets of the Christian life are in fact inextricably related: the redemptive mandate of the Great Commission makes the fulfillment of the creation mandate possible. Only through Christ's redeeming work can God's redemptive purposes for this world be realized. To be sure, through common grace God restrains much evil and bestows many blessings to humanity. However, apart from the power of the gospel to transform human hearts and redirect human lives to live for God's glory, man would never comprehend or realize the purpose for which he was created: "to glorify God and enjoy Him forever."
The privilege of evangelism has both an individual and a corporate dimension. The last recorded words of Christ endow every Christian with a noble identity and high calling: "You will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). Of course, Jesus' apostles were uniquely witnesses of his life and resurrection, and their proclamation launched the church's mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. But this term wasn't limited to the apostles, nor were they the only ones who proclaimed the gospel in the book of Acts. Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 6-7), Philip in Samaria (Acts 8), nameless Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:20), countless believers throughout the centuries, you and I—we all bear the privilege and responsibility of communicating the message of the gospel to those around us.
The word witness doesn't originate in religious contexts or in evangelism materials. As in its common legal usage today, the word simply speaks of one who provides testimony of something they've seen or experienced. In a law court, a witness doesn't need a law degree or technical training in jurisprudence. He simply takes the stand and tells the truth as he has known and experienced it. That's all that's required of us as Christ's witnesses. In our relational networks and in the opportunities God provides, we simply "take the stand," as it were, and bear testimony to the gospel as we've known and experienced it. We don't need to be brilliant, dynamic, or persuasive—we simply need to testify faithfully of what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners like us. Theological understanding and apologetic training, while helpful, are not prerequisites for this task, nor does their absence exempt us from responsibility. The only requirements are a saving knowledge of Christ and a willingness to obey our Lord by sharing his gospel.
Now, let me be the first to admit something: it's far easier to compose the paragraph I just typed than to apply it. No doubt most who read this paragraph agree with it. The question is, are we obeying? Am I alert to the opportunities afforded to me daily to speak for Christ—wisely, humbly, winsomely, yes; but to speak nonetheless? Am I ready to give an account for the hope I have in the gospel (1 Peter 3:15)? Am I convinced that the gospel message itself—not my intellect or articulateness or wit—is "the power of God for salvation" (Romans 1:16)? The response of others to the gospel lies outside our control. We have one responsibility: faithfulness to the privilege of bearing the gospel to people who desperately need it.
Thankfully, we don't bear this responsibility alone. The story of the Bible reminds us that God is not simply saving individuals but gaining a people for himself. And through the witness of this people, God's saving actions are put on display: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)
God holds up his church as Exhibit A for the reality of the gospel. As people called out of a fallen world, living transformed lives with transcendent values, the church displays the character of God, illustrates the power of God, and exemplifies the saving purposes of God. In fact, the church at this stage in salvation history has the privilege of signaling the next stage. Our life together gives the world a preview of life in the coming kingdom. George Ladd puts it this way:
Who dreamed that their church participation was so significant? Giving the world a glimpse of the consummated kingdom of God! Does such a grand vision govern our attitude toward our local churches? If it does, our participation will no doubt reflect it. We will love, serve, sacrifice, forgive, forbear, employ our gifts, mortify our pride—all that we might together "display in this present evil age the life and fellowship of the Age to come." Churches that display such a life, however imperfectly, are God's most potent instruments in his cosmic program to reclaim and restore his creation.
Strictly speaking, evangelism is sharing the message of the gospel, and the predicament of sinful people before a holy God invests this task with supreme urgency. However, the urgency of evangelism doesn't drain all other activity in this world of eternal significance. Once again, the Bible's story gives us perspective here: God remains committed to his creation, and he's actively working to restore it. As his redeemed image bearers, we have the privilege of laboring to see his dominion manifested throughout his creation. Swept into the kingdom of God, we now become agents of that kingdom in a fallen world.
Therefore, our daily lives in all their variety—vocation, relationships, study, community involvement, artistic endeavors, leisure—have the potential, when pursued for God's glory, to demonstrate something of the gospel and its effects. Every aspect of our involvement in this world is to have a redemptive component, illuminating the character of the Creator, imitating his activity, and embodying his intentions to save, renew, and restore. If we're appropriately "heavenly minded," we'll be alert to endless earthly oppor¬tunities to glorify God.
Take your job, for example. We should pursue our vocations in such a way that we model God's redemptive intentions. Different vocations will accomplish this differently, but all vocations can contribute to God's creation-restoring work. How can I serve others in my work? How can I display excellence? Model integrity? Alleviate suffering? More efficiently utilize God-given resources? Produce beauty? Seek justice? Our vocations are about far more than simply productivity and profit (although these should in no way be demeaned, reflecting as they do God's own fruitful activity). They provide untold opportunities to work for the extension of God's rule. Such activities follow naturally from the cosmic dimensions of Christ's rule, as John Murray reminds us: "There rests upon us . . . the obligation to bring to bear upon the whole compass of life the supernatural and redemptive forces that are inherent in the Christian redemption and revelation."
Consider other spheres of your life. In my neighborhood or community, what avenues of involvement would enable me to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33)? How might I serve the poor and underprivileged? How could I help to reverse inequities and establish justice? What gifts do I have that could be deployed for the good of my neighbors, the betterment of my community, the "welfare of [my] city" (Jeremiah 29:7)? Even though such activities may not directly communicate the gospel, they may well embody God's redemptive purposes by bringing peace and blessing to others.
Of course, such endeavors are not a substitute for the evangelistic task, although the distinction between these responsibilities is increasingly blurred in the evangelical world. Calls for mercy ministry, community transformation, and environmental concern, while legitimate and important, ring out with an urgency that often exceeds that attached to the evangelistic mandate. Unquestionably, Christians are to be salt and light in their communities (Matthew 5:13-14), working to see God's purposes extended in every possible way.
However, we must never forget what is at the core of God's redemptive activity: the salvation of people who bear his image and were created to know and glorify him. No other endeavor transcends this evangelistic priority. Our deeds may adorn the gospel message, but they must not be confused with the gospel message. Moreover, we should remain clear where our hope lies: only Christ's return will finally "redeem the culture," and our efforts to transform society, however legitimate, will always be partial. Like Abraham, we await a heavenly city (Heb. 11:8-16), which Christ will usher in at his return.
Enjoying the world, engaging the world, evangelizing the world—all are ways by which God calls us to be in the world and love the world. We receive God's earthly gifts, pursue God's purposes in earthly life, and work for the salvation of people made in God's image. All of life lived for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
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