I recently read an article concerning how we should recognize that the Bible is not a series of stories, but actually one story concerning the gospel message. It contained this passage that really goes along with our emphasis on living the call to missions.
“…the church is essential to the gospel. That is, Jesus did not make provision for the communication of the good news through history and in every culture until the end of the story by writing a book as did Mohammed. Rather he formed a community to be the bearer of this good news. Their identity is bound up in their being sent by Jesus to make known the good news of the kingdom. The story of the Bible is their life.” (Goheen, Michael W., “Reading the Bible as One Story,” Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., Canada)
“…the church is essential to the gospel. That is, Jesus did not make provision for the communication of the good news through history and in every culture until the end of the story by writing a book as did Mohammed. Rather he formed a community to be the bearer of this good news. Their identity is bound up in their being sent by Jesus to make known the good news of the kingdom. The story of the Bible is their life.” (Goheen, Michael W., “Reading the Bible as One Story,” Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., Canada)
Muslims revere the Quran as Christians do Christ. It is the word of God. They see it as the infallible messenger – revered almost to the point of worship. When it is read in its original language of Arabic, it is not like reading the words of God – it is reading the very words of God. For Muslims, Jesus was simply a messenger in a long line of messengers. Muhammad was the last and greatest messenger. They have no concept of a personal Savior. For them, salvation is “in the book” and in the works it prescribes for those who would join God in eternal bliss.
The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10.17) So we assume that all one has to do is hear or read the Bible. If we print a gazillion Bibles and ship them all over the world, then we don’t have anything to do but wait for it to work its magic and the world will be saved, relieving Christians of the tedious task of “going.”
But to believe this is to ignore context. The same text (Romans 10.13-15) also says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent?”
It isn’t the word of God (the Bible) that saves, but the Word of God (Christ). And the only effective method of communicating the gospel of Christ is for those who know Him personally to “live and move and have our being” among those whose lives we seek to affect.
The sermon this week addressed this idea.
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