Go Therefore 2
And Jesus came 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 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.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
- Do I have full confidence in The One who has full authority over me?
- Am I willing to submit fully to the Holy Spirit for God’s power to be working through my life?
- Will I be open and obedient to His leading and guiding?
Now that we’ve taken the opportunity to ponder those 2 very important words of Jesus, (Go therefore) and we’ve read and re-read the above 3 questions, it’s time to examine what ‘Go therefore’ really means. To understand these 2 words, we need to understand what God’s will means. What I’m about to say is up for interpretation. (That’s kind of funny for me to say. I guess everything I’ve written up to this point is always up for interpretation, as it should be. Don’t take my word for anything. It’s good we can have varying opinions and still get along. We are all just trying to “Rightly divide” God’s word)
The bible is full of God’s general will for all of us. For example, It’s God’s will we all demonstrate love to one another. It’s God’s will we all be saved. It’s God’s will for us to be thankful and show mercy. Those are just a very few examples of God’s general will for all of us that we find throughout scripture.
God’s will is also very specific. He Know the plans He has for each of our lives individually speaking. He has plans for you and He has plans for me. God’s will is also permissive. His permissive will is for another discussion altogether and causes for great debates among Christians a whole.
The great commission in Matthew 28 was given to all of us. Generally speaking, we are all called to “go therefore.” We are all called to be soul winners. We are all called to be His hands and feet on a daily basis. Maybe today my “go therefore” is praying with someone in the Kroger parking lot or at work. Maybe tomorrow my “go therefore” is taking food to a shut in or praying with someone in a hospital. We are all called to “go therefore.”
The great commission also holds very specific callings in ministry for many people. Some people are called to be missionaries and truly go to all nations. Some people are called to evangelism, teaching, preaching, etc…
Because God’s word is alive and active, and His Holy Spirit is speaking to us through His word, we all can experience very amazing moments at the foot of the cross. Many can remember that moment when God called them to a very specific ministry. I think the more we have full confidence in The One who has full authority over us and the more willing we are to submit fully to the Holy Spirit to allow God’s power to be working through our lives and the more willing we are to be open and obedient to His leading and guiding, the more we are able to live according to God’s general and specific will for our lives.
One of my greatest desires is to be living and walking in God’s will generally and specifically for my life as Paul talks about in Romans 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
May you and I be willing to generally and specifically “Go therefore.”
How will you Devote2Day?