Mandate of the Master

The greatest need of the modern world is to have the gospel proclaimed in the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the final command the Lord Jesus Christ gave to his disciples before he ascended into heaven was that they should declare the kingdom of God to all nations. Yet today’s Christians are almost silent in terms of declaring God’s praises. Oh, they may vigorously praise God within the walls of a church, but most refrain from proclaiming the gospel to the world outside of the church.

What about us? If we honestly examined the mountains of words we speak throughout each day, I think that most of us would discover, to our shame, that we are almost silent when it comes to declaring the praises of Jesus Christ in the world. But Jesus commanded his disciples to be his witnesses throughout the world. Therefore, we must confess our sin of not speaking to the world about Christ, and we must determine and purpose before God Almighty that from this day forward until the day we die we will speak the name of Jesus in the world. And I would say that if we do that, God will enable us in the power of the Spirit, without fear of the world or the devil, to speak about Jesus Christ, because to do so is the mandate of the Master.

The book of Acts speaks about such world evangelization; therefore, we must study it to discover more about this mandate of the Master. In this study of Acts 1:1-11 we will examine the giver of the mandate to declare the gospel, the messengers he appointed, and the message itself. First, though, we want to examine the background and authorship of this book.

Author

Nowhere in the book of Acts or the gospel of Luke is the name of the author found. Of course, this is also true of the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. But the traditional view of the church and of historians is that a physician named Luke, who was a companion of St. Paul, is the author of the books of Luke and Acts.

We have much external evidence to indicate Lucan authorship of Luke/Acts. Irenaeus, the second-century bishop, stated that Luke wrote them. The so-called Muratorian Canon specifically speaks about Luke’s authorship. The Anti-Marcionite Prologue to the third gospel also mentions Lucan authorship. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Eusebius, and Jerome all believed that Luke wrote both books.

There is also much internal evidence to indicate that Luke wrote Luke/Acts. When we read the introductions to both books, we find both of them are dedicated to a man named Theophilus. In Acts 1:1 we read, “I wrote,” and in Acts 16 we are introduced to a section theologians call the “we” section, which begins in the sixteenth chapter and goes on to the end of the book of Acts. If we compare the style of the first fifteen chapters of the book of Acts with that of the sixteenth through twenty-eighth chapters, we find that it is the same, generally speaking. And when we compare the book of Luke to the book of Acts, we notice the style of both books are generally the same as well. So what we conclude from the “we” section is that the person who wrote Acts was a companion of Paul in his second and third missionary journeys who also traveled with Paul from Caesarea to Rome, where he stayed with him.

Who, then, was this person who traveled with Paul? We have said he was one of Paul’s companions, but, of course, Paul had several close companions, such as Titus, Timothy, Crescens, Demas and others. But when we examine what the Bible says about each one, we can conclude that, of all Paul’s companions, the most likely candidate to write Acts was Luke. So we agree with the traditional view that Luke is the author.

We read about Luke in Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, and 2 Timothy 4:11. From a certain source we learn that this Luke was from Syrian Antioch, that he never married, and that he died at the age of 84. From the New Testament we also learn that Luke was a Gentile convert and a physician, which becomes evident when we notice the very precise medical words used in the books of Luke and Acts. Luke, therefore, was a highly educated man who was a co-worker and admirer of Paul.

Our Debt to Luke

Luke was also a careful historian and we owe much to him. For example, Luke and Acts, both of which were written in very sophisticated Greek, together account for twenty-five percent of the New Testament. The longest book in the New Testament is Luke and the second longest is Acts.

Not only that, there are four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry while he lived on the earth, but the Acts of the Apostles is the only source we have in the entire Bible which describes the history of the early church. Therefore, we owe much to Luke for his detailed history, which he wrote in the tradition of Thucydides and Polybius.

Luke was a careful historian who got his facts right. He researched well, probably using contemporary written sources as well as interviewing eyewitnesses. No doubt he also used his own travel documents. Many people who have studied the book of Acts, examining the names of cities and places and Roman officials, have verified that Luke’s facts are always right.

We are told Luke probably used about seventy feet of papyrus scroll to record these two books. Both were addressed to a man named Theophilus, whose name means “friend of God” or “dear to God.” They were written that Theophilus might have certainty of the facts of Christian origins and the expansion of the church of Jesus Christ. Writing these books was Luke’s way of witnessing to the cultured classes of his day. In all probability Theophilus was a new Gentile convert and a highly educated Roman official of high rank. We conclude this because Luke addresses him with the adjective kratistos, meaning “Most excellent,” or “Your Excellency,” which is also used to refer to the Roman governors Felix and Festus.

