Mere Missions

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(Rom. 8.19-22). Until then, we must go to our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world, proclaiming Good News that there is liberation and freedom from Satan’s concentration camp of tyranny. We must proclaim, “You are set free in Christ. Walk out of the gate into freedom, wholeness and justice given to you from your Liberator, Jesus Christ.” Only the Church can address and serve one particular need of the world and that is the spiritual need. It is the need of all needs and the cause and root of all the other needs that plague humanity. We must fight to keep this clearly and constantly in mind. Our spiritual enemy will do all he can to sidetrack the Church to labor on the symptoms rather than on the root cause of all needs. The Lord Jesus has called us to meet the deepest need in the soul of each person, the spiritual need, which if not met, has consequences for their eternal destiny either for “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8.12) or for glory (Rom. 5.2). The proclamation of the Gospel is the Church’s one tactic to set free the soul that is bound to sin, Satan, and death. It is not proclamation plus demonstration. It is only proclamation. The Gospel proclaimed, through the work of the Holy Spirit, can stand alone. It doesn’t need any help at all. I saw firsthand in Skid Row that the unsaved and the saved can and do meet the endless needs of our hurting and broken world. Clean feet, new socks and a warm meal are needed in Skid Row. In a fallen world I saw humanity at their best doing justly, showing mercy, loving their neighbor as they would want to be loved if they were in the same situation. But this is not missions. Without a verbal proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the spiritual forces of darkness will continue to ravage and lock in bondage these souls with their new socks and full belly’s. Clean feet, new socks, a warm meal does not get anyone into heaven. Obedient faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only power to liberate and make a soul into a son or daughter of the King.