The Great Commission and Our Everyday Relationships

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

— Matthew 28:18-20 — 

The Great Commission is a lifestyle and when we see it as such, we are less prone to divorce the ministry of proclaiming the gospel from our daily lives. Our normal, everyday lives are meant to be launching pads for bringing reconciliation among Christians and reflecting God’s plan for our communication with one another. Paul David Tripp says, “The Great Commission is not only a call to bring people into the kingdom of light, but also a call to teach them to live as children of light once they are there. When we lose sight of the second half of the Great Commission, we lose sight of its claim over our everyday talk” (p.171). Having what he calls a “second-half of the Great Commission mentality” allows us to lovingly and humbly enter into deep relationships that allows us to correct and instruct each other so that we can point each other to the redemptive love of Jesus.
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The effects of living lives that are focused on the gospel and Great Commission do not only bless our relationships but also those who are around us who are witnessing broken and sinful people loving each other in a way that only is possible through Jesus. It gives others a glimpse of a love that is not perfect, but that is holding on to the Perfect Love of Jesus, and thereby further reflecting the Great Commission. Because “go and make disciples” will sometimes mean traveling to a foreign country or a downtown shelter, but it will always mean going in your current community and allowing the gospel to transform you and those around you into disciples who are daily seeking to make Jesus known to each other and the world. And Jesus, who is with us always (v.20) and has all power and authority (v.18) is able to make this a reality.

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Read the rest of my post on The Rising where I am sharing this guest post. I am so thankful to Rachel Dawson and the rest of the team at The Rising for allowing me to pitch this idea about a topic I was really excited to write about!