Good morning,
Some laws are easy to forget. It’s easy to see how this works when we are driving a car or doing business or dealing with government rules or taxes, but the most forgotten law of all is the law of natural consequences. Paul reminded the Galatians, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal. 6:7) That verse and that challenge have given me a lot to think about for myself over the years, but I think that we need to see the importance of this law in a wider context as well. When Jesus was training his disciples during his ministry here on earth, he sent them out two by two, with his authority, to preach the good news to the surrounding villages. He gave them clear directions on how to go and what to do while on their visits. He also told them the chilling outcome of what would happen to the people who wouldn’t welcome them or listen to their message. These careless townspeople’s rejection of the good news would leave these people abandoned to their fate.
Now 2000 years later, those of us who are genuine disciples are faced with the same ministry instructions as these early disciples. Now the command to us has grown to go into all the world and preach the gospel. It’s awesome to hear of what God is doing through his present disciples even in the most remote parts of the world. Missionaries and faithful Christians are using translations, recordings, the internet, large local outreaches and Holy Spirit empowered one on one personal contacts to carry out the great commission in our generation. Now there are vast numbers of faithful disciples doing what those 12 men did so long ago. The world is covered with faithful disciples doing what they have been told. What seems to be the overall response of the cities and cultures and people groups who are being reached? Are they listening? Are they repenting? Are they following hard after God? I think that one of the hard things we need to accept is that the law of natural consequences applies as much to our world as it did to those villages of long ago. Their exposure and rejection will leave them abandoned to their fate. It is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God.
Mark 6: 10 “Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. 11 But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” 12 So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God.
Roy Wisner
