Salvation and Evangelism (Pt. 1)
Do you know what the good news is, that which the church is called to proclaim? You're probably quite confident that you do. But allow yourself to reconsider long held beliefs. Why, you may ask, is this exercise worth my time and brain power? I say to you, simply because how you think of the church's message of salvation will determine how you live every moment of your life.
With this in mind, I'd like to begin the first of a two-part series on how our understanding of the church's news shapes what we do. In this first part, let us look at the message itself. Then next time, we'll apply our understanding of the gospel to our mission and vocation.
I'm tired of hearing the church telling me a gospel about Jesus -- what he did, what he said, what we are to believe about him. For the longest time, I thought the gospel was that Jesus died and rose to new life so that we may be justified by grace through faith for Christ's sake apart from works of the law. But justification is a theoretical doctrine (and a rather limited one at that). It's not news. Sure, it's a theory that if I believe it, then it grants me some peace of mind. But it's not news that rocks my worldview and forces me to appropriate every thing I do according to it.
Intead of a gospel about Jesus, the church is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus. Through his words and actions, Jesus proclaims world-altering news: "The kingdom of God is here and now and I'm it, so follow me in all that you do to live in the kingdom." God lives among us to reign. There's a new ruler in town whose name is Creator of all that is, in whom we live and move and have our being. You have two options in all that you do: the way of blessing and life by abiding in God's presence, or the way of curse and death by following a different person claiming to rule (usually yourself).
First, Jesus says the time is now. This gospel of Jesus isn't merely an announcement, a head's up of what's going to happen after death. Rather, Jesus' gospel is breaking news, precisely because his message is primarily about what God is doing now. The glory of divine presence has come to dwell in the properly built temple (Jesus is the shekinah) to rule God's people in person (fulfillment of Jeremiah 31 regarding the shema) so that all of creation may enjoy peace, justice, and harmony (the age of shalom).
Second, Jesus says the place is here. In other words, for whom is Jesus' gospel? The good news of Jesus is for all who are here. The key word is 'all'. We read in Colossians 1:20 that through Jesus all things on earth and in heaven are reconciled to God. The news is 'good' not just for those who believe it. For that wouldn't even be 'good news' but rather a 'good deal'. The news is 'good' because God is bringing all of creation deemed 'good' by God into the covenantal fulfillment of God's kingdom. The good news of Jesus benefits all who are creatures.
Some people might right me off at this point as being a 'universalist'. Indeed the topic of 'universal salvation' has caused a big stir in the conversation among theologians in recent decades. (For two great books on the topic see Jurgen Moltmann's rather complex argument in The Coming of God and Hans Urs von Balthasar's easy to read account in Dare We Hope "That All Men Be Saved"?.) Univeralism is usually concerned with whether bad people get into heaven too after they die on account of God's mercy trumping God's justice.
But I'm talking about something different, something I call "cosmic salvation". Jesus wasn't trying to get us into heaven. Jesus is bringing heaven to the world. In other words, Jesus is transforming all of creation by restoring to it the Garden of Eden once again. 'All' means 'all', even (especially!) the bad guys.
For Jews in Jesus' day, the Garden of Eden was thought to still be present in the form of the Temple, and the Tree of Life was always accessible in the form of Torah. The good news of Jesus is that he is the Temple in whom we find the garden of God's kingdom, and he gives to his followers Holy Spirit so that we too are made into the Temple garden by having the Torah -- LIFE! -- on our lips and in our hearts. Communion with God isn't limited to a building or our inability to uphold Torah. Do you not know that your bodies are the living Temple?
We are the Temple, not for the sake of our own salvation but for the sake of the world's salvation, for the sake of all of creation. The Temple is the meeting place of God and creation, where God dwells within creation. We are incorporated by Holy Spirit into the Temple that is the body of Jesus (church) to be the Garden of Eden throughout creation.
Hence, God calls all of humanity to go forth into the world, multiply ourselves, and subdue it. We are to subdue creation in a kingly manner, the kingly manner of Jesus as a servant. Through us, all of creation is subject to God's kingdom accessible in the Temple. We're invited to be the meeting place of God and all of creation for the age of shalom. Now that's good news! That's the good news of Jesus.
2 comments:
This last weekend, the Church moved through Luke 4 and the temptation of Jesus by the devil. The first temptation is about Jesus' dependence on God's word: "one will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (my paraphrase). The devil is (at)tempting to persuade Jesus to abandon his newly found message of God's reign in him--Abandon that message for some other word that one can supposedly create apart from God.
We live in the same age where we are tempted to abandon this Word of Jesus, but we cannot, because life does proceed from it. What you think about Jesus' message is important on how you live life. Too often I see the first presentation of the gospel (Jesus died for my sins, so I'm justified, etc) leading to hard work aftward. We must now ask a question after the presentation of news, "Now what are you going to do about it?" Folks tend to be comforted that going to heaven when they die is all that they need to worry about. And the role of the church's servants becomes a battle to loosen people from their complacency.
But a second presentation of the gospel (God's reign is here, turn your lives around and join me!) leads us to immediate movement to participate in God's reign. We see that the the gift of Jesus' death and resurrection is now motivating inspiration to join what God is already doing in the world for the sake of the world. Our complacency of heading up to our "mansions in heaven" is overcome by our necessity to discern and join God's reign in our lives, today.
Looking forward to the next part, peace!
YES! I'll make this brief in counterpoint to Paul's tome.
YES! The Good News is not a proposition or a transaction. It is the radical declaration of the God who saves and REIGNS in the midst of all of life, even the grave.
What makes this even better news is that this news involves us. As you so rightly point out Kevan, this declaration changes essentially how live this day, and hope for tomorrow.
Bring on part 2!
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