It never ceases to amaze me how perfect God's Word is and how it is one story that flows together flawlessly. I've been thinking a lot about missions lately (you'll see why a little farther down the post) and a God-thought popped into my head the other day. Do you realize we've been given two Great Commissions?
The first commission was spoken by God to Adam and Eve as representatives of mankind. They were created to bear His image and be in unbroken fellowship with Him. They were commissioned to steward the new, perfect physical world that God had created and use it to manifest His glory:
"God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
When God spoke this first commission, man was sinless and had an uninterrupted connection to God. When Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God and sin entered the picture, His commission to them was still in effect but it would be now be a painful, frustrating process (Genesis 2:16-19).
Adam and Eve would still represent God's rule and kingdom on the marred world, but everything would now remind them that their greatest need was still unmet. Physical order and rule wasn't enough.
This is where fruitless mission work is possible. This why secular humanitarian efforts will always be ultimately futile.
Many people serve the poor in the first and third world with the best of intentions. They're seeking to alleviate suffering, and that's honorable and noble. Yet if Christ isn't the heart of it and its not flowing out of His love, it's empty.
"And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:3
If you only try to bring God's order to the physical world, you'll be brought to despair over the temporary nature of that effort.
-For every child you feed in a day, 10,000 more will die of starvation.
-For every AIDS patient you treat in day, hundreds will silently become new infected carriers.
-For every tree you plant to remedy deforestation and or every field of crops you grow, a drought or flood or fire is waiting to consume your work.
If we embark on a strictly humanitarian or environmental quest, and we’ll up a broken and jaded human being. In contrast, if the simplest act of kindness is done in Jesus Name (in keeping with His character, will, and ways), it will be eternally rewarded (Matthew 25:35-36). I can give a glass of water to a child and know I'm actually giving it to Jesus Christ Himself. Instead of hopelessness, every small act of obedience is elevated in its importance if it's done for Him alone.
How does that tie into the first commission? The sin-curse didn't just make thorns spring up out of the dusty ground or bring disease, it killed our natural spiritual connection to God, severing us from Him. Sin has made our souls sick (Jeremiah 17:9).
Every one of Adam's sin-tainted descendants would need more than just physical redemption and order in their world; they had to look ahead to a promised Savior to come and bring dominion, rule, and fruitfulness back into their spirits and souls.
That's where the second commission comes in.
Fast-forward thousands of years and Jesus Christ had just finished breaking Adam's sin-curse. He wore the thorns our sin created on His brow as a crown; He paid our death penalty on a bloody cross. Our sin-debt was paid in full (John 19:30)! It was now possible to have a direct connection to God restored through faith in Jesus Christ's perfect sacrifice.
Jesus rose from the dead (verifying that God accepted His payment), and then showed Himself again to His disciples and 500 other eye witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5). As He prepared to ascend into Heaven, He gave the second commission:
"And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Now in addition to the first commission in Genesis, the disciples (and all followers of Jesus Christ) were told to go out and be used to bring His spiritual dominion to every corner of the earth.
The first commission was about God being glorified in the physical realm; the second commission is about God being glorified in the spiritual realm. Both commissions are still in effect! We are to go out and manifest the gospel and its implications in every realm: spirit, soul, and body.
So how are these two commissions being worked out in my life right now?
April 7th-12th I had the privilege of going to another EQUIP missions training in beautiful North Carolina. As you might have read in the last post, the training was called Community Health Evangelism (CHE). CHE is a holistic missions model that focuses on training leaders in the third world to look to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the resources He has already provided to transform their community.
The first two days of training, twelve of us took turns reading passage after passage in the Old and New Testament that showed the CHE model being taught and used. It was a strong foundation that will stay with me.
The training was extensive and yet I think I'm just beginning to understand the process. A few key changes in my thinking after a week of CHE training are that:
-I now understand better the principals of relief verses development. Both have their place, but only development is lasting.
-I've had a correction in my heart about the missions practices that I thought were normal and good that are actually unintentionally enabling and contribute to dependence.
-I've caught the vision for coming alongside nationals to reach and teach their own people, whom they understand best and are best equipped to mobilize.
-I see now that God has provided resources for His people right where they are, no matter how desolate or barren it looks. He has placed them in their context and He is well able to enable them to discover, multiply, and steward what He's given.
I left the training in April encouraged that the Lord will use the CHE principles everywhere I go and particularly in Uganda. I love how it closely models what He teaches in His Word. It will be imperfectly implemented by even more imperfect people, but He loves to bless anything that is founded on His Truth.
Thank You, Jesus, for another puzzle piece falling into place! I'm awed that He's given me another glimpse of the plan He already has written for me. My understanding of how He wants to use it is limited, but I know He doesn't need me to figure it out.
"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
Prayer request: Thank you for praying as I go back to Nabukalu, Uganda with the Summit mission team June 9th-19th. We'll be encouraging the spiritual growth of the children and young people at the CarePoint there and participating in a four day medical clinic in partnership with the local church and local providers.
Will you pray that:
-We share and model the gospel clearly and holistically during discipleship classes, medical care, and relationship building. That we care for the whole person in Jesus' Name.
-That I would sacrificially love my teammates, the local Ugandan church, and each person He puts in my path there. He's given me John 15:13-14 as my theme verse and I'm asking Him to put it into practice when I'm stretched and pressed in my spirit, soul, and body.
Thank you for partnering with me in prayer! I look forward to my next update when I can share what The Lord has done.
Blessings,
Joy