In Acts 1:1-2 Luke says that in his former book, meaning the gospel of Luke, he wrote concerning the things that Jesus Christ began to do and to teach until the day of his ascension. By that we can infer that the book of Acts records what Jesus continued to do and teach from heaven. Did you know Jesus still continues to act and teach to this day? Why do you think we can say that? Because his work of building his church is not finished yet. So the acts of Jesus continued through the first apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit, as we read about in the book of Acts, and continue today through all believers in Jesus Christ in the might of the Holy Spirit.

What does that mean for us? It means the Lord Jesus Christ will use us in the power of the Holy Spirit for the expansion of his kingdom. That should cause us to rejoice!

The Risen Master

Next, let us examine who the Master is who gave the mandate to declare the kingdom of God to all nations. The expansion of Christianity is inextricably linked to Jesus Christ. Every other religion can exist without its founder, but Christianity cannot exist without Jesus Christ and his virgin birth, his teachings, his miracles, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his session as the Lord of the universe and his coming again as the Judge of all.

Many times Jesus told his apostles that he would be arrested, crucified, and raised again on the third day, and so these things happened. The hopes of Jesus’ followers had been dashed through unbelief when he was crucified, but later his disciples became convinced of his resurrection. Why? Because, Luke tells us, after Jesus’ resurrection he showed himself alive to the apostles with many infallible proofs–tekmēriois–which Aristotle defined as anagkaion shmeion, meaning compelling signs or most compelling proof. Luke was using a technical term for the most demonstrative and convincing proofs.

Why are we silent in our witness about Jesus Christ? Because we are afraid of the world and of the devil. But if we understand who our master is, we will not fear. In Revelation 1:18 John wrote, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.'” So do not be afraid, church! We have a Jesus Christ who is alive, and he holds the keys of death and hell.

The apostle Thomas himself doubted Jesus’ resurrection. He wanted to touch and feel the risen Christ. He wanted to put his finger in his side and his nail prints. So one day Jesus appeared to Thomas and said, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.” How did Thomas respond? “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:24-28).

Jesus showed himself alive to his disciples on many occasions over a period of forty days, Luke tells us, so they could know that their Master truly had risen from the dead with a physical body. They could look at him and touch him–the risen Christ was not a ghost, in other words. He ate with his disciples many times and appeared to Peter, James, Mary Magdalene, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, seven of the apostles once in Galilee, ten of the apostles once in Jerusalem, all eleven apostles two times, the women at the tomb, and to five hundred at one time in Galilee. Why do you think Jesus showed himself so regularly to his disciples over this forty day period following Easter Sunday? Because they had the responsibility of bearing witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the fact upon which Christianity rests. They were the ones who must testify to the one who destroyed death by his death and was raised from the dead–Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe.

Why is the resurrection of Christ so important? Because it proves that Jesus is God, that he is truth, that all his teachings are true, that all his promises are true, and that all his threatenings are true. It proves that Jesus is the Christ of the Old Testament, the Lord of the universe, and that he is going to come again as the Judge of the world. It proves that Jesus Christ has accomplished redemption so that everyone who repents and believes on him will receive forgiveness of all his sins and receive eternal life. So without the person and work of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no salvation.

Who Is Our Master?

After teaching his disciples for forty days concerning the kingdom of God, Jesus took his apostles to the Mount of Olives and blessed them. And while the apostles watched, Jesus was taken up, meaning the Father received him into the heavens.

Jesus had spoken of his ascension before. In John 6:62 we read, “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!” He told his disciples that he would go to his Father, and so on the Mount of Olives the cloud of shekinah glory enveloped Jesus and removed him from their sight. What do you think that cloud was? It was the manifestation of divine presence. It symbolized the Father’s great embrace of this Son who had pleased him by accomplishing the work of redemption for our salvation.

Jesus’ apostles, therefore, were eyewitnesses of both the resurrection of Christ and the ascension of Christ. They understood who Jesus Christ is, and we must understand also. He is the one who died on the cross for our sins, the one who was raised from the dead, and the one who destroyed death for us. He is the one who defeated the world, Satan, devils, and every power that is against us.

Who, then, is the Master? He is the glorious Lord Jesus Christ. In James 2:1 James calls his brother “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ”–the glorious Lord Jesus Christ who gave convincing proofs to his apostles and, therefore, to us of his resurrection. He is the one who was received up to heaven by the Father. He is the one who is seated on the throne at the Father’s right hand as the Lord of the universe. He is the one to whom belongs all authority in heaven and on earth. And if we understand all of this, we must ask ourselves why we are so silent when it comes to witnessing about this Jesus Christ in the world? Are we ashamed of this Christ to whom belongs all authority and power, as he himself declared?

