INDEBTEDNESS

Do you know that every single day you are alive on earth, you owe at least someone the preaching of the Gospel? That’s right. For every day you wake up and discover that you’re still on planet earth and still breathing, you’re a debtor! The earlier we understand this, the more fruitful and productive we’ll become here on earth. In Romans 1:14–17, Paul made an amazing declaration towards the Gospel mandate. He says “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’” (NKJV). Paul was simply saying “I’m owing everyone the Gospel.” Our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, Himself was also compelled by this sense of indebtedness during His life and ministry on earth. Mark 1:38 says “But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” (NKJV). Paul, by divine revelation, understood the heart of Jesus in reality and function in it.

I noticed that whenever the Lord lays it upon my heart or stirs up my heart towards reaching out with the Gospel to any land or community, I often feel this sense of indebtedness towards that community until I actually preach the Gospel to them. I just literarily feel that I owe them something that I must pay. And after I have preached the Gospel to them, no matter their response to it – whether positive or negative – I experience an unusual outburst of joy within me as though I had just paid a heavy debt. I believe it is the Holy Spirit who creates this sense on indebtedness in us to enable us fulfil our part in the Gospel mandate. The truth is that we’re going to give account to Jesus on that great day when we stand before Him. He will ask us about how faithful we have been to the task He gave us and how obedient we have been to His instructions. Every believer has been entrusted with the supreme task of preaching the Gospel to everyone who will listen. We owe the world the Gospel!

If the Body of Christ will faithfully play her role of taking the Gospel (Good news) of the Kingdom of God everywhere just like the journalist spreads the daily news, there’s going to be an amazing spread of the Gospel all over the world in a short time. We must be faithful to the Master because we love Him and because we love and care about the people He has sent us to. How true are the Holy Ghost-inspired words of Paul the Apostle: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.” (1 Cor. 9:16,17,19). Also in Acts 20:26 Paul says “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” Are you free from the blood of your neighbour, friend, colleague, etc? Have you preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them? PREACH THE WORD!