Comment By Torchlight

The Plan and the Power

When the risen Lord met with His apostles during the forty days between His resurrection and His ascension to the Father, He instructed them regarding the purposes of God during the present age. Foremost among his words to them during those momentous days stands what has been called the Great Commission:

"All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [age]" (Matthew 28.18-20).

This clear and comprehensive declaration was a beacon light, guiding those devoted men to fulfil their ministry and to serve the counsel of God in their generation. The extent to which they were faithful to the charge entrusted to them is on record in the Acts and in the Epistles.

It is evident from the New Testament Scriptures that our Lord's instructions were intended not for the apostles only but also for the people of God to whom the extension of the kingdom of God became a primary responsibility. It is equally clear that the Great Commission was the divine plan applicable to the entire age which began at Pentecost and extends to our Lord's return. It has not been rescinded or amended but remains embedded in the Faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.

When the divine plan for the present age was disclosed to the apostles by the risen Christ they must have been astonished at the immensity and difficulty of the work they were being called upon to undertake. They were men of humble origin and station, with their outlook circumscribed by Jewish aspirations. A mission of world-wide proportions seemed altogether beyond their capabilities. Moreover, their Leader was to return to heaven and they were to be left in the field to carry out the plan. A thousand and one questions troubled them. How, how, how? Like Moses at the burning bush they must have recoiled at the magnitude of the task committed to them. But as Moses was promised, "Certainly I will be with thee", so the apostles were assured, "Lo, I am with you always." Our Lord reiterated His promise that when He returned to the Father the Holy Spirit would come unto them in the plenitude of His power and take charge of the plan. Thus would they be empowered to prosecute their mission to the uttermost part of the earth:

"Tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24.49) ... "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you" (Acts 1.8).

Thus we see the Plan and the Power. In the prosecution of the work of the Lord it was not only necessary to follow the plan; divine power was also required to put the plan into operation. In carrying out their Commission the apostles were required to make disciples baptize them and gather them together in churches of God. Here the disciples would be cared for and instructed to worship, work, and witness together. The blueprint laid down by the risen Lord remains on record as applicable to our day. It is one of the enigmas of our times that many born-again Christians give little heed to it. Human tradition and man-made expedients are preferred to the all-authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The lesson we have attempted to inculcate is that if in our time we are to build for God according to the divine pattern we shall need divine power as well as the knowledge of His will. We cannot work for God with our minds only. The same divine power which carried forward the work of God against all opposition in the days of the apostles is vital to us. "The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4.20). Let us then have greater exercise to recognize our dependence on the Spirit of God for collective testimony. The word of the Lord to the struggling remnant of a former time was:

"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4.6).

We conclude with a word of encouragement to beloved fellow-workers in various parts of the world who are striving against great odds to give effect to the terms of the Great Commission. Remember the promise, "Lo, I am with you alway". Claim by faith the power from on high.

Practical Christianity

"When in Rome, do as Rome does" says Mr. Wordly-wiseman. If they gamble in the office or workshop, have a "little flutter" too. It's no harm. Accommodate yourself to circumstances, don't be too squeamish. Have an alcoholic drink when you find yourself in company with others who drink. Laugh with the crowd at the "smutty" story. Don't draw attention to yourself by seeming to be different. You can practise your Christianity at home and when you are in Christian company, but you won't get on in the world if you parade your Christian principles in your business life.

Mr. Worldly-wiseman's advice is folly on every score. To adopt it you must forfeit a good conscience, be disloyal to your Lord and lose the respect of your fellows. What a price to pay for worldly advancement! Ridicule and opposition there may be, but this is often a cover for secret respect. "Making the best of both worlds" and "sitting on the fence" are despicable even in the eyes of the non-Christian.

Let us then encourage each other to shun compromise and be loyal to our Christian calling. Avoiding that "I am holier than thou" attitude, let each of us "shew by his good life his works in meekness of wisdom" (James 3.13), and be ready "to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3.15).

unknown | Aug 1968
Comment By Torchlight