Not only that, Jesus is our great high priest who always intercedes for us. He is the one who received the Holy Spirit, another Comforter, and, in turn, sent him to be our counselor, guide and Lord. And this Master Jesus is the Judge of all the earth who is coming again. Jesus himself declared these things and God also sent two angels to remind the disciples that Jesus was coming back again.

The Messengers

Next, let us examine the messengers who were mandated to preach the gospel. Who were these missionaries? They were those whom Jesus, the Master, had loved and chosen, according to Luke.

In Acts 1:10-11 we read that the angels addressed the apostles as “men of Galilee.” All of the eleven remaining apostles were Galileans. Only one of the original Twelve, Judas, was from outside of Galilee, and Judas killed himself after he betrayed Jesus. The people of Jesus’ time looked down upon Galileans because they were not powerful and cultured like the people who came from Jerusalem. But God loved and chose these Galileans to preach the good news of his kingdom.

These first disciples were weak and undependable people. Just look at Peter. A poor fisherman, he once told Jesus, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:1-10) Later, Peter rebuked Jesus for saying that he would die for our salvation on the cross. Peter was often sleeping when he should have been engaged in serious prayer. Above all, Peter denied the Lord three times and then ran away when Jesus was crucified. Yet the Master loved him and his other disciples. He chose them as his messengers to declare to all nations repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord and to declare that salvation is found in no one else but Christ.

God’s Chosen Missionaries

In 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 we read about the kind of people God chooses to be his missionaries. You may have read this passage several times but we must read it over and over again to remind ourselves of who we really are. Like the first-century Galilean disciples, we were nothing, but God in his mercy chose us to bear his glorious name. Paul speaks of that choosing in this passage: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

God chose us–the nobodies, the nothings, the Galileans–to bear his glorious name and to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ to a dark world! And we can be assured that if God chooses us, he will also qualify us and make us competent and strong to stand before the devil and the world. “Fear not!” he says to us. Why? Our Master was dead, but now he is alive forevermore. Our Master holds the keys of death and Hades in his hands. Our Master is seated as the Sovereign Lord of the universe and now uses us to address men, calling them to repentance and faith in Christ. And let me guarantee you, if anyone repents, bends his knees before Christ Jesus and acknowledges him as Savior, he will forgive all his sins.

So the first apostles were just lowly Galileans, but they were also chosen by God himself and taught by the Lord Jesus Christ for three years as well as for the forty days after the first Easter. And what was Jesus teaching? About the kingdom of God and its expansion. That, in fact, is the theme of the entire book of Acts.

The Message of God’s Kingdom

What is the message of the kingdom of God? It is that God is King of the whole universe, as we read in Psalm 103. But it also is that God is especially the King of Israel. God the Father gave Jesus the throne of his father David, but David was simply a deputy king. Jesus is the true King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Rock that came down, destroyed all evil empires of the world, and fills the whole earth as it grows into a mountain (Daniel 2). That is the message of the kingdom of God.

Jesus taught his disciples, “The kingdom of God is near” and “The kingdom is in the midst of you.” He said his mission was to break into the house of the strong man, meaning the devil, and bind him and set the captives free. He said he saw Satan falling down and yielding to him. By his death on the cross Jesus defeated Satan–the usurper, the false one, the father of lies. Thus, we must recognize that Jesus alone is the King with all authority, and as his subjects we can now resist the devil and he must flee. We overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

What else did Jesus teach his disciples? He taught them about the kingdom of God–God’s rule–in human hearts. He taught them Jesus is the King. He told them they must repent and believe on Jesus. He told them his followers must submit to him, but when they do, they will receive forgiveness and eternal life. Not only that, he also told them that believers in Jesus Christ are citizens of heaven. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

So Jesus chose his messengers, taught them, qualified them and commanded them. He instructed them concerning the kingdom of God, which they are to declare by proclaiming the King, Jesus. The kingdom of God is King Jesus ruling and reigning, especially in his people.

The first-century apostles did all these things. Even in the last chapter of Acts we find Paul speaking to the Jews about the kingdom of God, telling them they should repent, come out of the kingdom of darkness and the power of Satan, and become citizens of God’s kingdom. That is the message of the missionaries.

What Is God’s Kingdom?

