This calling of men to Jesus Christ for salvation, is the work of God, and every Christian must be a vessel dedicated and committed to His glory. He still says to His disciples: ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all creation…And surely, I am with you always, to the end of the world…Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere…The Lord working with them and confirmed his word by signs that accompanied it.’ (Matthew 28: 20 – Mark 16:15-20)) For many years the Gospel of a risen Saviour was done in Palestine by the apostles, having Jerusalem as the base, then when God’s time came, some were led outside of it, this was done faithfully until Paul and Silas were in turn led by the Holy Spirit to Europe, and established in it, the first assembly of disciples in Phillipi. (Macedonia). 

From that initial start, until now it touched all parts of the world, missionaries still do go to many parts of the earth, with the same gospel, for sin is always sin, the deadly venom of Satan, and only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash sins away. It is a great challenge to me to realise that after two millenniums, I have, with all true believers a living part in this mission, that actually started in heaven, from where Jesus was sent by God, to bring life and salvation to a world of sinners. It is God that worked out the plan of redemption and salvation, it all started with Him, and it is by His initiative that the Holy Spirit, in the name of Jesus, brings dead sinners to life even nowadays. I must bring in a portion of Holy Scriptures to make this point very plain.

The apostle Paul who is the great master at proving by them, that men born again by the powerful operation of the Holy Spirit and according to the plan of God, have received eternal life! As it is stated by the lord: ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.’ (those who were lost) and: ‘I am come that my sheep might have life and have it to the full … abundantly – an abundant life, while on earth then in heaven forever. I am just quoting truths which I have amply detailed in previous ‘Links,’ but they are worth repeating, because all the apostles have contributed enough for all Christians to be convinced that eternal life is: ‘eternal.’ 

The reason I mentioned the apostle Paul it is because through Him the Holy Spirit puts negatively a great truth concerning divine statements, saying: ‘AS FOR YOU! You were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world, and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who now is at work in those that are disobedient … But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.’ (read Ephesians 2: 1-10) Negatives for those in sins, become positives to those that are now alive with/in Jesus Christ, There is nothing more dead than a person in sin; as long as Jesus lives, live with Him all that are His! Thus, it is by the will of God, that all who believe in Jesus Christ to this very day, be members of the biggest, greatest, and oldest family, His family. I say OLD, because the first Christian mentioned in Hebrews 11 is Abel, who was martyred for his faith by his brother Cain! about six thousand years ago!

The Children of God, born of Him, by His will, as stated in John 1: 13, are members of the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, the called-out ones. The gathering of God’s children. We realise, as we go on, that after the ascension of the Lord Jesus, witnesses arose to testified to the world that He is alive, and that, in His own way the Holy Spirit revealed to them His divinity; so, in the same way He revealed it to us. Having expressed in general what the calling to follow Christ means, and the commitment of each disciple to His cause, I must return to the first disciples of the Lord and mention that during the years that they followed Jesus, hearing His preaching, seeing the miracles, the big crowds that followed Him during three and a half- year, they really had in mind that the kingdom of God was at hand, and they expected Him to return within few week! To take over the rule and government of the world. Later, the Holy Spirit revealed to them otherwise! But I am sure that they did not know that twenty centuries after, we would still be waiting for the rapture let alone the rule of the world!