Do we really understand the nature of salvation?

Focusing solely on evangelizing one's immediate neighborhood may not reflect a true understanding of the nature of salvation.
Shouldn't the words "deeply" and earnestly" mark our involvement in world evangelism?
Sadly, many churches are only involved in world missions support through financial contributions and neglect doing much else.
Sending a few members overseas for short-term mission trips may not, by itself, be enough to qualify as being "deeply and earnestly involved" in world evangelism.

Slogans to awaken the Church

Sayings about world missionary evangelism that stir hearts and move people to action

"A congregation that is not deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel does not understand the nature of salvation." -- Ted Engstrom, former head of Youth for Christ and World Vision International

Jumping out at me from Ted Engstrom's words is the phrase "deeply and earnestly involved." For me, those words raise questions like:

Is my local church "deeply and earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel"?
Do words like profoundly, intensely, ardently, passionately, fervently, and wholeheartedly describe our global involvement?
Are we content to do just the minimum that is expected of us by denominational leaders?

From time to time, I hear people describe their congregation's involvement in world missionary evangelism as simply, "We always pay our budgets." Things like intercessory prayer support or encouraging children and youth to get involved or providing needed emotional support for missionaries serving on foreign fields do not seem to be on those people's radar.

For them, world missions support is apparently only about sending some money. OIn top of that, the way they say "we pay our budgets" sometimes sounds like they view money given to world evangelism as a "tax" levied by the denomination. "We pay our budgets" gives me the impression that they are neither deeply nor earnestly involved in the worldwide proclamation of the gospel.

Others, when asked about their church's global involvement, will mention mission trips taken by small groups in their congregation. However, if sending a few members overseas for ten days a year is all they are doing, can it be said that they are "deeply and earnestly involved"?

I've heard people in new church plants explain that it is too early in their congregation's history for them to think about the worldwide proclamation of the gospel. "We'll get to it eventually," they say.

Engstrom, who was head of Youth for Christ and then World Vision, would likely respond to that by saying, "If involvement in world evangelism is an option your church hopes to add in the distant future, you really do not understand the nature of salvation."

I've known others who say, "We are called to evangelize right here in our neighborhood. This is where we are fulfilling the Great Commission."

To that, I think Engstrom would respond, "The lost people in your immediate neighborhood need to hear the Gospel, but if you are only concerned about them and no one else in the world, you do not understand the nature of salvation."

Deeply and earnestly. Key words. Do they describe my church's global involvement? Do those words define my own involvement?

Refletion Questions: World Missions Involvement

Can you think of a congregation that you would describe as "deeply and earnestly involved" in world missionary evangelism?
Why can it be said that a narrow focus on evangelizing one's immediate neighborhood reflects an incomplete understanding of the nature of salvation?
What are some ways churches can support world missions beyond financial contributions? Why is this support important for truly being "deeply and earnestly involved"?
Does a church sending a few members overseas for short mission trips qualify as being "deeply and earnestly involved" in world evangelism? Why or why not?
How can individuals assess their own involvement in global evangelism (praying, giving, sending, mobilizing or going) and take steps to become more deeply and earnestly involved?

-- Howard Culbertson, hculbert@snu.edu

What does "deeply and earnestly involved" mean?

For us to be deeply and earnestly involved in something means to immerse ourselves fully and passionately in that activity, cause, or pursuit. "Deeply and earnestly involved" goes beyond dabbling around in something or a passing interest. When people are deeply and earnestly involved in something, they invest time, energy, heart, and soul in it.

Afterword: How important is world evangelism?

The nature of salvation as the Bible explains it pounds home the importance of world evangelism. To begin with, Christ's Great Commission calls for all-out evangelism to share the message of salvation with people worldwide. What's more, the concept of salvation includes the possibility of transformation. By supporting world evangelism, believers extend this transformational opportunity to people irrespective of their religious, cultural, and social backgrounds or even geographical locations.

Acrostic: Salvation

S – Saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), “For by grace you have been saved”
A – Atonement through Christ (Romans 5:11), “Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the atonement”
L – Life eternal (John 3:16), “have eternal life”
V – Victory over sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:57), “Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
A – Adoption as children of God (Romans 8:15), “You received the Spirit of adoption”
T – Transformation by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17), “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation”
I – In Christ alone (Acts 4:12), “Nor is there salvation in any other”
O – Obedience of faith (Romans 1:5), “Obedience to the faith among all nations”
N – Newness of life (Romans 6:4), “We also should walk in newness of life”

Like acrostics? Here are more of them