In the Christian, evangelistic organization in which I worked for the first seven years after I graduated from college, we answered that title question with the
motto we used constantly to fund raise:, “Fulfilling the Great Commission in this Generation.” We used Mark’s version of that Commission as our vision: “And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”’ (Mark 16:15).
The organization taught that this is why we are here—to witness to every human creature on the earth, with our focus on future leaders on college campuses .We used four, basic, biblical truths, followed by “Would you like to invite Jesus into your heart right now?” To us, this was “witnessing,” and it was the reason why we were on the earth!
However, we were not taught that the same “Great Commission” to convert the world is far different in Matthew: “Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:18, 19).
This version of the Great Commission in Matthew is a much fuller, more complete version. As a matter of fact, it sounds very much like what God Himself says is His purpose for man in Genesis 1:26—to rule over the earth, not just witnessing to every individual person, as we were taught to do! ”Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; LET THEM HAVE DOMINION…OVER ALL THE EARTH” (Genesis 1:26).
This “rule” means converting whole nations, bringing them into God’s Kingdom, not only by introducing them to Jesus as their personal Savior, but also as the Lord of their nation, following His Law in every area of life down through the generations.
This is the big-picture framework into which all our activities in life fit. It is the unifying life-principle that literally gives meaning to EVERYTHING we do. EVERYTHING, no matter how inconsequential, is a part of our ruling assignment. NOTHING is inconsequential!
Make no mistake—this is God’s vision for the church while it fulfills that Great Commission. As it does so, it will complete what Jesus began at the cross. Satan was definitely and finally defeated there. We, the church of Jesus Christ, are now mopping up Satan’s futile, guerrilla resistance, as he tries to delay his inevitable, final, experiential defeat (Matthew 16:18).
This mop-up duty depends on God’s three institutions, family, church and civil government, all functioning biblically. Many churches today have not emphasized their absolute necessity, nor seen teaching their members to function successfully in them as literally the church’s primary task (Ephesians 4:11-16). I believe this is a crucial mistake.
God’s design is that the family produces children who are disciplined and well trained. They are then shepherded by their parents through the difficult teen years until they too are married, and having children of their own.
The civil government will keep order in society while these families are functioning, protecting law-keepers and punishing lawbreakers until the nation has been discipled. Then a majority of citizens will be born-again and therefore be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Who will then keep the Law of God through them (Galatians 2:20)!
But until that time, God gave us His Law to keep us from killing ourselves! It is a biblical civil government that will allow us to live in peace until that occurs! Its concern is to punish CRIME legally, including capital punishment, according to biblically defined capital crimes, but not SIN. All sin is not crime (i.e., hate, racism, jealousy, lying, etc.) and the civil government has no say whatsoever about SIN that is not CRIME. The church addresses that as the Bible instructs it.
And, “Lo and Behold,” I have just described man’s original “Great Commission” in Genesis 1:26-28, our “big picture vision” that forms that basis of our lives, and the answer to the title’s question!
I have written a book on each of the institutions, covering in detail what the Bible says about how each accomplishes its assigned task and how that can become our experiential reality . The PDF of each book is available, free of charge, if you will simply request it by email sent to me personally. Books are available as well for the asking for simply the cost of production.