The risen Christ spoke about the kingdom of God, and then he said that God would pour out the Holy Spirit. I am sure the apostles were looking forward to that, but in Acts 1:6 we discover what they were really looking forward to. They asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

The disciples were looking for an earthly kingdom. This was not new. Do you remember how in John 6 Jesus’ disciples wanted to take Jesus and make him king, simply because he fed them with bread? Even the mother of James and John approached Jesus one day to make a request: “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” In other words, she was telling Jesus, “Give my sons the most powerful positions in your kingdom.” Several times we read that the disciples argued among themselves, even during the last week before Jesus was crucified. What was their question? “Who is the greatest?”

Jesus told his disciples earlier that his kingdom is not of this world. But now, just before he was taken up into heaven, his disciples asked him their most burning question, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” In other words, they were asking, “Jesus, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time? Are you going to restore to us the golden age of David and Solomon and establish a political, ethnic kingdom of the Jews centered in Jerusalem? Are you going to defeat all our enemies and put us in the seat of power? Are you going to cause all the treasures of the world to flow to Jerusalem? Are you now going to make us powerful, rich and healthy and wealthy? Are you going to do all these things?” What did Jesus say to his disciples? In essence, “Be quiet!”

We may wonder about the disciples’ understanding, but don’t we have the same concerns? Many of us, when we hear the gospel message, may say, “Yes, I will receive Jesus,” but then we will add the real question: “If I receive Jesus, will he make me powerful, healthy, wealthy?” And the answer to such a question is the same: “Be quiet! Why? Because you don’t understand what you are talking about.”

I recently traveled to India where I heard the same thing. Belief in Jesus is seen as an insurance policy against disasters, troubles, problems, poverty, and disease. But Jesus told his disciples it was not their business to try to find out when or how God would restore the kingdom of Israel. It is God’s concern, and God alone knows when it will happen according to his determination. We must always remember that nothing happens by chance; rather, everything occurs kata thn boulhn tou thelhmatos tou Theou–according to the decree, the good pleasure of God’s own will.

The disciples wanted Jesus to conform to their ideas of an earthly kingdom, but they discovered we cannot force Jesus to do anything. Never try to force God to conform to your ideas because he will not do so. Instead, we must conform to his eternal purpose and plan, which is for us to proclaim to all nations repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name, beginning in Jerusalem and going throughout the earth.

What is our problem? We spend much time and energy seeking after power, fame and material things while we neglect to preach the gospel. But God commanded us to proclaim the message that Jesus is the Christ, promised in the Old Testament, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead, accomplishing our redemption. We must tell people that Jesus Christ is Lord, meaning he is greater than all the kings and Caesars of the world. And we must declare this to all nations, to Jew and Gentile alike, telling them, “Receive forgiveness and eternal life through Christ, because salvation is found in Jesus alone, not in anyone else.”

Of course, people may believe in anything they want until Jesus comes again. If someone doesn’t want to believe in Jesus Christ, that is his choice. But the truth is, salvation is found in no one but Christ. And this Jesus Christ is both Lord and Judge. This is the message of the gospel, and to spread this gospel is the last command of the Master to his disciples.

We Are All Witnesses

A Christian who refuses to bear witness to Jesus Christ is a rebel because he is refusing to obey the Lord of the universe. That is why we must analyze the mountain of words we speak and find out how much of our speech relates to Jesus Christ.

Every Christian is called to be a witness to Christ. What do we mean by witness? The word “wit” means “to know,” so a witness is one who not only knows the facts regarding the gospel but also personally knows Jesus and his work of salvation. A Christian witness is a spiritual person who speaks spiritual truth in the Spirit’s power to lost sinners.

A Christian witness must know and speak facts. Why? So that when he speaks to someone about Jesus Christ, he will not just be speaking novel ideas. Some ministers do this. Their creative minds are always devising something new to say, and it is usually based on speculations and philosophies. But a witness’s business is to tell the facts that he witnessed. Maybe one reason we don’t witness is that we don’t know Jesus Christ as we ought. Study 1 Corinthians 15, beginning at verse 3. There we will find the facts of the gospel.

All believers, not just the apostles, are to be witnesses. In the Old Testament, in Isaiah 43 and 44 we read that the people of Israel were to witness to the God of Israel, but they failed. But there came one from Israel named Jesus who did succeed in being a faithful witness. Jesus’ purpose was to reveal the Father, and he always did that which was pleasing to God.

This Jesus sends us who are Christians to be witnesses to all nations. “As the Father sent me, so send I you,” he said, and then he breathed on his disciples the Holy Spirit. So we must know the Master and the message. We must have an encounter with the living Christ so that we will speak about him as the Savior and Lord of the universe. As Paul said to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). In Ephesians 1 Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesians understanding. May God enlighten our understanding as well so that we may know the hope of our calling and declare that hope with passion and conviction to a hopeless world.

