Giving Honor to the World’s Top Evangelist
Evangelism is the Christian endeavor to present Jesus Christ to people in the world, who are outside of His kingdom. Yes, Jesus Christ is the reigning King of glory (Ps 24). He sits on the throne of God in heaven (Ps 115:3; 135:6) because He is Lord over all (Acts 10:36). As the King of kings and Lord of lords, He rules with all wisdom, power, and authority (Mt 28:18; 1 Tim 6:15).
The kingdom of God is wherever Christ is ruling and reigning. Thus, the whole created universe is His domain (Ps 24:1; 53:1). Not everything has yet been brought into subjection to the exalted One at the right hand of Majesty (Heb 1:3; 8:1), that is, the right hand of God the Father (Mt 22:44; Acts 2:33; 5:31; 7:55–56; Rom 8:34; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1). The reason for the delay is the ingathering of God’s elect, redeemed people to be brought into Christ’s church, the Israel of God (Mt 16:18; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 6:16; 2 Pet 3:9).
It is God’s chosen people, His regenerated saints who are now subject to Him, despite their remaining in the flesh (Christians do sin.). Regeneration means that God the Father and God the Son have sent God the Holy Spirit to baptize each elect, redeemed soul (Mt 3:11; Acts 2:38; 11:16). It is the Holy Spirit who causes the chosen sinner to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3). The Apostle Paul calls this new life — a new creation. The recipient of the Spirit of Christ is a new creature because he or she now has the Holy Spirit indwelling them (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; 2 Cor 5:17).
How did the life of God take up permanent residence in the soul of man? How did one man, and not his neighbor, enter the kingdom of God in the Spirit; or how is it that Christ is in every saint and every saint is in Christ (mutual indwelling/union with Christ)? In one respect the answer is “evangelism.” God’s end is to glorify Himself in the salvation of His chosen people from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:4–6; Rev 5:9).
God saves His elect by sending them a preacher, an evangelist, even a witness with a message (Is 61:1; Rom 10:15). The message is good news from God to those He predestined to adopt into His family (Rom 8:15, 23; Eph 1:4–5). Imagine an orphan’s delight to hear that a loving family is taking her in to be one of them…enhance that…a royal family. The Bible calls this, “the joy of our salvation (Ps 51:12, 14; 95:1; 118:15; 132:16; Is 12:3).
A Spirit-filled herald announces this message from heaven — of so great a salvation — and many hear of the King and His kingdom, but few are chosen to enter that kingdom (Mt 20:28; 22:14). It is exclusively God’s gracious choice (Rom 11:5) to have mercy on those whom He wills to have mercy (Rom 9:15–16). God is just in saving His elect because perfect, sinless Jesus incarnated, suffered, died, was buried, rose again from the dead, ascended, and was enthroned in glory to secure His beloved people, who are His possession (1 Pet 2:9).
The saints of God are in Christ and Christ, by His Spirit, is in them (1 Cor 1:30; Gal 2:20). A fixed number of adopted children will be given the Spirit of adoption by God, who has given them to Christ (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24). Every one of these souls was known by his or her name before the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8; 17:8). The Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). He loves His own (1 Jn 4:19), having poured out His love in their hearts (Rom 5:5). He has given them the token of His love by giving them His Spirit (2 Cor 5:5).
It is this indwelling love of God (the Spirit) that compels the Christian to walk in a manner resembling Christ (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 5:14). In His Spirit-led ministry on earth, the God-man, Jesus Christ, showed the people God the Father and His kingdom authority. He preached that the kingdom of God was present in their first-hand experience (King in their midst). The people were given a foretaste of the kingdom of heaven, which is coming in full, when all things are put into subjection under Christ. This is the end, when the last elect soul is transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son…in the Spirit (Rom 14:17; Col 1:13). Not one of His own is lost in the end (Jn 10:28–29; Rom 8:35–39). Good news…right?
Upon receipt of the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, one believes the report of the Spirit-filled preacher and another one does not believe the same report (Is 53:1). The difference is the Spirit baptism/regeneration/indwelling/permanent residence in the one who is made to believe versus the void of the Spirit in the one who has not received the Spirit of God’s Son, which is why he is an unbeliever (Jn 3:36; Rom 8:9; 1 Jn 5:11–13).
The recipient of the Spirit believes. The non-recipient of the Spirit cannot, will not, and never could believe because he or she does not belong to Christ (Jn 10:26; 1 Cor 3:23). Only those given to Christ by God the Father will receive His Spirit and subsequently believe “in Christ,” having been brought into union with the Spirit-filled body of Christ, His church (Eph 2:20–22).
We honor the world’s greatest evangelist, that is, the perfect communicator and conveyor of God’s message to those outside the church/kingdom. He is the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit preaches the Word of God via the messenger of God (evangelist), it is the same Spirit who causes His baptized hearer to believe (Rom 10:17; 12:3; Gal 3:22; 5:22; Eph 2:8–9; Phil 1:29; Heb 12:2), which manifests that person’s justification before God his Judge (declared “not guilty” by substitutionary atonement applied). Though a sinner in practical reality, the Spirit-occupied soul rejoices in bearing powerful witness of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins, by His precious blood (Mt 26:28; Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:19).
Jesus Christ is the Gospel of God, and those who have Him living in them (Gal 2:20) are compelled to say, “All honor, praise, and glory to the God of my salvation, who has given me His Word of promise that I belong to Him, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I was deaf to His message, but He opened my ears to hear, and I heard the voice of Christ (Jn 10:3), when the evangelist spoke the Word of God, the Bible, and the Spirit came upon me to join the great cloud of witnesses in declaring, “Jesus Christ is Lord…to the glory of God the Father. Thus, I honor God for His great work of evangelism.”
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
January 4, 2022
