The following is a paper I wrote for New Staff Class at Gospel for Asia. All views are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Gospel for Asia.

 

For four hundred years, Heaven was silent. The deserts of the Negev howled with scorching wind. The people of God toiled under foreign oppressors. Priests carried out the sacrifices at the temple, but the presence of the Spirit was gone. All across Israel, farmers, shepherds, masons, fishermen, worked and cared for their families, trying to hold fast to hope and remember the promise. Some held onto to their faith, but many turned aside and did not love the Lord with all their heart.

And far away, on other continents and distant shores, in the farthest reaches of the world, the souls of humanity all felt the same longing. Sin and hatred seemed unchecked as nations slaughtered and oppressed one another for the sake of their grandfathers’ wars. Darkness reigned in the heart of man.

And then, everything changed. Unto the world, a Child was born. And His name was God with us. The victorious Lamb of God, His life changed the face of history, His sacrifice sent ripples into eternity, and His resurrection left death defeated in the grave.

This is the Story of Salvation.

The book of Acts must be seen as a sequel. Luke’s Gospel is Volume I, Acts is Volume II, and they both tell the same story. The story is the story of God sending His only Son on a rescue mission to earth. Salvation was revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” – Titus 2:11

The first part of story is of Jesus’ birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. The savior came and brought freedom. He rescued. He took the sins and shame of the all history upon His shoulders and died as an innocent sacrifice, slain by the wrath of God. Atonement and redemption was worked for all. Death, sin, Satan and demons lay conquered in the grave when He rose. He was the “firstborn from among the dead.” – Colossians 1:18 He was the firstborn of a whole new race. Glorious ones, children of God clothed in His righteousness.

But story of salvation was not finished. “The grace of God has appeared” and now it was time for “bringing salvation to all people.” Salvation was for the whole world. When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives, He left the second half of the task in the hands of His children and gave them the Great Commission. That is the story of Acts. It is the physical body of Christ spreading out from Jerusalem, to Judea and to the ends of the earth. This new race of people, indwelt with the Holy Spirit and their feet shod with readiness, set forth and brought the Gospel of Peace to the world. The Gospel traveled far and it traveled fast. By 52 A.D. it had been brought all the way to India by Thomas the Apostle.

The book of Acts is still being written to this day, for the mission is not complete. The Gospel is still going forth, but still, there is half of the world waiting to hear it for the first time. The spread of the Gospel has not been balanced, for God’s children have not been faithful to obey with their whole hearts. There are many nations and languages where the Gospel has resided for a hundreds and hundreds of years, but many others to where it has never come. It is the mission of the Church, the body of Christ to continue until all have heard. God has done mighty things over the past two centuries, and indigenous churches have been planted in some of the most unreached areas of the world. They are now the front lines of the Great Commission amongst those who have yet to hear. It is now the place of the established and blessed Western Church to assist, equip, partner and pray with these national bodies of believers to reach those who have never heard.

This is my place in the Great Commission, to pour out my life in service to God’s servants in South Asia; through any means possible to stand with them in prayer, financial support and training that they might be better equipped to make disciples and begin fellowships in the most remote areas of the subcontinent.

I know that one day people from every tongue, tribe and nation will gather together, and we will sing to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. I live out my life with that day in view. I will continue to fight on the front lines until He comes or takes me home.

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