Worldy Christian or World Christian?

Christmas - 2011 is over and some of us have celebrated several Christmases in our lives. There are also people in this world who have never heard the first Christmas story, even once in their lives. Oswald Smith said, “We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard the first.” What is our responsibility as a follower of Christ this New Year? How about being a “World Christian?”


Who is a World Christian? A World Christian is one who has a God's perspective of the world. How did God view the world? "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). How was Jesus, when he lived in this world? Jesus felt compassionate to those in need (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32, 20:34, Mark 6:34, 8:2, Luke 15:20, etc.). And the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26).


No follower of Christ is exempted from following the “Great Commission.”  (Matthew 28:18-20). This passage has a promise to inherit, and a command to be followed. Jesus 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."


How can we make disciples of nations? In a land like India, where there is a kaleidoscope of cultures, every place and geographical state is unique. India is like, nations within a nation. The percentage of Christians is increasingly high in the south and the north east Indian states, compared to the rest of India. The greatest call in this land of India for a follower of Christ is to be a cross-cultural worker in a geographically and culturally distant place (as a missionary). Now with urbanisation a reality in countries like India, in the cities, the mission fields are not geographically distant. They are only culturally distant and they are at the door steps.


However, all of us for sure need to choose to be a “World Christian.” True Mission starts with love in us, like the love of God, which he showed towards this world. It is followed by a compassion which propels us to be involved in missions to the needy. We will also intercede like the Holy Spirit, to the Lord of the harvests, to send out workers into his harvest field (Matthew 9:38). We cannot travel to all the nations of the world and places in India to proclaim the gospel. But we can travel to all those places with our knees. While praying, we need to pray intelligently and specifically for the needs of these places. “Operation World” gives a prayer calendar to help us to pray, every day, for the countries of the world systematically: http://www.operationworld.org/prayer-calendar. How I wish that our churches and houses will turn to be a “House of Prayer for all Nations” (Isaiah 56:7).


All who pray, “Maranatha" (Come, Lord) should say that after reading Matthew 24:14. Jesus said: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”. What is our responsibility as a follower of Christ in the New Year to see to that the gospel is preached to all nations? I would pray that the love of God, the compassion of Christ and the interceding nature of the Holy Spirit would grip us all the more this New Year.


Am I going to be a “Worldy Christian” or a “World Christian” this New Year? Wishing All My Friends a Blessed 2012!