by David Brenneman
"to formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally ask for a special piece of work from someone: The newspaper commissioned a series of articles on the worst excesses of the fashion industry. She's commissioned an artist to paint her portrait. More examples." - to be Commissioned.
The Great Commission can also be translated to the Great Order of God. Great meaning more important than all else. Commission being directed towards a specific work. An order given that's to be carried out for certain when given especially by royalty, in the case of the Church, King Jesus.
To understand this, we need to be sure of your salvation and faith in Jesus. "Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:29 NASB.
Jesus also said that we who are in Christ Jesus should be doers of the Word and not just hearers who deceive themselves.
In Romans it says that that it's the Spirit who puts Believers in the body of Christ where He sees fit. To follow the train of thought from the beginning of this post, He commissions people towards a specific function in the body. It may develop over time, but He is the appointer of jobs in the body of Christ.
In Christ we have a duality that happens because of self. We have our wants and desires often competing with the Spirit in what's best in our lives. Paul taught on this. Specifically mentioning the struggle in being married vs being single and its impact on serving Christ.
We who are married are trying to figure out how to please at minimum 3 people. God, our spouse and ourselves. If we have children that gets more involved.
Selfish desires often rule out. We get hurt or something happens that's extremely unpleasant in life and we retreat from our calling in Christ Jesus. I have done this. Was hurt and saw nothing but stormy days ahead. I honestly fought God in going through that storm. As the more recent analogy I've used goes: He took me by the scruff of the neck and pulled me through it. The desire of Him was for me to learn from it, be possibly purified by it, and to grow in Christ because of it. There indeed was life on the other side.
Many see the storms and instead of causing them to draw nearer to God, they take the world's way out and as Paul said they become shipwrecked in their faith. They seek out the easy less painful route because of being hurt by people. Stressful times come and they run from what God says they must press on to go through. The obvious lesson of Jonah and the whale. What results, possibly for a time, or if the stubborn refusal persists, is a disobedience problem. You are found to be fighting God. Oh for a time life will delude you into thinking all is great! So life was for the Prodigal Son at his first leaving his Father. He chose to do whatever felt good for himself. In the end he realized his grave mistake. We have nothing written says whether or not Jonah learned from his mistake in this life or not.
If indeed you are in Christ you have a divine purpose. One that's meant for you.
One that is irrevocable according to Romans 11:29. A job meant for you. A path towards sanctification that's tailored to you. One that's revealing that you are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them. Walk in them...to live in obedience.
We are living in this here, this now, not for ourselves anymore than those of the Early Church. Retirement is only implied in the Bible as our leaving this world. As Jonah didn't have the option of walking away from his calling in Christ Jesus, neither do you or I. Our lives are not our own, we were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Satan's had centuries to perfect excuses and philosophical reasoning towards justification of not doing what God wants in a Believer's life. He will tempt all who are hurting to take the easy way. Psychology as we call it today is often laced with new age thinking in order not to necessarily bring obedience to God's plans but Satan's plans. Even going as far as to lace new ideas with Scriptures taken in ways not meant to be taken that way. Satan's an old hat at that. Did it with Jesus in the wilderness. Misusing Scripture.
The world wants Believer's to willingly abandon the Word of God by using the Word of God. To instead live by their feelings rather than God's truth.
If I honestly lived by my feelings, I wouldn't leave my house unless I direly needed to. I wouldn't be doing a lot of things in life. Living to feel good all the time would be my first priority.
But in Christ Jesus we are told that life isn't going to necessarily be about feeling good. If that were the case Jesus wouldn't have been trying to comfort all with the words of telling us that in this world we would have tribulations, troubles, but to be of good cheer, He has overcome the world.
The life in Christ that's for you to live might be fraught with trials, but again, remember the words of Jesus. Don't give up on doing good. Galatians 6:9-10 NASB "Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
We will indeed face storms. We may indeed be held by Jesus by the scruff of the neck, don't fight Him. It's for our own good. It's taking up our own cross and following Jesus. It's for our sanctification.
You who are in Christ are called.
You have been commissioned by Jesus, given an order by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You have a job to be doing and it's not what the world says that it is.
When any worker is on the job they are there to please their employer. We are workers in His fields. We are to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. We are to seek to be Holy as God is Holy. We are to set our minds on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world. We are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. To love your neighbor as yourself.
We are to fulfill the calling that we have been called to do in Christ Jesus.
Does your life reflect all of this? Are you following through with obedience to your calling or have you let the siren song of the world lure you away to false ideas and false teachers that promise much but in the end deliver nothing, as the Prodigal Son's experience was?
Jesus prayed "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." John 17:17 NASB.
Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Worldly ideas and thoughts will not draw anyone towards a right relationship with Jesus.
"Living for Jesus a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior,
I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy [redemption],*
Didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master,
My heart shall be Thy throne,
My life I give, henceforth to live,
O Christ, for Thee alone."
- from "Living for Jesus" Thomas Chisholm 1917.
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