Missionaries in Itineration
The second reason is really more important � I'm addressing it as the second point because I believe it deserves our concerted attention and meditation. Here it is: Jesus Christ wants to give each and every Christian an opportunity to join Him in His work. You see, the missionary isn't asking people for money. The missionary is actually a conduit through whom Jesus is issuing a personal invitation to participate with Him in the Plan of Salvation! I encourage you to stop and read that again and give it some thought. Really get a grip on it! I believe we've missed the boat for too long a time on this one and as a result, we've been missing the greatest adventure and blessing in the universe.
Now that we've thought about it a bit, I'd like to go a step further. I know for a fact that God doesn't need us. Think about it. Don't you think that God could spread the Gospel to every single human being in the world in the blink of an eye? Take for example what Jesus did after He died and before His resurrection. His spirit went to the abyss and preached to the dead souls of the lost (1 Pet. 3:18-20). If He can do that, what does he need us for? It's been my observation that we humans are better at getting in the way and thwarting God's work than at being of any assistance to the Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipotent Creator of all things, from Whom all things came and all will return GOD.
"Well," you might say, "if that's all true, what's the point of having missionaries or of supporting them? And what about that invitation to all of us you were talking about? If He doesn't need us, why would He invite us to participate with Him?" Thanks for asking. Here's the answer. God wants to participate with us.
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will�the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (Eph. 1:4-6).
God created us specifically to be in a love relationship with Him�that's the whole point of our very existence. Despite the fact that we chose a life of sin, He continues to seek a relationship with us and has provided all of the devices necessary to make that possible. The principal device is our redemption through the death and resurrection of His only Begotten Son. When we accept that gift, we become "Christ-one's" or followers of Christ commonly referred to as Christians. But that's only the beginning! Once we become "Christians" we've entered into another reality � a spiritual reality that exists in eternity. Now we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and as such we are, if we so choose, participants in the Plan of Salvation! I am overwhelmed by that thought�after all, Jesus had to give His life as His part of the Plan! And He is allowing me the privilege to also have a part with Him.
