The Great Commission
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:18-20
Before coming to know Christ as Lord and Savior, the focus was more on selfish desires. We spent more of our time in thinking only of our own longings and seldom the desires of others. This is that the Apostle Paul alluded to as the cravings of our “passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature” (Ephesians 2:3). But once we surrendered our lives to Christ and placed our trust in what His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead accomplished on our behalf, priorities has changed. Our cravings for selfish desires are now dominated by His eternal purposes. We realized our need of forgiveness of sin and received the assurance of eternity and His presence. Now His agenda became our agenda, His priority now becomes our priority. From the text, the Lord Jesus Christ declared that all authority was given to Him. Because of His authority over us, He commands us to reach those who will come to Him and recognize Him as Lord and Savior. He also wants us to teach everything so that His disciples will obey all the commands. No other being could make the claim that Christ had made in these passages. He alone could give a command that we need to take heed. He promised us that when we listen and obey, He is with us always. You might stand inadequate and ill-prepared to take such enormous task. Yet God assured you that since all power and authority belonged to Him, He will be there to provide you all the resources you will need. The command is not about your abilities and adequacies; it is all about your trust and dependence on God. God will not give you a command that He is not ready to provide you the resources you need to accomplish it. Whatever challenges you are facing right now, His assurance is that you are not alone for He is with you always. As you start the day thinking about your priorities in life, if they are still dominated by your selfish desires, remember that they will always be inferior to God’s desires for your life. Always be mindful of God’s eternal purposes and participate in the opportunities He will be opening up for you so you could take part in His redemptive plan. As you broaden your vision as you engage in His plan you will realize the authority He has over you and all the more you will experience His abiding presence.
Blessings,
