Jesus Christ is not waiting to be King—He is King. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” He declared (Matthew 28:18). And from that position of total dominion, He gave His Church a mission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). This is the Great Commission. It is not a exceptional calling given to pastors and missionaries—it is a royal decree for the whole Church—the very Body of Christ—to bring the whole world into joyful submission to Christ.
Romans 1–2 reveals, in part, why this Commission is urgent. Paul writes that although what can be known about God is “plain” to all men through creation, they “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18–19). People do not simply lack information—they actively reject the truth they already know. This includes Natural Law, which bears witness to both piety (our duty to worship God—the first Table of God’s Moral Law) and equity (our duty to love our neighbor—the second Table of God’s Moral Law). Natural Law is the moral order God embedded in creation, reflecting His character and governing human behavior. It’s the “Law written on the heart” (Romans 2:14–15), where even those without Scripture intuitively know aspects of God’s will, such as the wrongness of murder or the need for justice. But in sin, mankind warps even these basic moral truths.
Some argue that Natural Law is sufficient to order society because it partially reveals and reflects God’s Moral Law. But because the world suppresses the truth, Natural Law alone always becomes unstable. What is considered “right and good” in many ways changes with every generation. In the Wild West, they thought it was “right and good” to shoot a man over a card game. Today the world thinks it’s “right and good” to dismember children in the womb or call perversion marriage. The world builds its morality on shifting sand. But “the Word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). And this is the point… Christ has given His Word and His Spirit to His Church—not to hide under a basket, but so that we would disciple the nations.
The Church: The Pillar and Ground of the Truth
The Church is ground zero for the Great Commission. Paul calls her the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). While the world seeks to reject God’s clear revelation, the Church declares and advances it with power and clarity: Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and every knee must bow. Through Word and sacrament, the Church forms disciples and launches them into the world as ambassadors of the Kingdom.
This happens not just through sermons, but through the entire pattern of Covenant Renewal Worship, which shapes the entire life of the Christian. In our liturgy, we are re-centered and re-formed each Lord’s Day: God calls us to worship (Call), we confess our sins and our faith and are cleansed by His grace (Confession and Cleansing), we are consecrated through the reading and preaching of the Word and experience and receive the very Paideia of Heaven (Consecration), we are nourished at the Lord’s Table (Communion), and then we’re sent out with God’s blessing and a charge to live faithfully for God’s glory, the good of God’s people, and the life of God’s world (Commission). This liturgical rhythm shapes the Christian’s weekly life—and by extension, our daily lives. The way we worship sets the pattern for how we live.
This is not just the work of pastors. Every Christian plays a part. Faithful, engaged church membership is essential to discipling the nations. When you show up early, sing robustly, confess sincerely, listen attentively, and commune joyfully, you are not “watching church”—you are participating in Kingdom warfare.
As James Jordan once pointed out, “Worship is the center of warfare in history. When we worship, we are not just singing songs or saying prayers; we are joining the angelic hosts in the heavenly places, tearing down the strongholds of the evil one. The liturgy is God’s ordained means of confronting the powers of darkness.” Or as Peter Leithart has written, “The church’s worship is a political act, a declaration of war against the principalities and powers that claim authority over this world. When we sing psalms and proclaim the Word, we are storming the gates of hell.” Or as R.J. Rushdoony said so well in his book The Institutes of Biblical Law, “Worship is the arsenal of the church. Through it, God’s people wield the power of His Law-Word against the chaos of a rebellious world. Every hymn, every prayer, is a blow struck for dominion.”
As Greg Bahnsen wrote, “God’s Word does not merely inform us about religious matters; it governs every area of life.” The pulpit must not be silent where Scripture speaks, and neither should the pew. As James Jordan has said, “The Bible is addressed to the total man in the total world in the total life context.” Therefore our liturgy is a weekly act of protest against the world’s rebellion. It is the education of our loves. It is where discipleship begins. It is where we first and foremost receive all of Christ for all of life.
The Home: Cultivating a Culture of Christ
What begins in the Church must be carried into the home. Romans 2 teaches us that even the Gentiles have the Law written on their hearts (Romans 2:14–15), but they need it made clear, consistent, and embodied. That is the work of Christians, especially Christian households. Deuteronomy 6 charges parents to teach God’s Word “diligently” to their children—when sitting, walking, lying down, and rising. Ephesians 6 echoes this: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction (Paideia—culture and education) of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
This is the work of cultivating, building, and advancing Christian culture, not just passing on religious facts. It includes regular family worship, yes, but also the education our children receive, the stories they hear, the way we discipline, and the way we laugh—all of life. This is the biblical vision of paideia—a full-orbed Christian culture and education that includes academics, discipline, imagination, worship, and work (again, all of life).
But it must also include the stewardship of our physical lives. God made us body and soul. Teaching our children to honor Christ with their bodies means teaching and modeling discipline in diet, exercise, rest, and self-control in all areas. A Christian culture includes both psalm-singing and healthy habits, both feasting and proper diet and exercise. We must be able to partake and refrain, to rejoice and celebrate, as well as be disciplined and do hard things.
