Understanding The Great Commission
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. — Matthew 28: 19
This instruction is one of the most significant in the Bible. It is the last direct instruction Jesus gave his disciples to carry out a specific action in order to perpetuate his legacy. As Christians, armed with faith in him, we are being called to spread the Good News of salvation throughout the world. The challenge today is that many of us do not know how to put this knowledge into practice.
So, how can we make disciples of all nations? Perhaps one of the ways is by embodying the nature of Christ. In Ephesians 5: 1–21, Paul urges the Ephesians to imitate God’s nature. He encourages them (and subsequently us) to act wisely, seeking understanding of God’s will while loving one another. This means that our outward manifestation of our knowledge of God (through our actions) is what will enable us to make disciples of all nations through positively impacting their lives. Sharing scripture is not what a hungry man needs; it is more appropriate to give food.
Ultimately, we have been placed on the earth to replicate the life that Christ lived, in faith that those actions are seeds sown. Imagine if we all purposed to be kind and love on one another unreservedly and intentionally. Wouldn’t our attitude towards this Great Commission change?
