“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – (Mat 28:18-20)
It’s easy to take things for granted. It’s especially easy to take those things for granted that we have always had in our possession — like life, for instance. But not only do we tend to take our own existence for granted, we take the existence of others for granted as well.
Exhibit A: We hear quite often that since the Great Commission, physical procreation has lost some of it’s Old Testament luster (if you will).
Some will argue that the coming of Christ signaled a shift in our understanding of “offspring” — changing what was an emphasis on physical procreation, to an emphasis on spiritual offspring. While there was, indeed, a seismic shift in the ministry of the Church to the world at the coming of Christ — at its foundation this shift must be understood as an addition to, and not (what has been practically understood today) a replacement of, physical procreation.
I want to challenge you today to consider how these “nations” that Christ has called us to minister to came about. Did they fall from the sky, fully grown, waiting in a cryogenic state until your arrival on the mission field? Are they disembodied spirits, only appearing to have flesh and bones, eyes and ears by which to hear the proclaimed gospel? No, brothers. They are REAL people, who have REALLY been born – the first time… waiting, with their blood flowing in their created veins to hear of Christ (and Lord willing) be born a second time.
The coming of Christ did not signal a rejection of Createdness, rather it displayed God’s redemption of it. Do you think it is instructive that Paul considered himself as “one untimely born”? (1Co 15:8 ) Moderns today would attempt to assure him, “No Paul, what is most important is that you’ve been saved.” As if one is not wholly contingent upon the other. Clearly we are not Universalists, believing in salvation by birth; but far be it for us to become something even more illogical, holding to the indefensible position of salvation apart from birth. As Christopher Ash notes so eloquently, “It is true that God builds his new covenant people by placing his (spiritual) seed within men and women so that they are born into his family. But the people in whom he does this regenerative work are men and women who have already been born naturally.”
Read this prophetic vision from Revelation 7:9-10:
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Friends, let us not kid ourselves. We have a Great Commission, but it is a Great Commission to men and women, boys and girls who have first been conceived in their mother’s wombs, and have experienced the very thing that Christ himself experienced: a human, physical, God-wrought birth (Psalm 139:13). That “great multitude that no man can number” will have all been born… twice!
What say you?
‘BH
3 Comments
August 25, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I don’t see how anyone could disagree that those referred to in the Great Commission are born from the wombs of women. But hopefully people are not arguing that spiritual procreation replaces having babies; I don’t see how that’s tenable.
One argument that is clear, however, is that we should not put physical multiplication as the center of the spread of the gospel. I don’t think Paul could make the arguments he makes (don’t get married if you are able to withhold; for him it’s better not to be married) if childbearing is at the center.
August 25, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Brandon -
You’ll find no disagreement here! In the same way that Romans 9 highlights that the true Israel was never just the physical Israel, the Church is not made by physical procreation alone (although it is no less than that).
Secondly (without attempting to wax eloquent, for it would be a poor attempt), the issue of childbirth is a pretty interesting thematic presence in Scripture. I’m not sure what to make of it yet, but is it not challenging for us to consider the mode of the Savior’s entrance into the world, through none other than childbirth? The very protoevangelium consists of what? Yep, a promise of the birth a child that would crush the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15). Clearly, the “birth” is not the ultimate accomplishment of this promised Seed. The fact that he “would crush the serpent’s head” is what gives us the meat of our Hope. That is the foundation of the Gospel. However, (and this is the driving point of this post) it is by means of this birth that God brings us the ends of the gospel. If Christ were not born as the God-Man, we would have no hope. In a related manner (though understandably distinct), if we were not born as men, we would have no hope of salvation – (of course!) because we would not exist.
As you’ve reminded me often, “God uses means”. And I agree. However, I feel burdened to remind the Church that the means which God uses to set our feet on this earth and (following conversion, death, and resurrection) in Glory, is by physical birth. The same was true for us, our parents, and our children.
July 12, 2009 at 1:34 am
[...] for granted. We readily confess we’re called to preach the Word, but we quickly forget that only those who are born can hear it, and only those who are born can preach it! We call on the Church to defend the Truth, and yet we overlook the fact that the Church is made up [...]