Image: Erick Hodge
In recent months, I have been blessed with opportunities to speak to thousands of church leaders at venues as diverse as a Willow Creek conference in Erfurt, Germany, the Kainos conference in Memphis, Tennessee, and Exponential East in Tampa, Florida, from which I am writing this blog.
I am both amazed and surprised that God has allowed me to be in a position to influence leaders within his “Big C” Church. I do not take this responsibility lightly. But I am concerned about something I see a lot.
As a fellow elder/pastor, I have concerns about the types of disciples our churches are producing. To me, it seems like we have a lot of “self-ism” disguised as Christianity in churches. It’s almost as if Jesus exists to help keep our middle class, American Dream lives together. It’s as if Jesus revolves around us and our purposes whereas the biblical gospel is clear about us centering our lives on Jesus and his redemptive purposes for humanity (see 1 Peter 2:9–10). So, what does that mean? Let’s look more closely at God’s redemptive purposes for humanity.
Why does salvation exist?
Salvation is not just so that we can go to heaven and avoid hell. It exists because God wants a multiethnic family, a bride for his son Jesus, and a temple to dwell in.
1) God wants a multiethnic family.
From the Old Testament to the New Testament, salvation is a story of God’s unrelenting love and passion to have a family that displays his character and glory throughout the earth. Galatians 3:7–9, ESV says:
”Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ’In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” [emphasis added].
The nations, or ethnic groups, are the family for which God has eternally longed. It’s you! It’s me! The gospel of Jesus creates a new humanity and a new family (see Ephesians 2:14–16). As we peer into eternity future, we see that God keeps his promise to Abraham, and he does get his family through the redeeming work of Jesus:
“And they sang a new song, saying,
’Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
’Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!‘” (Rev. 5:9–12, ESV).
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SOURCE: Christianity Today
Derwin L. Gray
