There is a discussion of whether these two terms seem to hold too much tension. Is one on a mission of God? (Something like the Blues Brothers). Or are we little Christs living on this earth to do as Jesus did?
I see that these fit together as one cannot be done without the other. One cannot fulfill the mission/vocation without Christ living inside us... nor can one truly live Incarnationally without setting out to do the Mission.
So to me the tension is not tension, but relation. It is that one exists with and for the other.
Christ must dwell in us... and in that we live out His Life in us... as HE/we does/do this, our heart is His Heart... and we do as He desires... and that is where/when we do the Mission.
I think the question is then, what is the Mission?
Jesus told us very plainly what His Mission was.
Luke 4:15-21
He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Jesus was just begining to do just that, yet talked of it as "fulfilled in your hearing" which was over 2 thousand years ago...
Later we read in John's Gospel of Jesus: John 20:21-22 "Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." "
The Father sent Jesus to fulfill Isaiah 42, and Jesus said "as the Father sent me, I am sending you." And this is by the power of the Holy SPirit.
Now what is that power?
Look at this verse in John and I think you will see what the true Power of the Holy Spirit is!
John 15: 8 -17 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
The Power is abiding in the Love of Christ and loving one another!
What a fitting mission... for Chistmas as it is as I write this... yet even more in a world that forgets Christmas as soon as New Years comes around... and the world still finds itself hurting and in need of Love.
We need to put feet to the Life that is in us... If we do not we will not bear fruit. The proof of our maturity in Christ, is in the How we love those around us who need Jesus, and in how we love one another.... the proof of one's imaturity is how they choose who they will love and how they will love them...
So, show your maturity, and go and be a blessing,
iggy
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1 comment:
I agree.
If we are living on this earth to do as Jesus did, we would naturally be on a mission of God. There is no tension here. It is natural. Jesus was on a mission for God (or as you say, the “mission of God”.). His mission was to love God and bring him glory by doing the work of God.
By being crucified with Christ and living by faith with Christ in us we are on very joyful mission for God.
Great post.
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