Where are we to proclaim this gospel? First, Jesus said, go to Jerusalem. Now, I am sure the disciples were not happy to hear this. Jerusalem was the place where Jesus was crucified and the people were hostile to the disciples. Remember how they were careful to lock the door when they gathered together in a room in Jerusalem? They were afraid of the people of Jerusalem and wanted to go back to Galilee. But Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem. Why? He wanted them to witness there.

What about us? Just as the disciples were commanded to speak to the people of Jerusalem, including the Sanhedrin, so we can speak to those who are hostile. How? By the power of the Spirit of the living God. We also are Galileans, in the sense of being nothing in the eyes of the world, and yet God also qualifies us, equips us, makes us able, sets us on fire, drives away our fears, and fills us with the third Person of the Trinity so that we might testify before all people the gospel of the our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus told his disciples they must also witness in Judea and Samaria. Now, that was another problem. Why? Jews despised Samaritans. They called them half-breeds. But God loves Samaritans, and he commands his people to take the gospel to them.

Not only that, Jesus said, his disciples must take the gospel to the end of the earth. This meant beyond the nation of Israel. This was really a problem for the Jewish disciples, who called Gentiles dogs. But let me tell you, the Bible levels everyone. All are sinners, and God loves all kinds of sinners. Didn’t Jesus come to seek and save that which is lost? That includes sinners, Jew and Gentile alike. As Paul said, the gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16).

Are We Witnessing?

As we consider these things, let us again examine ourselves. What are we speaking? What are we imagining? What are we thinking? What are our plans? Every day, from the moment we wake up to the moment we go back to bed, we are talking, thinking, imagining, planning. What are we thinking and speaking about? Let me tell you, if we examine our words, we will find that most of them are words regarding earth and the temporal world. We speak about how to make a living and how to get ahead in life. We are focusing on our concerns, our burdens, our phobias, our anxieties and our emotional states.

We are called to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Yes, we are nothing. We are looked-down-upon Galileans. We are not the most sophisticated, cultured, or powerful people. But God has chosen us, not others. So we must say that if God chose us, he will also qualify us, instruct us and make us able to be his witnesses in this world.

Never fear what man can do to you. Remember how John was afraid, but the risen Christ told him to “Fear not”? Oh, someone may call you a Jesus freak. But I would rather be a fool for Christ than anything else, because one day the Lord himself will come and determine who the real fool is. A fool is one who pretends there is no God.

Young people, let me ask you: Are you ashamed of Jesus Christ? You meet with all sorts of kids at school. Are your lips sealed when it comes to speaking about Christ? In Acts 4 we read a mandate given by the Sanhedrin. They commanded the disciples not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But weak Peter, the Galilean fisherman, was filled with the Holy Spirit and he answered the Sanhedrin, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” In effect, Peter was saying, “We must obey a higher authority. What can you do, Sanhedrin? You can beat us or persecute us or even kill us. But we have been given eternal life through Jesus Christ.” And when the disciples were again confronted by the Sanhedrin in Acts 5, Peter boldly responded, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)

As Christ’s witnesses, we have a higher authority. He is seated far above all authorities and powers and realms, and we must obey him! This authority, the Lord of the universe, has commanded all his disciples, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). There is a higher authority we are under, and it is his mandate that we must obey.

God wants us to be his witnesses. Our tongues will soon be silent, but he has given us life and breath this day so that we might witness to him. Therefore, may God help us to determine today that we will use our tongues and our whole lives to share the gospel.

Now, I must make one final point. Remember what Luke said: “All that Jesus began to do and to teach”? Declaring the gospel verbally when our lives are disorderly is not evangelism. And perhaps the reason we don’t want to declare the gospel is that we like to sin. But sin–whether it is sexual immorality or greed or whatever else–causes us to be loaded with guilt and we lose conviction and power. How can we have power when we want to practice sin? Proverbs 28:1 tells us “The righteous are as bold as a lion.” Therefore, let us try the way of righteousness and see whether our tongues will declare God’s praises.

May we this day purpose to speak the gospel–not in the church but in the world. If we do that, I guarantee that God will help us because it is his purpose and his will for us to do so. Remember what Jesus said? “It is not for you to know the times or dates. . . but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” It is the mandate of the Master. Praise God! We were nothing but he has chosen us and given us his name and called us to be his messengers of the good news of salvation. There is no greater dignity than that. May God, therefore, help us to be messengers of the Master, that we will declare to all nations that this King Jesus has the power to destroy us, but he has purposed to save us. And if you are not a Christian, may you repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. Amen.