Some have said that the church has lost all sense of spiritual urgency. I’m not sure that I agree. I wonder if it is not so much a loss of spiritual urgency, but instead a shift in its focus? Christians who once defined ‘Full-on Discipleship’ in terms of seeking first the welfare of Jesus’ church, now define ‘Full-on Discipleship’ as seeking first their personal relationship with Jesus. The urgency to conform one’s life to the greater fellowship of the saints is replaced by an urgency to fit the greater fellowship of the saints into one’s life.
I am in no way suggesting that your growth in faith and service is not personal. What I am suggesting is that all spiritual things take place in the church. All that each one of us do in word and deed is done as part of the Body of Christ—the church. Consequently, you cannot do anything that does not affect the rest of us to one degree or another.
Grappling with this reality will reveal its magnitude. It will call all of us to a spirit of collective urgency. As soldiers in this war for the souls of man we prepare ourselves for battle. Knowing the fear of the Lord we desperately call everyone to salvation in Christ.
When the Holy Spirit convicted us that we were condemned sinners, we cried out for mercy. We wanted forgiveness and we dared not put it off. Immediately we were baptised for the forgiveness of our sins, and immediately we understood that the devil was urgently trying to get us back into his ranks.
For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation (2Cor.6:2).
John Staiger
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