A Fresh Perspective - November 9, 2007
Many of us within the evangelical Christian tradition get bogged down on issues that distort the core message of the gospel. We argue about theories of the atonement and the afterlife. We debate about what constitutes saving faith. We make salvation a matter of believing the right doctrines. Our narrowness of belief bears witness to a God spelled with a little ‘g.' Common sense should challenge belief in such a little god. Why would God care that much about such things? The kingdom of God is so much greater and grander and glorious than our little minds.
The core message of the gospel is about God's love. God, in love, seeks out selfish, unloving persons with the offer of reconciliation (God's forgiveness already being granted) and the prospect of becoming a new person. Jesus Christ, in love, gives his life for the good of others, even unto death on a cross. The Spirit, in love, relentlessly pursues all of us who have lost our way.
Personal redemption is about being liberated from our sins of selfish ambition, greed, prejudice, pride, resentment, jealousy, hate and all that degrades, denigrates and destroys, all that harms and hurts others. It is about being set free to love as God loves - to forgive, serve and work for the good of all people, especially the disadvantaged and the despised.
A redeemed person is growing in love. It is not necessary that we know how Jesus' death is a death "for our sins." It doesn't matter how we conceive of the Trinity. We don't need to know how or when the future fulfillment of the kingdom of God will come on earth or what the afterlife will be like. But we must learn how to love the way God loves if we are to live as God's children and be God's friends and partners in his kingdom work.
Denominations and congregations will one day cease to exist - as will preachers and teachers, pastors and prophets, confessions and creeds, formulations of faith and statements of belief. In that day "when the complete comes" and we will see no longer through a glass dimly, but "face to face," knowing "fully" even as we are known, then we will put away all these childish things and attend to learning how to love. Because "love never fails" and it is by far "the greatest of these" (1 Cor. 13:8-13).
Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort. You can access his sermons and past articles at www.ibcfrankfort.com. He welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net.