Recently, I have been struggling over whether or not God "needs" me in order to fulfil the Great Commission. I have come to this question by way of immense pride. When I meet an individual for the first time, the question inevitably comes around to what I do for a living. When I tell them that I am in school learning how to be a missionary, they immediately begin to look at me, as if I am the most spiritual, Godly person in the room. While this is a complement (superficial), I have begun to let this go to my head. I have begun to think that God "needs" me. God "needs" me in order to accomplish His plan and without me God's plans would be destroyed. In my quiet time and through chapel services God has begun to show me a different side to His power and one I had never considered, let me explain.
Does God call some of his children to serve him by crossing cultural boundaries in order to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard? Absolutely yes! From Matthew 28:18-20, to Acts 1:8, to Paul's own conversion and calling in Acts 9:1-19 to the spread of the gospel through much of the known world by the end of the history recorded in the book of Acts-yes, God calls some of His children to serve in the missionary enterprise.
BUT
Must God call some to serve as missionaries in order for others to hear the gospel and be saved?
I had thought that the answer to this question, was yes and ONLY yes. However, recently I have begun to see that the answer, it seems, must be yes and no simultaneously, but in different senses.
In light of God's design and purpose that the lost hear the gospel hear the gospel as missionaries are called and sent out to preach, then yes, God must call some as missionaries for this work to be done. That is, given the fact that God has designed this means of the lost hearing the gospel, then yes, missionaries must go. But no, in the sense that God could have chosen a different mechanism to get the gospel to lost people. After all, he is sovereign, and he could accomplish this task in a multitude of ways. He could, for example, write the gospel in the sky, or proclaim it from a heavenly loudspeaker, or send the message by way of angels, or speak the gospel directly and in perfect dialect into the ears and minds of every individual person throughout the world simultaneously. God could do it this way, however, He has not chosen to do this.
Rather, he has designed for the gospel to be spread through his call on the hearts of some to go and preach, so that others might hear and believe and call upon the name of the Lord and be saved (Rom. 10:13-15). This truth is very humbeling to me, even as I type I am overwhelmed with the fact that God does not need me, Julia or anyone else, however, for whatever reason, He has chosen to use humans. I leave this post a question for discussion. Why? Why would God chose to accomplish His eternal, sovereign plan through finite, fallible individuals?
