Mission. God’s mission to restore the world is primary; all else is secondary. God has given us the Church as his chosen agent for global redemption. The church is therefore inherently about restoring and redeeming individuals, social structures, and entire cultures. Mission is the lens through which I evaluate all ministry activities and objectives. The church exists not for itself, but for the world.
Gospel. The gospel of God’s grace is the great treasure of the Church. The gospel is the way in which people come to faith as well as mature in faith (Rom. 1:16-17). Because the gospel was the center point of Paul’s ministry, it must be for ours as well. From leadership meetings to conversations with neighbors, the gospel of God’s grace must always be on our tongues.
Truth. Evangelicals must regain an intelligent witness in society. We must uphold Christianity not just as religious truth, but the ultimate truth which explains all things. In practice, this means relating Christianity to not just our private lives, but to the public spheres of business, politics, art, and science. We also must know the public challenges to the Christian faith, and always be ready with a reason for the hope we profess.
Discipleship. The purpose of human life is to become like Christ. This is done only in the context of Christian discipleship. The imitation of Christ, which includes the classic spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible Study, solitude, service, and corporate worship, must be common practices for both ministers of the gospel and the laity. These must be taught and modeled in Christian ministry.
Justice. God loves justice. Because Scripture makes this so clear (Is. 1:19), the church must be an agent of justice both locally and internationally. Caring for the needs of the poor, defending the oppressed, and breaking down racial barriers are central to manifesting Jesus’ kingdom in the present age. In addition, acts of justice confirm the message of the gospel to an unbelieving world.
Holy Spirit. Christian ministry is not done alone. The Holy Spirit is leading His Church. Therefore, leadership decisions, worship services, mission trips—indeed all Christian ministry—must be done seeking the guidance of the ever-present Counselor. The Holy Spirit is the power to accomplish God’s mission on earth.
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ReplyDeleteHey Jeff: You've given me something to think about when you assert that "God’s mission to restore the world is primary; all else is secondary. God has given us the Church as his chosen agent for global redemption. The church is therefore inherently about restoring and redeeming individuals, social structures, and entire cultures. Mission is the lens through which I evaluate all ministry activities and objectives. The church exists not for itself, but for the world."
ReplyDeletePart of me is inclined to agree with you, but lately I've been exposed to the Reformed (Lutheran) doctrine of two kingdoms, which challenges the Kuyperian transformationalism that has swept American Christianity. When Christians talk about "redeeming the culture," "advancing the kingdom," "changing the world," "winning the culture wars," and "saving Western civilization," we should ask: have they collapsed two kingdoms – civil and spiritual – into one? In a Weekly Standard review of David VanDrunen's new book LIVING IN GOD'S TWO KINGDOMS, Terry Eastland writes:
"The two kingdoms, VanDrunen emphasizes, 'exist for different purposes, have different functions, and operate according to different rules,' and Christian engagement with the civil kingdom (or culture or world) must take those differences into account. In particular, as citizens of the spiritual kingdom, believers submit to 'the redemptive ethic of Scripture.' But as citizens of the civil kingdom they 'can engage in genuine moral conversation with those of other faiths . . . without making adherence to Scripture a test for participating in cultural affairs.' Likewise, as citizens of the spiritual kingdom, they 'can view the state and other institutions as temporal and destined to pass away.' Yet as citizens of the civil kingdom they 'can have keen interest in promoting the welfare of human society here and now.'"
Application question: When we're developing a philosophy of Christian education, isn't it important to recognize that schools belong to the civil kingdom and not the spiritual kingdom? The mission of a school may overlap with the church, but should it be identical?
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteThanks for "pushing" me in this. Your thoughtful interaction is always welcome. Let me clarify some of my thoughts. When I say that mission is primary, I believe that the big story of the Bible shows a God who is redeeming the world. From the calling of Abraham to the consummation of all things in the renewed Jerusalem, God is using his Church to share the gospel and transform individual lives (first), and then societies through social service and redemptive work. I think the Gospel is the primary way this happens.
Good point, however, about transformationalism. I think the biblical case for sharing the apostolic message is 100% clear, as is God's heart for the poor and oppressed. However, the case for "the cultural mandate" of Genesis 1:28 is much less clear. Redeeming culture is tricky business...the diversity of views as to what this looks like is overwhelming. But I do think the case could be made that God expects us to take our Christianity into all aspects of our life, including family, work, and even public issues like politics.
The two kingdom theology is a struggle for me. Greg Boyd, whom I used to listen to faithfully, preaches this weekly, depending heavily on the Mennonite tradition. But can it really be that each kingdom has its own spheres? Isn't the kingdom of God like a mustard seed that begins small and then grows into a plant that fills the whole garden? Isn't the kingdom of God like yeast that works its way into dough and makes the entire loaf rise?
God's reign won't be satisfied hedged off from "civil" kingdoms. Indeed, we must pray, "May your kingdom come, and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."