The Global Gospel

The following paragraphs are adapted excerpts from a paper I did last semester on what it means to be a "World Christian." I found the study for this paper to be very helpful and thought it might be a useful summery for some of you as well.

The great thing about the Christian Bible is that we can look to the end of it to find what God will do in our world. The book of Revelation gives us a great picture of what the result of God’s work throughout redemptive history will be, “I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Rev. 7:9-10). So we see that in the end Christ is glorified by the worship of the redeemed of all nations.

This idea is reflected in many of Christ’s statements in the Gospels (see Luke 19:10, Mark 13:10, Matt. 28:19). This idea is also reflected in the words and mission of Paul. In fact, two of the many passages that could be considered Paul’s “mission statement” have the idea of proclaiming the gospel of Christ at their core. Speaking to the Ephesian elders he boldly states, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Even clearer in his letter to the Romans he says, “through [Christ] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations” (Romans 1:5).

If I am to do God’s will for my life I will have to commit to this lifestyle. So long as I see these truths in the Scripture it should be important for me. I don’t think I will cease to see these truths in the Scripture because the theme is so clear, namely the redemption of man through the blood of Christ. God’s plan was not just for Israel or America or Europe but for every nation and people group.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen