Matthew 28:20
“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
One of the benefits of being saved is having the presence of God with you at all times. Knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake us is comforting for whatever you may face in life. God’s presence in one’s life is what assures us that we can make it.
There is a difference with having God’s presence and having His accompanying presence. The verse above says, “…lo, I am with you alway…” The word “with” means to accompany. God is teaching us that when we have His accompanying presence, we then have His help. Certainly, God’s presence is always with the believer, but He doesn’t always help the believer. That accompaniment has conditions we must meet.
First, you must go if you want God’s accompanying presence. God says in verse 19, “Go ye therefore…” You will never get God’s help until you follow the basic command to every Christian to go and be a soul winner. As long you as you sit and do nothing, you will never experience the helping hand of God. Paul obtained the “help of God” in Acts 26:22 because he went. Going is the catalyst to God’s help as the striking of the match is to a fire. When you go, it springs God to action to begin helping you.
Second, you must not only go, but you must fulfill the Great Commission as you go. God says that we are to “teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things…” In other words, we are not only to win people to Christ, but we are also to get them baptized and teach them the Word of God. God’s accompanying presence will help you as you do all of these things. Someone once asked me, “Bro. Domelle, what do I do if I mess up?” I told them that as long as they would simply go and obey what God has commanded them to do that He would be sure they would get the help they need. In other words, as we obey, God takes what we do and say to help those we are teaching to understand. What a promise!
Third, if you want God’s accompanying presence then you must “observe all things.” The word “observe” means to guard from loss or to build a fortress. What are we guarding? We are guarding “all things.” Friend, God is interested in His children taking every part of His Word to heart. There is not one part of God’s Word that is more important to Him than another. It is all important to Him. When the Christian focuses their energies on defending all of God’s Word, then He promises to help them. In other words, you are to build a fortress around God’s Word and never let anything pull you away from It. As you defend those truths, God promises to help you in that defense.
These three areas are a package deal. After God shows what He expects from you, He then says, “…and, lo, I am with you alway…” He is saying that if you will do these things, then He promises to help you as you do them. Let me remind you that you don’t have to do God’s work alone. He promises to help you if you will simply go and do.