We generally connect this commission with the proclamation of the Good News. Mark1:15 describes the Good News proclamation of Jesus Christ, “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Others summarize the Good News in the words of Jesus recorded by John, "For God so loved the world, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (3:16)
If this is the Commission and if this is the Gospel, then why do we spend so much time and energy fighting a culture war? So many Christians who even bother at all to engage the people in the prevailing culture spend their time and energy and words on telling the world what is wrong with it, or what they disagree with - instead on announcing the arrival of God's grace.
Our culture wars are not evangelism, they are politics. They are philosophical battles aimed at making this world respect us and agree with our worldview instead of becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. Agreeing with our understanding of moral truths is not the same as entering into a relationship with the One Who is Truth. It is not doctrinal correctness that saves us from our sin, it is the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
So maybe the time has come to dial back the culture wars, the political campaigns, the philosophical shouting matches and focus on proclaiming the Good News. "The Kingdom of God is near because the One who loves us has come into the world to set us free from our sin." Forget the monkeys. Believe in Jesus and trust Him with your life.
(C) 2012 by Stephen L Dunn
