When a person truly believes in Jesus, God's Son, he immediately receives the Holy Spirit and becomes a "new creation", that is, he becomes a "citizen" of God's Kingdom. (cf. Ephesians 1:13, 14; Romans 8:9; II Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 3:20). He is no longer subject to a system of rules and laws, but is taught to "walk in obedience to the Holy Spirit" who lives in him. (Galatians 5:16-18; Romans 8:14)

What does this mean? How are we supposed to live now?

There are many instructions found in the New Testament in the letters to Christians that show us how we should live. More than this, Jesus himself showed us by his example how we should live. In his teaching, Jesus gave us some wonderful lessons, but his words were not many; it was by his example that he truly taught us how to live. And then he said, "Follow me!" (Not, as so many "teachers" now-days say, "Follow my teachings.") This is the way a true Christian teacher must talk. Six times in his writings the Apostle Paul says, "Follow me, as I follow Christ; be imitators of me; follow the example you heard and saw in me," etc. In Matthew 23:3 Jesus warned us against those teachers who only say and do not do. Jesus truly taught us by his example how to live and how to die. Where today do we see true teachers, disciples of Jesus, who are teaching others by following his example?

One of the first things every new Christian feels very strongly is that he must tell this wonderful gospel to his friends and relatives, so that they will be saved from an eternal hell. Every newborn Christian has this strong urge that comes from the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us that if we suppress this desire because we are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of us (Luke 9:26). Often this is the first test of a new Christian's love and obedience to Christ.

But as we continue to follow Jesus, our Lord as well as our Savior, we become conscious of the words he spoke just before he left this earth: "Go into all the world and tell this gospel to every person." (Mark 16:15; John 20:21; II Corinthians 5:19-20)

As we consider these words and realize our frightening responsibility to this lost and dying world, Jesus' example begins to take on a new and urgent meaning. "To all the world!" "To every person!" "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19 and 18:18. Also John 20:23)

"Tell this gospel to every person." How easy to understand! How clear the command! How grave the responsibility! Are we telling the gospel of Jesus' salvation, and his promise of eternal life, to every person around us? Jesus' last words in the New Testament are: "The Spirit and the bride [the church] say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17)

Notice carefully: We see no command or instruction here, or anywhere else in the Scriptures, about establishing or building churches. Instead, we are told to make disciples, a vastly more difficult and daunting task. However, the salvation of men, that is, the work of bringing them to believe, is altogether the work of the Holy Spirit. Read John 6:44-45. Some people say that Paul "planted churches." He did not. But the Holy Spirit certainly did. Of course no person in the world could do what the Holy Spirit did through Paul on his missionary journeys. Paul went out to tell the gospel and God worked mightily to bring many people to himself. God did not give us a method; he entrusted us with a message.

God has told us to tell the gospel to everyone. As soon as the gospel message goes forth, as soon as we obey Jesus and tell the gospel, the Holy Spirit begins to work. That is why He came to the world after Jesus left: "...he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment because the prince of this world now stands condemned." (John 16:8-11)

When the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit works - immediately! That is his job; that is why he came. Everyone who has told the gospel as Jesus and Paul did knows the meaning of those words. When the Holy Spirit begins his work, many people become angry. Some, a few, believe and receive eternal life.

And notice also: Jesus did not say, "Go and win souls," or, "Go and save people." We repeat -- his words were, "Tell the gospel [it is the "power of God"] to every person." Jesus and Paul showed us how to preach the gospel: publicly and from house to house, that is, on the streets and to every person. But this sort of preaching is certain to bring opposition, scorn, hate and persecution, just as it did in those days. Is that not the main reason that the gospel is no longer preached in this way? It is so very much easier to rent a hall or a stadium, or to rent time on radio or television and talk to an audience which wants to listen - they'll even contribute money! -- because they agree with the message. Only a true disciple of Jesus, like the martyr Stephen, would be willing to preach to an audience that, the Bible says, gnashed their teeth and stopped their ears.

One reason that it is hard to preach the gospel in public - on the streets and person to person - is that we must tell the bad news as well as the good news. We must, as in Romans 1, tell men that they are vile sinners, on the road to an eternal hell. When we say these things, the Holy Spirit can prepare them for the good news. Without the bad news, no one can truly appreciate the good news: that we have, through the blood of Jesus and his resurrection, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Preaching the bad news brings the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit into our message, convincing men of its truth.

