| The Essential Reforms of HOFCC |
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| HOFCC Core Beliefs | |
| Friday, 21 July 2006 | |
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Page 7 of 8 Reform #6: "Evangelical in Mission"Part 1: The Great CommissionThis means that fulfilling the Great Commission, Christ’s command to take the Gospel to all those who have yet to hear it, takes priority in all of the life-style decisions of every Christian, not just for those few who serve God in some vocational ministry. This Great Commission, given by Christ just prior to ascending into heaven, is found in Matt. 28:18-21."And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Note that though this commandment was addressed originally to the eleven apostles it was not limited to them. It was prefaced by the declaration of His authority to give such a commission and to over rule any lesser authorities in any age who might attempt to counter His command. It was focused on making disciples of Christ and not merely converts, baptizing them in light of sound doctrine and teaching them to likewise obey all of Christ’s commands, including this Great Commission! It was sealed with the promise to be "with" all those who obey Christ, to the very end of the age, which includes all Christians in all ages and under all circumstances! The death of Jesus saves us from all the sins we have ever committed, or may yet commit. But obedience to His commandments saves us from committing future sins! By living a "Great Commission Lifestyle" we occupy ourselves in ways that crowd out the many sins that come from idleness and a lack of purpose. Every individual who claims to trust in Jesus for salvation must take His Great Commission seriously! -- To be continued Part 2: The Great Commission Lifestyle"And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt. 28:18-21.The death of Jesus saves us by grace alone through faith alone. However, the evidence of this grace of saving faith in our lives is what Paul calls "the obedience of faith" (see Rom. 1:5 & 16:26). Such faith works through love - love for God, expressed in our joyful obedience to His commands, love for one another as fellow Christians in a local church, expressed by striving together as one person for the advance of the Gospel, and love for all for whom Christ died, expressed through bold proclamation of the Gospel to those who have not heard it or who have not yet responded to it in faith. These three expressions of love serve as evidence that we are saved. By them we lay up for ourselves treasure in heaven. When we walk out the practical implications of this love we will be living what I call a "Great Commission Lifestyle." It is a war time lifestyle. In it we invest our money and occupy our time in ways that advance the Gospel at home and abroad. We show our love for God by the way we love one another in united support for local and world evangelism. This results in church planting. Each new church should then repeat this process until the Great Commission is completed and our Lord has returned in glory. If we walk in the one Holy Spirit, having one mind and sharing one purse, we will strive together as one person to advance the Gospel! -- To be continued |
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