Mark 16:15-16 AMP
[15] And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. [16] He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned.
The plan of salvation was made manifest at the same time the first sin happened. The cross brought shame to Jesus, but it sealed our redemption. By the resurrection of Jesus, He has also sealed our eternal life. All these events happened in front of the disciples at that time, and it is not a wonder that all of them who witnessed the resurrection became witnesses to His Person, Power and Presence. We who are alive today may not have physically witnessed His resurrection, but there is a strong witness in our hearts that we belong to Jesus, He is ours, and we are bound for eternal life with Him. What a future to look forward to.
However, as the verse above makes clear, there is an assignment all who claim to follow Jesus have been given. The One who died needs witnesses to the power of the cross, the limits of the grave, and the hope that His life is and gives. It takes personal experience to be able to speak boldly about what you have and hold. How can I be a witness to a thing I did not touch, taste, feel, see or hear? It is not a surprise that the verse above is directed at disciples, not the crowd. The crowd flows by numbers and popularity, not by conviction or personal experience. Those who follow have a clear leader: Jesus Christ, and His instruction is to GO.
To go means to take steps in the direction of the work to be done. It cannot be by sitting in the dark, or folding your arms, expecting some one else to do it. The platform for the work is the whole world. As I cannot be present everywhere, it means I just have to take care of the corner where I am. I show off the Person and Presence of the God I serve, and let Him shine in and through me. I do not get to determine who hears the good news of Jesus; He died for all, so the message of love is for all. It is not a call to promote myself, but to point men in the direction of the One who saves to the uttermost. That is the good news: the cross has sealed life for me.
The verse above also makes clear what lies at the end of whatever decision I make. If I choose to believe in God, I stand to enjoy His salvation. I am saved from the penalty of God's wrath, the natural consequence of sin. I am also kept from the judgment thst is sure to come on the world. Again, I note that I am not asked to bring anything else, except my heart. He does not need my money; but He can use everything I have and hold to bring His purpose to pass. The person who does not accept this free gift is condemned: that is a statement of fact. There are two choices: life and death. The end of both has been made clear. What would I choose? Where would I end up? God's time of favour is here.
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