My Response to the Cape Town Commitment

Introduction

The Cape Town Commitment is a comprehensive record of the third Lausanne Congress proceedings held in Cape Town, South Africa in the year 2010 (Bock, Darrell., & Birdsall, et al. 2013). In this paper, I illustrate some of the statements that I feel are quite challenging to apply in the present world. By the book, I examine the various ways through which the Lord expects me to respond to his call and my plan for the response. At the end is my conclusion and then a list of sources of information utilized in writing this assignment.

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The Three Main Challenging Statements

The Cape Town commitment generally covers two main parts. The first part tells us the five kinds of love we should have as Christians. It talks about the love for God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It also emphasizes on the love for God's word that he gave us, the love for God's world that he created so beautifully. Moreover, it teaches on the love for our neighbors. Love is the greatest commandment as well as the first fruit of the Holy Spirit. The story encourages us, thus, to love one another as we love ourselves.

The second part of the book invites everyone to the collaborative service by putting the word of God into action. It addresses six key action areas as follows. Firstly, the unity to bear witness to Christ in such a world of diversity and globalization. Secondly, the call to restore the peace. The world currently faces conflicts across all corners of the world. Moreover, we are called to show the exact life of Christ to the people belonging to different faiths. We are mandated to discern what God will for us, what God expect us to do in the global evangelism. It calls the church of Christ to come back and humble themselves, demonstrate integrity and the desired simplicity (Dowsett, R. 2012). It finally encourages all Christians to create various partnerships to enhance proper the global evangelism.

The plans laid down at the third Lausanne Congress were perfect for the growth and development of the global evangelism. However, I found three issues that are challenging especially in today's digital world. They include the following.

Loving the Lord our God, with all our heart, soul and strength

I find this statement very challenging especially its application to the current generation. Many people have left the truth, and right path. They have left the truth and the light and instead, have followed the ways of darkness. They have stopped acknowledging God. Instead, they have become boastful, abusive, lovers of money and lovers of themselves. Moreover, the current generation lacks the love of God. They have become treacherous, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving. They don't have self-control and respect for their parents.

The statement is a challenge since it sets a standard which is too high for people to attain. It is not easy to fully submit yourself to the Lord. The love of pleasure among men is more than the love of God. They exhibit a form of godliness but denying his power. To me, this statement is a significant challenge.

To love our neighbor, the enemy and the foreigner as ourselves

Personally, it is a significant challenge to love my enemies. Those who seek to harm me. How can I love them? It is a considerable challenge. But Jesus urges us to love one another as we love ourselves. He who has no love has never seen him or known him, for God is love. The bible says we must love each other as we love ourselves. Whether an enemy of a friend.

To live the life of Christ among people of other faiths

It is not very easy to live a pure Christian life in a world filled with many people who belong to different beliefs. We know that bad company spoils good morals. Prolonged exposure to the other faiths may cause dissolution to the most precious Christianity.

How the Lord Wants Me to Respond to Him

According to the Bible, God expects me to be watchful both in season and out of season. Any time he decides to use me I should always be available for him to use me. Jesus said he would come back like a thief, (Colossians 4:2) urges us to devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

God expects me to reaffirm my submission to his word, the Bible, and believe in the person it reveals, Jesus Christ. The Lord wants me to believe in the truth the Bible teaches and live a life as fully described by the bible.

The Lord expects me to love the beautiful world he created with his powerful hands. It is my mandate as a human being to take good care of God's creation. Moreover, the Lord wants to love other people and value their various ethnic diversities, longing to see the gospel spreading to all the cultures.

Response to God's Call

Since God deserves respect and honor, I will accept to go anywhere the Lord wants me to go. By providing the food especially to the hungry, I shall fulfill God's call for love. I will take good care of his flock, feeding them properly with the food of the spirit. Jesus himself is the bread of life. And he is the life, the truth, and the way to the Father. I will preach the gospel of Jesus Christ pointing unto him as the master, the God, and the heavenly Father.

Conclusion

The Lausanne Congress was an extraordinary gathering. It helped develop various plans and to further spread the gospel of peace. The Congress achieved many goals of sustainable evangelism across the globe. It reinforced numerous strategies, values, and plans which when applied may bring sustainable improvement in the ministry (Stott, J. R. W., et al. 2012). Love is the greatest of all gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide all the time. We should fully submit ourselves to the Lord, praying and keeping alert.

References

Bock, Darrell., & Birdsall, S. Douglas. (2013). The Cape Town Commitment: a Confession of Faith, a Call to Action: Bibliographic Resources.

Dowsett, R. (2012). The Cape Town Commitment. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers.

Stott, J. R. W., Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization., & International Congress on World Evangelization. (2012). The Lausanne covenant: Complete text with a study guide. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers.