Calling oneself a Christian and actually being one can indeed be very different. Believing in Jesus or believing like Jesus makes all the difference. Jesus Christ not only set a shining example for His followers, but also called them to follow Him. These are the fundamental tasks of the disciples of Jesus Christ. This applies until the “last day.”
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The “basic tasks” of every Christian
It doesn’t hurt to occasionally draw Christians’ attention to, or remind them of, the tasks Jesus Christ called His followers to perform, and what they (actually) didn’t. Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated this and, as a model, covered all facets of true Christian life. The fundamental task of the ancient people of Israel, to be a shining example to the neighboring peoples (the Gentiles), to convince them through a prosperous existence of the true, living God who holds His protective hand over His people, was passed on to His followers through the missionary work of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ set the example
In this sense, nothing has changed between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, for the path to salvation for every individual remained the same. The difference is that the people of God in the Old Testament looked toward a future Messiah, whereas the era after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ looks back to a Messiah who has already appeared. Humanity was and is justified by the grace of Jesus Christ based on (true) faith. Then as now.
He proclaimed the gospel
The same path to salvation, the same missionary work, the same conversion of the Gentiles, and the same tasks for His followers, Jesus showed how it’s done. This included preaching the Word of God (the Gospel), Luke 4:17-19:
“And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.“
He healed the sick
Jesus Christ healed the sick, visited them and cared for them, Matthew 4:24:
“And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.“
He cast out demons
The Son of God also demonstrated how demons can be cast out of infected people, Acts 10:38:
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
and also gave hints on how particularly stubborn demons can be driven out, Mark 9:29:
“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.“
Jesus Christ had His disciples maken
The followers of Jesus Christ didn’t just follow along like “apprentices,” learning “boring theory” by watching, but Jesus commissioned them for missionary work while He was still actively ministering as a human being. In addition to the 12 apostles, He chose 70 additional followers and sent them in groups of two and three to the cities and other places (Luke 10). There is much to do, but few “skilled workers” are available (“skilled labor shortage”)., Luke 10:2-3:
“Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.“
Today we would call it “positive feedback,” because when the 70 sent out returned, they brought good news, Luke 10:17:
“And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.“
The main actors were the 12 apostles
The commissioning of His specially chosen 12 apostles was done separately. Jesus Christ listed their duties in detail, Matthew 10:1;7:8
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.“
Jesus Christ also provided the necessary equipment, Luke 9:1:
“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.“
Immediately before His Ascension, Jesus Christ repeatedly reminded us of the task of His 12 Apostles, Mark 16:15-18:
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.“
In summary:
The main tasks of the 12 apostles were:
– Casting out demons
– Healing the sick
– Preaching the gospel
– Operating worldwide
All free of charge!
Just as God has given each individual person individual abilities, so the true follower should use this given talent to accomplish God’s work. He is a worker in God’s vineyard. The Bible even provides a good example of this with Paul and Peter. While Paul was an excellent writer, very intelligent, and highly educated, Peter’s great talent lay in speaking, in other words, preaching.
Prerequisite: Strong faith
The absolute prerequisite for success is unconditional faith and living one’s life according to God’s will. Some disciples failed in their attempts to cast out demons, and were even physically beaten by them. Jesus Christ hinted at the problem, or rather, what man is capable of if his faith is great enough, in Matthew 17:19-20:
“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.“
Proclaiming the gospel, on the other hand, is achieved in a much simpler way. Here, the means are manifold, even if it’s “merely” going from door to door or attending events. Prayers work miracles, as is the case with intercession for the healing of a sick person. This, too, is easily accomplished. If it is God’s will, even previously closed doors will open.
There are also the imposters
In addition to individual preachers, pastors, and self-proclaimed prophets who offer their services for cash and peddle the earth, an institutional faith organization headquartered in Rome has existed for some time. This organization claims to be the successor of the apostles, to be the immediate successor of Peter, and even to be the “mystical body of Christ” itself.
But if one compares the criteria of the tasks and abilities of the biblical apostles with the visible actions and omissions of this institution, the result is visibly miserable (Info).
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
2 Timothy 4:7
Bible verses from King James Version (1611)
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