Weekly Devotional 01-13-14 Our Mandate
We have just begun the year AD 2014 and this could be the year that Jesus comes for His church. Certainly there are many signs indicating that this could be so, but there is no surety of it. So what are we to be doing until He comes? Surely we are to continue fulfilling the commission given by Jesus to the eleven apostles just before He ascended back into heaven. Calling them to Himself He said, “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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV). The eternal Son of God has always had authority over all of creation, but Jesus is here declaring His authority over a new creation, His church. In this authority He commissions the eleven to go into all-the world declaring the good news of salvation. They were to make new disciples among the peoples of all nations and then be about the business of maturing those new disciples. However, this mandate was not just to them, but it is to each person whom becomes a member of His church by salvation, and is a perpetual mandate.
The Apostle Paul wrote that it was God’s will that people of other nations be added to this new creation; that they should be fellow heirs with those first chosen from among the Jews (Ephesians 3:6). Paul asserted that grace had been given to him by God to proclaim unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make known to all “what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages had been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that the manifold wisdom of God might be made known through the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (the angelic realm), according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (See Ephesians 3:-11). Paul wrote that this will continue until “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,” that is, until the last person who is to be saved is saved (Romans 11:25). The last person has not been added to the church as of this date, so its building continues. We who are born again persons are part of it.
In order that we are vessels that can be used, we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God. That is our reasonable service. We are “not to be conformed to this world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is that good, acceptable perfect will of God” (see Romans 12:1-2). Jesus cautions that to be useful (fruitful) vessels we are to be continually connected to Him. To that connection Jesus said of Himself, and the original eleven apostles (Judas Iscariot had already departed on his treacherous mission), “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:1-8 NKJV).
Even though Jesus’ command was directed toward those eleven, it looked beyond them to all persons whom He adds to His church. Each person is to remain attached to the vine. He is our life source. In that attachment we are to rejoice in the Lord always. We are to be moderate (be patient) in our walk before men. We are not to be anxious about anything, but approach everything by prayer and humble entreaty with thanksgiving. (see Philippians 4:4-7). What a mandate!
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power: The Work of God on Behalf of Man