THE GREAT COMMISSION?
By DiaBen
ICONOCLAST
"Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" Galatians 4:16.
There is not a single thing you or I can contribute toward our own salvation, or the salvation of others. We cannot add to, or take away from, what Christ has already accomplished on the cross at Calvary.
Of course, some will ask, "What about the great commission to go, "into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.", (Mark 16:15)?
First of all, let us be mindful of just whose world Christ was speaking of. For Jesus said He was sent to Israel, and to only Israel, "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mt 15:24. And did He not command His disciples, "...saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matt. 10:5-6. And, speaking prophetically of Christ, do not the scriptures say, "And He said unto me, "Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;" Ezekiel 3:4-5. Did not the Lord say, concerning Israel, "you only have I known of all the families of the earth;" Amos 3:2.
So then, it is therefore established that the 'world' Christ was speaking of, in His command to go into all the world, was the Israelite's world, or the world where Israelites dwelled.
And what of this 'great commission'? Paul said that it had already been accomplished, "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is (already) spoken of throughout the whole world." Ro 1:8. He was saying, in effect, that it had already been spoken of throughout the Israelites world, the world where the Israelite people dwelt. And, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went (already) into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know?" Rom. 10:17-19. And, "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was (already) preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" Col 1:23. So, even in Paul's day, the gospel had already gone out throughout the whole earth where the people of Israel dwelt. The 'great commission' had already been accomplished.
So what works are we to do? "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28-29. The only work Christ requires of us is that we have faith in Him, believing that He has already fully accomplished all things, and already fulfilled all that is needed toward our salvation and the ultimate salvation of the whole world. The greatest sin one can commit is the sin of unbelief.
The true essence of pure evil and unrighteousness is just this, the idea or thought, that in my flesh, in my natural soulish man, there is anything of worth or benefit to contribute to the furtherance of our Lord's plan and purpose in any area whatsoever.
This is the essence of evil, and this is the essence of all the earth's denominational religious orders. They all have the idea that they have something of value to offer our Lord, and that He needs it to complete His plan and purpose. They feel they have something, out of their own natural earthly state of being, that He, who is Holy and perfect and purely Spirit, needs to further His plans for the salvation of man."God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth."
John 4:24."...not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
Zechariah 4:6."So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
Romans 9:16.Now, one might ask, what about all the other peoples of the earth, how shall they be saved, if we do not go forth preaching the gospel of salvation unto every creature? Do not they too need to be saved from their sins and the curse of the law? Will not they burn in Hell for all eternity, if we do not go and make available to them this opportunity for deliverance? In a sense, is not their salvation from this terrible fate in my hands, if I don't get out there and tell them about how they need to be delivered from their sins? This is what the denominational churches say, and it is how they justify their need for your tithes and offerings, so that they might finance their great missionary efforts among the heathen. They claim, that if you and I do not go forth preaching to every creature, convincing them of their need for deliverance from sin, they will be held accountable for having broken God's law. And that if they do not accept deliverance they will burn in a lake of fire for all eternity. Their blood is then upon our hands, if we do not preach this gospel of deliverance from the curse of the law of sin and death unto them. Well, let us search the scriptures and see if this is true.
First, let us establish the fact that without the law there is no sin imputed,
"...but sin is not imputed when there is no law." (Ro 5:13). "...sin is not charged to men's account where there is no law [to transgress]." (Rom. 5:13, Amplified Bible).For sin is the breaking of the law,
" ...for sin is the transgression of the law." (1Jo 3:4), and, apart from the law, we have no knowledge of sin, "...by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Ro 3:20). "...I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Ro 7:7). It is the law that gives sin it's power, "But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." (Ro 7:8)."For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died." (Ro 7:9)."The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law."
(1Co 15:56).Surely we have now established that it is the law that gives sin it's power, and that apart from the law there is no knowledge of sin, and that in fact sin is the breaking of the law.
What law are we speaking of here? Why the Old Testament law given to Israel, of course. Sin is the breaking of the Old Testament law, which was given to Israel. This is the point of emphasis, God gave His law to Israel, and to Israel alone,
"He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 147:19-20).So, the law was given to Israel, and only to Israel. Now, pray tell, why in heavens name would we want to go forth, unto all the other peoples of the earth, placing them under the curse of a law of sin and death that was never given to them, and never intended for them? Remember, where there is no law, there is no transgression. And, the law was given only unto Israel. Why put the other peoples of the earth under such a burden of condemnation and guilt, not meant for them? Why, so that the judeo-Christian fallen Babylonian denominational ecclesiastical religious orders might have a reason to justify their existence. And to give them an excuse to fleece God's people with their constant cry for more money to save the heathen from a vengeful God and a fiery eternal torment. These heathen peoples were much better off before ever hearing about this god of fire that is going to roast them eternally for breaking laws that they were never under! I can assure you, that in the fullness of time, the Lord God of Israel will surely demonstrate His limitless and eternal love to all of His creation, and He will do it through His people Israel, but He does not need your mammon ($) to do it. If He does, He is a very small God indeed.
"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him."
Eph 1:10."And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."
Col 1:20.