Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (ESV)
Often today we can lose sight of what it means to live out the mission of God. Frequently distorted views of what it looks like to live on the mission have hampered the advancement of God’s Kingdom. This distortion can take on many forms including legalism, social justice, and Christian nationalism to name a few. It is important that we take a step back and see what the New Testament reveals about how the early church viewed the mission of God.
When we read the New Testament and other accounts of the early church we see that first Christians viewed their mission as the church to be a direct continuation of Israel’s role in God’s story, to be a light to the world. They understood that Jesus’ resurrection was the launching of the new creation. The resurrection marked the beginning of God’s kingdom on earth. This vision shaped their everyday lives from their vocations, to their social interactions, to their public witness as a faith community.
For the early church, the mission was not only about personal salvation but about embodying the reality of the new creation in every aspect of life. Their faith led them to challenge societal norms and create transformative communities centered around love, compassion, reconciliation, and obedience to God. They did not simply view Jesus’ resurrection as a spiritual event that personally benefited them. They viewed it as the inauguration of God’s redemptive work in the world.
As those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ today, we would do well to remember the mindset of the early church. We have been called to embrace a holistic vision of the church’s mission. The mission of God should impact all of life! Sadly, we often reduce mission to a weekly event, programs, or isolated evangelism efforts. This is not what we see in the New Testament. The early church wove the mission of God into every area of their lives. They were living examples of the gospel. Everywhere they went, they manifested Jesus Christ, and functioned as ambassadors of God’s kingdom.
We ought to live with that same urgency and purpose. The early church understood that the kingdom of God had broken into the world through Jesus Christ. Their mission was not only focused on preparing for heaven; it was about actively participating in God’s work of reconciliation here and now. This included good works such as caring for the poor, advocating for justice, and proclaiming the gospel in word and action.
The early church did not compartmentalize their faith but allowed it to shape all aspects of their lives. We need to realign our understanding of the mission. We need to have the mindset that the mission of God is an all-encompassing way of life, one that reflects the new creation that we are in Christ. To live this way requires full surrender to the Holy Spirit. It means releasing all areas of our life to the authority of Christ. When we live this way we are truly living like citizens of God’s kingdom and we reflect the beauty, hope, love, and justice of that kingdom to the world!
Written by Sam McKeen