Think about this practically:
- Husbands, you are called to lead your family as a shepherd who loves and serves sacrificially. So take initiative in spiritual and physical disciplines. Model repentance. Make decisions that prioritize faithfulness over ease in every area of life. Work hard, play hard, and sacrifice for the good of your family. Do the next right thing even when you don’t feel like it. Die to self and live for the good of others and the glory of God. I heard Doug Wilson say recently, “Men are like flatbed trucks—they work better and drive straighter when they are under a heavy load.” You’re meant to live as a working warrior for the glory of God, not to seek a life of ease and comfort. Idleness and laziness are not your friend. So, don’t just say it, but live out the words of Joshua 24:15: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
- Wives, you are the glory of the household. Build the home with wisdom, beauty, and cheerfulness. Come alongside your husband as his helpmate and glorify what he’s trying to do in his leadership. Let your labor shape the atmosphere of the household as a place where Christ is loved and life is honored. Help bring order and beauty in and through the life of your family. Honor your husband, and truly be his partner in life for God’s glory. And remember, your labor in the home is not second-class—it is the quiet revolution that upholds and helps your husband and shapes future rulers. Let your words and demeanor preach grace and strength.
- Children, obey your parents as unto the Lord. Learn the Word, honor your parents, love the Church, and prepare to build households of your own. Prepare to become men and women who seek to bring every area of life into joyful submission to the Lordship of Christ.
- Grandparents, your race is not finished. Be a generational anchor—encouraging, teaching, praying, and supporting your children and grandchildren in their calling. Your wisdom is a treasure, not a relic. Share it.
- Single men and women, whether you’re hoping to be married one day, or whether you’ve been there and done that and plan to be alone the rest of your days… remember that you are not alone. You are a part of the body of Christ, and you are meant to be actively engaged in disciple making. So seek to be hospitable, or to join up with other households, partnering with them for Kingdom work. You are a blessing to others even if you don’t realize it, and you need the blessing of others even if you don’t realize it. So don’t embrace solitude, but lean on your faith family, and open up your life to others. It will be both edifying to them and you.
And may none of us underestimate the calling of motherhood, the work done in the home, and the importance of Christian households. The home is not a fallback—it is a frontline. As C.S. Lewis wrote: “The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only—and that is to support the ultimate career.”
Our homes are embassies of the Kingdom. In them, Christ must be worshiped, His Law obeyed, and His joy known. Husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers… everyone… the home is a great place of ministry and worship… don’t underestimate it or take it for granted. For more on the Covenant Household see my article HERE.
The World: Proclaiming Christ in Every Sphere
If the Church is the epicenter and the home is the extension, then society is the frontier. In Romans 1, God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness—not just private sins, but institutional and cultural rebellion. The world says it can be governed by Natural Law—but because men suppress the truth, Natural Law is never enough. They change its meaning constantly. One generation says dueling is moral, another says child murder is a right. But as Isaiah says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).
God’s Law Word is the only reliable standard for justice, beauty, order, and peace. It does not change with fads or polls. As we speak that Word, and live it faithfully, we are calling the world to conform. And slowly, but surely, we are taking every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This includes every area of life—from the arts to economics, from politics to science, from education to technology.
This is the Kuyperian vision of sphere sovereignty: the Church, the household, and the state each have distinct God-given roles and jurisdictions. But all are accountable to Christ. As Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”
- Christian artists proclaim beauty and truth.
- Christian legislators pursue justice with integrity.
- Christian business owners model generosity and honest dealing.
- Christian scientists and teachers expose the wonders of God’s world.
- Christian citizens live and vote in line with God’s Law, and seek to advance the norms and morality of God’s Law-Word into all the world.
Every area of life is tied to this. Even the ordinary worker—the Christian on a job site, in a warehouse, or behind a desk. Your work matters. You may not have a platform, but you have a calling. Be excellent. Be honest. Serve your employer as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). Show up on time, work with joy, and bring Christian character into every task. You are part of Christ’s discipling strategy. Everything we do is a part of our calling to subdue the earth and take dominion for the glory of King Jesus.
As Joe Boot has said, “The Kingdom of God is not merely a spiritual reality to be acknowledged in our hearts, but a present and expanding rule of Christ over all things.” That includes how we bake bread, build homes, write code, change diapers, and govern nations.
Conclusion: Baptized for Obedience
Romans 1–2 diagnoses the problem: the world suppresses the truth. The Great Commission gives us the solution: baptize the nations and teach them to obey. The Church, the home, and every corner of the world must be ordered under Christ.
Through Word and sacrament, the Church shapes worshipers. Through discipline and joy, the family raises Kingdom citizens. Through obedience in vocation, culture, and citizenship, Christians manifest the reign of Christ in the world.
Natural Law convicts. God’s Law and gospel redeem, transform, and govern. And the Spirit empowers.
Let us then go forth—baptized, instructed, and sent—to disciple the nations.
Let us therefore take up our cross and our calling. Let us labor as those who have been baptized into Christ and taught to obey. Let us declare and live, with all boldness and joy: All of Christ for all of life.
In Christ’s service and yours,
Nick Esch