This article is an excerpt from the Bible study, Recovering Redemption by Matt Chandler.
Before God laid the foundations of the earth, He chose us, the church, to live as instruments of grace in a lost, sin-darkened world (see Ephesians 1:1-14). Our task is to be the light-to bear witness to God's wisdom and power through the gospel of Jesus.
We're called to give everything we have to this mission so that individuals God has put into our lives and in our communities and in the world will encounter the good news and be forever changed. Like candles positioned throughout a dark room, we've been strategically placed-by God's sovereign design-as light pushing back darkness.
This call may or may not lead us to foreign cultures across the ocean, but it will always call us to be intentional and available whenever, wherever, and with whomever God opens a door.
Watch this interview with author Matt Chandler about the Bible study, Recovering Redemption. The article continues below.
But we build walls around ourselves, keeping a safe distance from what we consider to be the dangerous fringes of the general-sinful-population. It's time to believe enough in the power of the gospel that we will launch ourselves through any door God opens.
Be confident that He can accomplish great things-not just because we're there but because He's with us.
Trust the Spirit to lead you to the right people, at the right place, at the right time. When you open yourself up to the will of God, your life takes on true meaning and purpose. Christ changes everything.
Whatever activities and interests fill up the 120 hours or so each week when you're not sleeping, they should all be saturated in the gospel. You've been placed in neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities as a light. But it's bigger than just the one-on-one interactions you have for the sake of the gospel. In each domain where God has placed you, you join the people of God-His church-in systematically pushing back darkness. This is all part of God's plan of redemption.
Whether you're in the realm of education, finance, government, agriculture, art, homemaking, or anything else, God has uniquely wired you and positioned you to share the gospel with individuals and to push back what is dark in the world. So, "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt 5:16).
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All of us have a sense of dissatisfaction. And we typically look for solutions in four areas: self, others, the world, and religion. But none of these will satisfy. Recovering Redemption is about recovering what is lost and broken—our relationship with Jesus—because the gospel is the remedy to fix all things: every struggle, every circumstance, every relationship, everything.
In this 12-session study, Matt Chandler explains the implications of the gospel with surprising clarity and striking candor. Those who have been Christ followers for years will find that it helps connect the dots of their faith, serving as a bridge between salvation and maturity. It's also an essential study for new believers.