Why do we declare God's good news?
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| Oil painting of a young John Calvin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples (Ps. 96:3).
Many assert that John Calvin had no zeal for missions. They wrongly believe that evangelism and world missions could not be reconciled with his strong doctrine of predestination. However, to suppose that predestination is incompatible with evangelism is a grievous error. While God elects some to salvation, we know not who. God uses the proclamation of the Gospel to call those He has already predestined to eternal life, and He uses the church to proclaim this Good News to the lost. God has commanded us to go into all the world to preach the Gospel. When we refrain, we disobey a direct command from our Lord Himself. God uses His church to bring in the harvest—a harvest that remains ripe even to this day.
Calvin strongly believed in missions because he was faithful to the Word of God. When he read passages such as Psalm 96, he became impassioned to declare the glory of the Lord to all people. Calvin sent missionaries to foreign countries, including South America. He understood the importance of participating in the spread of the kingdom of Christ, which is foreshadowed in Psalm 96. Here we read of a new song being proclaimed, of God’s people not confining the message of salvation to the region of Judea but declaring it to all nations. “The psalmist intimates accordingly, that the time was come when God would erect His kingdom in the world in a manner altogether unlooked for,” Calvin wrote. “He intimates still more clearly as He proceeds, that all nations would share in the favor of God. He calls upon them everywhere to show forth His salvation, and, in desiring that they should celebrate this from day to day, would denote that it was not of a fading or evanescent nature but such as should endure forever.”
When we proclaim the riches of salvation in Christ Jesus, we instruct heathen nations to worship God in truth. Instead of worshiping their own impotent gods, they learn of the Almighty who is above all others and who upholds His creation by His strength. Let each of us obey God’s commandment that righteousness may come to all nations. Let us sing to the Lord a new song and proclaim to the ends of the earth, “The LORD reigns.”
Read Mark 16:15. Think about something you can do this week to perpetuate world missions. Write an encouraging note to a missionary supported by your church. Give some money to your church to help with world missions. Pray for specific missionaries. Do your part by telling someone else about Christ.
