In our last issue, we began to look at some of the wonderful gifts we have received as followers of Jesus Christ. These gifts remind us not just of the benefits to us as God’s children, but of the love and grace of the One who has bestowed them.

BUT, with these gifts, we have also been given a Responsibility. “Responsibility? Who wants that?”. Life would be so much easier without it! But that’s not the way it is. Authority always involves responsibility - and vice versa. In a sense, even the Lord Jesus, who had and has all power and authority, also had accompanying “responsibilities” - works His Father gave Him to do. It was His responsibility to reveal the Father to a rejecting world.

More importantly, it was His responsibility to remove the barrier of sin so that the Father’s original intention for man - fellowship with Himself - could be fulfilled. And the fulfilling of His responsibility led to suffering. He experienced hardship (40 days of fasting in the heat of the desert and facing temptation), danger (coming close to being stoned by angry Jews after preaching in the synagogue), physical pain (being whipped by the Roman soldiers and crucified on the cross) and death (dying on Golgotha between two thieves). He even knew that He would experience the most horrible suffering of all, the terrible defilement of taking upon Himself the sins of the world. Yet, even though He knew ahead of time what would happen to Him, in obedience to God’s will He did not draw back from fulfilling His responsibility.

Now it comes down to us to fulfill our responsibilities - to be “like Christ”. Like Him we also are to announce God’s kingdom to a rejecting world, and to extend that kingdom by making disciples - whatever the cost. In 2 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul exhorts Timothy, citing first his blessings and then his responsibilities: “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Remember also the words of Christ: “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Most of us are Christians because one day we heard God’s Word being proclaimed by people who fulfilled their responsibility to give out God’s call to believe and be saved. We responded in repentance and faith and became disciples - followers - of Christ and part of His kingdom. Should it not be our prayer and intention that, “as we are going”, as we are living out our lives, people will hear God’s Word from us, and by faith and repentance some will likewise become followers of Christ?

Fulfilling our call to discipleship - to be more and more like Christ - can certainly involve hardship. However, the actual work is not as difficult as we might think it at first to be. It is not our responsibility to convert people. Instead, our responsibility is only to share with them the saving Word of God and then to continue to nourish the ones whom God draws to Himself. The really hard work is done by the Holy Spirit who alone is able to convict people of their sins and to change their hearts and minds.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we have a part to play in extending God’s kingdom on earth? When we pray for a revival to take place in our city, we put our hope and faith in the Lord to make it happen. And revival - the extending of God’s kingdom - will come when we, His children, act in obedience to His will and fulfill our responsibilities to give out His Word and make disciples wherever He leads us. There’s no receiving without giving and there is no reaping without sowing. But the reverse is equally true. We can be sure we will reap if we sow. The word of the Lord which we sow will never come back without fruit. That is a promise we can count on.

We’ve been called, we’ve been chosen, we’ve been given a new identity, we’ve been given power, and along with power we’ve been given authority and gifts. Why? To enable us to use these gifts to fulfill our God-given responsibility. As free people in free countries, there is nothing and nobody to stop us from fulfilling our responsibility - nothing other than our own disobedience if we choose to ignore God’s calling. Therefore, we will have no excuse before the Lord if we do not do what He has told us to do.

So, let us fulfill our responsibility - our calling. Let’s determine to go and spread the Gospel, that others may hear it, believe it and receive Him and so become new disciples - members of His body, the church, the kingdom of God. And may we do so, using all of the power and authority and gifts He has given us - no matter what it may cost- confident that there will be fruit for eternity.

There is a beautiful prayer and blessing given in Colossians 1:9-12 which I have found to be very helpful in my Christian walk, and I would like to share it with you as we conclude these thoughts:

“I do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”  Let us each pray this for ourselves and for others in the body of Christ that God’s purpose for His people would be increasingly fulfilled.

In His Service,

Daniel Popoi
Member, Board of Directors