The forgotten half of the Great Commission

The Great Commission is worthy of its common name. What greater mission could there possibly be than proclaiming salvation from God to those who are perishing? But while we frequently remember the first half, we often forget, and some of us even reject, the second. Try it now, assuming you haven't already read the header image. What is the Great Commission?

You probably remembered "go and make disciples of all nations", but the Great Commission is far more than that. It's one thing to proclaim "Jesus has saved us from sin and Hell!", but it's another thing entirely to proclaim "Jesus has saved us to Holiness." It is certainly not incorrect to say that Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations, but when I studied this with my friends in a study group one night, even the pastor's daughter forgot the part about "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."

Now, the chances are even those who do forget this half of the Great Commission honor it naturally anyway. How many of us need a reason to encourage new, and even old Christians to honor God by avoiding sin, and by doing good works? Most of us don't. In fact, I dare say we're often too passionate about it, to the point where it's off-putting and we look like the "Holier than thou" type.

But some of us take the opposite approach. Some of us equate Holiness with Legalism. Some of us take the "grace is enough, I'm good" approach. Some of us even see a Christian preaching obedience to Christ and actively oppose it. To those of you who are like that, I say this: Don't just teach the disciples you make to observe all that Jesus has commanded. You observe what Jesus has commanded. Let this article cut straight to your heart and convict you of your laziness, and of your recklessness. If you are a true believer, you do not need to fear Hell, but there are other ways in which God can judge you (1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Nothing is worth taking the Great Commission lightly.