Image bearers 5 - Baptising the Nations

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:20 Trev McCallum

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Through these articles I have sought to illustrate that we bear the image of God. Genesis 1 reveals that we are made in God’s image and likeness. This carries enormous ramifications. We either faithfully go into the world to beautify/glorify it unto our God or in unbelief we distort the very image we bear. Adam, and his descendants, was to go out from the Garden of Eden down through the land of Eden and unto the ends of the world. He was to faithfully seek to glorify the world through taking dominion over all things. But we know the account. He sinned. Adam failed to protect his wife. He did not protect his bride and the sanctuary of the home was invaded. Ultimately Adam failed to obey God, in a number of ways. Hence sin entered the world through one man. However, the Second Adam conquered sin and commissioned the Church, His bride, to go out to the ends of the world. To do what? Baptise the nations, teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded. A new world order was established when Christ rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sat down at the Father’s right hand and received the heathen nations as His inheritance. The Messiah brought with Him the Kingdom of God; a new heaven and earth to be beautified by the Gospel. The distinction between Jew and Gentile was removed and the great river of hope and salvation flowed out to the Heathen nations. Unity in diversity was achieved. The Church has always been one Church and through Christ the middle wall, separating Jew and Gentile, was removed. God’s people are not divided, Jesus has one body. This one body consists of many parts, from every nation and tribe. Our over arching mission is inexplicitly tied to the imagery seen in the Garden. As heirs of Christ we are to worship Him as His people. From there we are sent out to fulfil the roles assigned us. Husbands till their garden (i.e. their family) and then go down and out into the jungle (i.e. the world) to bring captive all thoughts to the obedience of Christ. Wives tend the home garden, keeping the home and raising children. Hence, through seeking first the Kingdom of God we beautify the whole world to the glory of God. This may sound far fetched and New Agey to many readers. But bear in mind that every anti-Christian worldview is a fraud. It is a vein, dim replica of the real thing – Christ’s Kingdom. Satan, his minions and all God haters do not posses original creativity.

If this is true there are implications. More aptly put, these implications would bring life changing; paradigm shifting ramifications for our lives and how we view reality, beauty and purpose. If God is not the blind watchmaker, who left the world to slowly wind down, we need to shift gear. Let me drill down a little here. Reality, beauty and purpose are all firmly rooted in the sovereignty and character of God. As such each of these concepts can be objectively measured against a universal standard, the Scriptures. In Collision Christopher Hitchens continues to pedal an anti-theist position of innate morality. Humanity has no objective truth. Continuous search never leads to a discovery of ultimate truth. Our current ethical values have simply bubbled up, from within the species, over tens of thousands of years. Do you see the ramifications of consistently living this anti-theist position? Where would it lead to? In the 20^th century many powerful dictators played out this view of reality/morality. The effect was disastrous. The Big Black Book of Communism conservatively estimates that 100 million people were murdered through this movement in the last century. It is a large, inconceivable number. Put it into perspective. Last century 5 times the Australian population was murdered due to dictators across the globe refusing to recognise that there is a Law above the law. Innate morality is a catalyst. It opens the door to totalitarianism. If the state (i.e. government) does not answer to a higher law (i.e. God’s Law) bedlam abounds. Modern Christians need to start connecting the dots. There is a correlation between beliefs and politics; beliefs and lifestyles; beliefs and freedom or lack thereof. Ideas have consequences. They may not be visible immediately but our children, grandchildren or great grandchildren may live with or through them. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of “free countries” have deep Christian roots. Persecuted people never seem to flee for Islamic or humanistic, totalitarian states!

Why am I saying this? There is another important correlation to recognise. One between the long and short term views of the future expansion of Christianity. Will the Church be victorious in history or is it simply declining until the return of Christ or the end? Bear in mind, victory has been won. Perfection (in Jesus) before God the Father fulfilled the need for a blood atonement. More than that; man entered the highest heaven for the first time. Flesh and bone entered the most Holy Place. The High Priest could only enter the earthly replica of this throne room once a year, to atone for the sins of the people. But Jesus entered the reality. He entered the Holy of Holies, in the highest heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Ancient of Days. Where the first Adam failed, the second succeeded. Jesus received His inheritance (i.e. the heathen nations) when He ascended to God’s right hand. He is ruling the nations of the world and will only return once all enemies bow in reverence unto Him. He is to deliver a complete kingdom to God His Father. The Kingdom is going out to the ends of the world; and the glory of God will cover the world as the waters the seas. Hence the Church went out from Jerusalem, through Judea and to the ends of the earth; beautifying the world unto the glory of God. None of this is accomplished by force, rather through the Holy Spirit bringing life to dead people. Recognise the Garden (of Eden) symbolism here. Adam was to protect his wife (i.e. family) and worship God aright, then (with his children) go out into the land of Eden and unto the corners of the world. What was he to do? Well, take dominion and beautify the world to God’s glory. He was to go out into the jungle and bring it under the dominion of God. We may ask what this was to look like. I think we should answer the by looking to the relationship between Jesus and His bride. The Church was to go out to the ends of the world, from Jerusalem through Judea, and beatify the world. How? By seeking first the Kingdom of God; through taking the Gospel and establishing places of true worship in every nation. Corporate worship is the place where our spiritual battle takes place. Corporate worship of God, aright, affects every facet of life. As we bend the knee to Jesus we present our lives as an offering. Historically the benediction and doxology were important. The Benediction represents Jesus blessing His Church, to go out and seek first the kingdom of God in all things. The people of God then sing back their praise and glorification of God. In other words the Church would sing back to God. Saying, yes Lord we will go out and work. We will take your Scriptures and mould our lives and everything we do by what we find in them.

The Church is potentially in her infancy and we need to be committed for the long haul. Let us go out into our families, work places, societies, states and nation; to seek first God’s kingdom. As Australian Christians let us bring every thought under the obedience of Christ. We need to start by assessing how we worship, how we live or lives and what our purpose is. Our purpose is to die to self and then be resurrected to a life of faithful, joyful obedience to God. Our faith is for all of life. The Scriptures are to be our only rule for all of faith and all of life. Let us, the Church, get on with baptising the nations.