But to men who hate the light and suppress the truth by unrighteousness, this is an intolerable message, and they will, sometimes violently, try to stop it, claiming that they have a "right" not to hear, not to have these warnings "rammed down" their throats. To those whom God has chosen, however, these warnings bring fear and repentance, and, when they hear the good news, true appreciation and joy.

It is interesting here to meditate on the traditions of the early Church as to the fate of the Apostles of Jesus. We are told that Peter was crucified in Rome upside down because he felt he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Christ. Andrew, his brother, it is said, was likewise crucified at Edessa. The book of Acts tells us that James, the brother of John, was beheaded by Herod. John was first exiled on the Isle of Patmos, and later horribly martyred by being thrown into boiling oil. Matthew was beheaded in Ethiopia. Thomas was thrust through with a spear in India. Simon, the Zealot, it is said, was crucified in Briton. Bartholomew (Nathaniel) was beaten and crucified in India. Philip was crucified at Heliopolis in Phrygia. Jesus? brother, James, was stoned and clubbed to death in Jerusalem. Contrast this with the acclaim and honor of many of today's "Christian" clergy, and try to discern the reason. Surely it is not the world that has changed; rather it is that the hated message is no longer faithfully preached!

History shows us that it was nothing other than the faithfulness and forbearance of Christians of bygone days who preached this hated message in the face of much persecution and opposition, that has purchased for us the right to publicly proclaim the gospel now. Today people call this right "freedom of speech." But it was those Christians who, sometimes at the cost of their lives, bought this right for us, and not only for us, but even for unbelievers to enjoy.
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Somehow, tragically, much of the Christian church has substituted other goals and objectives for Jesus' simple words. "Christianity" has taken on the characteristics of the heathen "religions" around us: building up "membership", constructing "temples", making "adherents", performing ceremonies, attending meetings, saying prayers, building schools and hospitals, establishing great organizations and denominations, etc. until today, "Christianity" has come to be merely another sect or religion. The world seemingly no longer realizes that Christians have been entrusted by God with a vital message - a message of life and death, and that our responsibility is to deliver this message to every person. When the whole world has heard it, then, Jesus said, the end of this miserable age will come, and the Kingdom of God will be here! Hallelujah!

We must not look at "results." The only result we seek is that the world hears and understands our message. The "results" must be left to God, who will add to his church those he has chosen "before the foundation of the world."

We certainly hope that the words we have written here will not be construed to mean that Chris-tians have no need to gather together for encouragement, teaching, and remembering the Lord. This teaching is obvious throughout the epistles. Also, we would feel very misunderstood if some who read this would conclude that we have no desire to see men believe and be saved. The Bible is clear that God wants men to be saved. No, here we only desire to show that our work is the proclamation of God's wonderful gospel, and God's work is to give men understanding, and to build his church.

And Jesus also left us that other command: "Make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19-20) How do we accomplish this? Jesus showed us how by his example. His example!

In Luke 14:26-27, and in verse 33, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." These words make it difficult for us to believe that anyone can teach discipleship in a classroom.

It is true that we can teach many things without being a disciple ourselves: Surely we can tell the gospel without losing our own life. It seems very possible that we can teach many Biblical truths without carrying a cross after Jesus. It is possible to pastor a church or to teach in a Bible school or seminary without being a disciple. And no doubt we can lead people to the Lord without giving up everything we have.

But there is one thing we cannot do without being a disciple ourselves: We cannot make disciples. We cannot teach another person to lose his life unless we lose our own. Here is one sphere of Christian teaching that can only be done by example - an example until death. Jesus showed us how to live and how to die. He truly taught us by his example.

And he told us: "Make disciples of all nations." Not many Christians have followed his teach-ing here, nor his example. Because it costs one's life. Yes, we have many Bible lessons, and classes in churches and schools; many "correspondence courses" and study books. But we do not see many disciples. Why?

We do not write this to disparage or criticize the dedicated work of many Christians which has been done out of love for Jesus and his gospel. We only want to point out here that it is not easy to obey Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations, and very few have done it or are doing it now.

Here, then, is the teaching that Jesus left for us: tell the gospel to every person, and make disciples in all nations. This, if we choose to accept it, is the way Jesus wants us to live. And as the church, in these last days, slides swiftly down into the lukewarm, miserable, blind and naked Laodicean condition that will welcome the Anti-Christ, God will yet find a few disciples who will tell his gospel to the whole world before the end comes. They will overcome Satan himself by "the word of their testimony, by the blood of the Lamb, and because they will not love their own lives, even unto death" (Revelation 12:11). To them, God says, "Don't be afraid. I am with you always."

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)