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God. The First Missionary.



Our Bible is full of examples of God as a missionary God. We can be mistaken if we think that the missionary movement began in the New Testament. It is a common mistake to assume that God had no missionary concerns in the Old Testament. But the Judeo-Christian God has always been a missionary God. 

If we take a closer look, we will see that God created all the structure needed for the arrival of humans. And it is so important to remember that when God created humanity, He was setting out on a mission. God's first ever missionary gesture was Creation. After creating everything else with His Word, God decided to create the human being. Mission always begins with God, the missionary par excellence. We need to understand that mission is prior to the people of Israel and the Church. It began with God in his interaction as the Creator (the Trinity) and with his love. 

The narrative of Genesis 1:27 is clear and objective: “So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” It is amazing to see how this human being was not raised in a careless, sloppy manner. They were created in the image and likeness of God! In other words, in a unique and distinct way. God was engaging with his creation to promote it. In creation, God has his hands wrapped around humankind, and humankind is wrapped around God's hands. In the New Testament, we will meet Paul, who uses an interesting expression in the Greek language in chapter 2 of his letter to the Church in Ephesus. He says, “For we are His workmanship.” The Greek term "poiema" is quite interesting. It suggests a kind of creation that comes about in a moment of deep love or inspiration. Something like a poem being created by a poet. 

And finally, it is important to remember that, even though we are all created by God, He is inviting us to join Him in His mission, to spread love, care, and light to those who are in the dark. So, our mission is about promoting life and dignity of the human being at its highest level. 

  

JESUS, THE PERFECT MISSIONARY. 


When we look to the Son of God, we find the fullest expression of the Divine Mission. Jesus' mission in the world was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus came into this world because God wanted him to. So, the mission of every Christian on earth is to spread the good news (Mark 16:15) and to help others to understand it, as disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:16-20). 

If we understand that God gave the Son and that Jesus gave himself for the salvation of sinners, then we can affirm that The Mission (mandate, commission, ministry) is the work of God given to the Church. The Church follows the example of Christ and proclaims and announces the Kingdom of God, calling all to repentance. The Church also works preparing people to strengthen their faith in Christ and sends them to the missionary field as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

The meaning is this: Jesus harmonized His own mission from the Father with the mission He gave to His disciples when He said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21). 

The Mission is the historical realization on behalf of all humanity through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, we can safely say that "the Gospels portray Jesus as the Missionary Messiah." Therefore, the mission of the Christian is to glorify God and proclaim the Gospel, because the fruits are given by the Lord. God elects, the believer announces. The ultimate purpose of mission is to glorify God so that a multitude of all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues can declare God's praise and honour, glory, and power for all eternity. Therefore, God is at the centre of the mission. He is the target of the mission. Mission exists for the glory of God. 

THE HOLY SPIRIT'S MISSION. 


When we look at the Holy Spirit, we see the driving force of divine mission. Biblically, the Holy Spirit is closely linked to missionary work. When we study the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the light of God's purposes, we discover that the Holy Spirit is the agent who empowers the Christian for mission, transforming him into an instrument of God to spread divine glory through the salvation of other lives. According to God and the Bible, there is only mission when the Holy Spirit is in charge. Mission is the practical realisation of the Holy Spirit's work in this world on behalf of God's eternal purpose and the effective application of salvation in Christ Jesus to each individual believer.

Mission is the practical accomplishment of the Holy Spirit's work in this world on behalf of God's eternal purpose and the effective application of salvation in Christ Jesus to each individual believer. 

In Acts 1:8 we have an understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit as highly missionary in character and purpose: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1.8). He is a Missionary Spirit who desires to bring home the lost children of God. 

From the events narrated in the chapter 2 of Acts, the Church immediately and spontaneously becomes "missionary in nature and in heart" through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Spirit and mission cannot be separated. The Holy Spirit preserves and cares for the missionary fruit. Therefore, the missionary must learn to trust in the Holy Spirit from the beginning and throughout his ministry. This means total dependence and sufficiency in the Spirit. 


CONCLUSIONS. 


This illustration reveals the truth about the Divine Mission. We, as the body of Christ, are not "masters of the mission". We are servants of the true Agent who promotes the mission in the world: our God! Passion for the glory of God is an ardent desire that He alone should be worshipped everywhere. This is the fuel that sustains the burning missionary flame. The Spirit of God will continue to inspire men and women to mission until the prophecy of Habakkuk 2:14 is fulfilled. “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

God is the ultimate example of a mission. He became flesh and dwelt among us to save the lost (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11). There is nothing in this world that compares to the fact that God made the decision to become a missionary. 

We are certain that the mission belongs to God. It is born in His heart, is wrought in history by the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, and points to the glorification of Jesus Christ as Lord of the universe. The mission begins and ends in the Triune God, and that same mission is for His glory alone. 


Soli Deo Gloria.

 

 

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