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Called to Conquer or Commissioned to
Bless?
Why I Dislike the Term “Missions”
by
Rick Love
I recently
spoke in a church where a member told me that we need to
“conquer” the world for Christ! This kind of language
ticks me off. Like the imperialism or colonialism of the
past, it betrays the good news we seek to share. We are
not called to conquer, but commissioned to bless.
Understanding
the nature of our commission to bless is even more
crucial in a post 9/11 world. Because of terrorism,
stories of violence, hatred, and fear splash across the
headlines daily. Diplomacy and the use of force should
play an important role in governments’ resistance to
terrorism, but it often only escalates the violence.
Polarization between Muslims and Christians increases
daily.
How should
followers of Christ respond? First, let’s do away with
military metaphors! All talk of conquering, targeting,
or overcoming Islam is not only unbiblical, but it also
radically miscommunicates.
But believers
in Jesus not only need a change of wording, we need a
transformation of our “being.” We need a heart
transfusion of love. We are called to bless; we are
called to be peacemakers!
The “age of
missions” is fading into the past. Old ways and
traditional terms no longer fit the 21st
century. For example, the term “missions” was first
coined by Ignatius Loyola in the 1500s. But the term has
sadly come to imply aggressive proselytism and cultural
imperialism, rather than describing the peaceable way of
Jesus.
How then are
followers of Christ to live out our faith in today’s
world? Jesus made it clear that his good news of peace
with God was intended for all nations. How can we plant
the gospel of peace among peoples who have never heard?
Actually, God
described His plan beautifully a long time ago. Let’s
eavesdrop on God and Abraham …
The LORD had said to Abram,
"Leave your country, your people and your father's
household and go to the land I will show you. "I will
make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I
will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I
will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I
will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed
through you." (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV)
This is the
first mention in the Bible of God’s plan to bless all
peoples on earth. The first mention of the Great
Commission in the Bible! God repeats this ancient and
amazing promise five times in Genesis (Gen 12:1-3;
18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). God’s purpose from the
beginning is to bless all peoples – there’s no mention
of conquering here.
For some
people the term “blessing” seems old fashioned. I am
afraid that this massively important term has been
drained of its power. Its meaning has been diluted
because of superficial familiarity. “Oh Lord, bless us.”
That is the kind of thing we might hear a mom pray with
her children. It sounds so simple. Cute. And somehow
right. Yet, the weight of heavenly power and
heart-soothing comfort have been lost.
The Bible
refers to blessing about 500 times! You don’t have to be
scholar to realize that this is a central theme.
Moreover, the quest for blessing (or “baraka” in Arabic)
is an almost universal longing among the peoples of the
world.
Blessing
refers to God’s gracious favour and power bestowed on
all humanity ( Gen 30: 27; Heb 6:7; cf. Luke 17:12-18),
and in its fullest manifestation toward those who
respond to him by faith (Eph 1: 3; Gen 15:6; Gal 3:8; Ps
67).
Favor and
power? Who doesn’t want that?
The blessing
of God’s favor draws us into relationship
with Himself, resulting in peace, well-being, salvation,
and good experiences. The blessing of His power
impacts the practical realities of life, resulting in
good harvests, long life, wealth, children, and
miraculous works. Because of God’s grace, non-believers
experience the blessing of His power (Matt 5:45) – often
through believers (e.g. Jacob, Gen 30:27; 33:11; Joseph,
Gen 39:2-6).
Later in the
New Testament, the apostle Paul makes a fascinating
connection between this global mandate and his gospel
message.
The Scripture foresaw that
God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced
the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations
will be blessed through you." (Gal 3:8)
The Apostle
Paul understood the concept of blessing all nations as
“good news.” Moreover, this implies that the good news
includes both personal experience (blessing for myself)
and global mandate (my responsibility to be a blessing
to all nations). In his thinking, the message
(blessing in Christ) and the mandate (to
share this blessing with all nations) have become one.
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“Blessing” describes God’s plan
to bless all nations (Gen 12:1-3, Gal 3:8), so those
who follow Jesus believers should reclaim the term
with its powerful impact.
-
“Blessing” describes the gospel
according to Paul (Gal 3:6-14, Eph 1:3-14),. Anyone
concerned about sharing the gospel should recapture
this image.
-
“Blessing” is a power term in the
Bible, so anyone longing for signs and wonders among
their neighbors should retrieve the concept.
-
“Blessing” impacts every
dimension of life, so those favoring holistic
ministry should repossess the power of its meaning
So no more
conquering. No more use of terms that miscommunicate,
like “missions.” Those who follow Jesus are called to
bless.
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