Saved to serve our Saviour

Phillip Jensen

ONE OF THE MORE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THAT GOD HAS ENTRUSTED US WITH HIS MESSAGE OF SALVATION.

We, who were by nature opposed to God and can only be saved by his lavish and expensive grace, would seem to be the least likely instruments of salvation. Yet, instead of leaving the message to an angel flying mid heaven or to the multitude of the heavenly host, God has entrusted the message to us. It is our task to expand the praises of Jesus and thanksgiving to God, by proclaiming salvation to the nations. We will one day all appear before the judgement seat of Christ to receive what is due for what we have done in the body. We who have received the grace of God must not receive it in vain or for nothing. We have been saved to serve our Saviour by bringing salvation to others. As Paul Barnett commented on appearing before Christ: “The teaching about the judgement seat before which all believers must come reminds us that we have been saved, not for a life of aimlessness or indifference, but to live as to the Lord.”

We, who have been reconciled by God through Christ becoming sin for us, have been given the message of reconciliation for others. God makes his appeal through us, and we implore on Christ’s behalf “be reconciled to God”. As the apostle appealed to the Corinthian Christians, we must “not receive the grace in vain”.

Two Ways Ministries has been established to encourage another generation of Christians to live boldly and singlemindedly for Christ. While this may or may not lead people to enter full time paid ministry, it will lead people to lay down their lives for Christ and his gospel. Jesus’ challenge does not mean that all Christians must leave their nets and fish for men. But Jesus’ challenge does mean that some Christians will leave their nets and fish for men and that all other Christians will be just as committed to fishing for men as those who have left their nets to do so.

The gospel of our salvation commits us to the salvation of others by the gospel. We cannot be like Jesus, and remain disinterested and inactive about the salvation of sinners. So, we are to lose our lives not only for Jesus but also for the gospel. This is the motivational shift in our lives that leads to a life-time of evangelism. In conjunction with churches, para-church ministries and Moore College, Two Ways Ministries is raising up a network of young adults who are committed to evangelistic leadership now and for the future.

As the message of salvation is most accurately articulated in the words of Scripture, it is important to teach the Bible faithfully. To do so will be to evangelise—for the message of the Bible will make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Either teaching the Bible without evangelising or evangelising without teaching the Bible fails the test of authenticity. So, raising up a generation of Christians who will lay down their lives for others’ salvation requires not only motivating them by the gospel, but also training them in teaching the Bible.

We who have received the grace of God must not receive it in vain or for nothing. We have been saved to serve our Saviour by bringing salvation to others.

Sydney is today a great place of evangelistic opportunity and desperate need. The need is all around us as Anglos desert their Christian heritage and multicultural migration brings so many people ready to embrace a new life within our city. The opportunity lies in the Moore College heritage of training Bible teachers. Our college has trained our present ministers, is training our future ministers, and runs the far-reaching Distance Education courses for all Christians.

We must address the needs of Sydney with the opportunities that God has provided for us.