All of human existence is anchored in one relationship. Before He formed the earth, moon, and stars, our Creator knew us and intended for us to relate to Him, eagerly reflecting His goodness for eternity. Before He said, “Let there be light!” — before He created the sun, moon, and stars — God was thinking about you. And your neighbor. Therefore, every person on earth has greater value than anything in or on the earth. God created each of us with an eternal purpose. (Ephesians 1:4; Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:20)

Missions does not begin with a command. It begins with a heart — God’s heart — that existed before the command was ever given.

Since before the foundation of the world, God’s purpose has been to bring us into His fellowship with pleasure and complete acceptance. Sin made us unfit for His presence, but God’s heart did not change: He made provision through the lavish gift of Jesus Christ, paying our debt and clothing in His own perfect righteousness every person who will trust His provision by faith. His purpose stands — He will fill the earth with people who believe Him. (Ephesians 1:4-6; Isaiah 45:18-22; Numbers 14:21; Habakkuk 2:14; Revelation 21:3)

This is why the question matters: is the Bible the basis of missions, or is God’s mission the basis of the Bible? If missions were merely a command, it could feel like an obligation bolted onto the Christian life. But the whole of Scripture reveals that from eternity past into eternity future, God has desired a good and eternal relationship with each person He has created — whosoever will. The Great Commission is not new theology; Jesus was restating the purpose expressed from Genesis to Revelation: worshippers from all peoples. Missions is God’s heart in motion, and our engagement in it is the natural outcome of knowing Him. Loving God necessitates telling others about Him; loving people requires telling them of the God who is our greatest treasure. (Matthew 22:37-39)

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