Full Atonement

Propitiation and expiation: the difference. I remember once watching a young Christian cry in anguish on not being able to understand a sermon explaining the difference. That was 35 years ago. Well, I've preached some difficult sermons myself, I suppose. But these days, I'm concerned that people I listen to can occasionally betray a true, but narrow and limited grasp, of Scriptural understandings of the Atonement, and the way Christ Jesus has brought us back to God. Suppose it comes from reading more about what the Bible says than actually reading the Bible. That brings me back Not to propitiation and expiation. But to how Jesus paid the price and took the penalty; AND healed and made whole our humanity that we might be changed in Him; AND sets a path and a pattern for us to follow in a life of ministry that joins us to His Cross and resurrection. And all of this is woven into the Biblical picture of Atonement. Got it? If not, ask the preacher to explain.

Carte Blanche

A clean sheet. A good exercise now that summer's coming. For our lives as people and in community with others – especially in where we're going in life and where we are going as church. I was speaking to a younger colleague, not long into pastorate. Really committed and full of energy. And as I listened to him describe his life, it struck me how much of this highly gifted person's time and talents were channelled into keeping the show on the road. Now, that's no bad thing. As long as the show is going somewhere. It's true for all of us involved in the life of church service. It is absolutely right that we invest ourselves, as Christians, in serving the life and ministries of the church. But at the same time, we have a responsibility, both individually and as congregation, to stop and ask, 'where is this going and what is it doing?'. We all tend to go 'off track' every now and again. Lose the plot. That's when we need to sit down with a Bible, talk and pray together, asking how the Holy Spirit would lead us deeper into the name and path of Jesus Christ. To look again at the life and calling we have as disciples of Jesus, and ask ourselves, 'Are we going in the right direction?'. Don't assume that the answer will be 'yes'. Rather, look for the correctors that are true to the path of missionary discipleship that we are called upon, in the witness of lives possessed of holy integrity, serious service of others and joyful readiness to explain this 'God rule' that has come into our lives.

Sounding through

I've been thinking a bit about three dimensions. Three seems to be so much part of the DNA life. There are 'persons'  - per - sonare - 'sounding through' as dimensions of the One God in His dynamic reality and revelation.  Light itself, which is an instrument in carrying life to us, has three primary colours. And it leads me to reflect on how there're three primary dimensions to our life with God. Through the cross of Christ we're faced with the reality and an experience of the forgiveness that Jesus brings to us. Through the Holy Spirit touching our lives we meet with the embrace of Father's love. But there's something more than forgiveness and embrace, whilst these are central and essential. There is the command of Father and empowerment for discipleship living. Forgiveness leading to freedom. Embrace releasing into love. Command and empowering for mission. Can we try to get the balance right?

Discipling Discovery

In conversation with a colleague the other day, he put it to me that there was a clear difference in two forms of educating and developing people. On the one hand, there is education through discipleship, where we believe that faith is caught and not simply taught; where development comes by copying and discovering how to live on the basis of another's life. But this system at its worst can lead to sectarianism and bigotry. It is limited by the inspirational abilities of the person who is leading.

On the other hand, development through education built on discovery and freethinking has attractions. It allows a man or woman to develop and explore new areas and new thoughts. But education through discovery can, if left to itself, lead to 'I'm unfettered' and 'I'm not answerable' in living and attitude.

What interests me is that Jesus seem to believe both in discipleship and discovery. Combined with real accountability. I'm content with that.

Basic baptism

There's a little thing that's bothering me. The practice of baptism in Baptist churches. We've really got to work at keeping it in focus at the centre of our life. We need to remember why our forefathers insisted on the practice of the baptism of believers. 
Focally, the baptism of believers represents three themes: 
1.  Focus on embracing the substitutionary  and atoning death of Christ for us
2.  A conscious act of repentance and renunciation at the very outset of our Christian discipleship
3.  Christian faith involving our participation and entry into the very life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ himself.


To me the biggest in-house threat to the gospel is 'decisionism' as an alternative to 'discipleship'. Lets not forget what Baptists stand for: the pursuit of holy living that is biblically focused Christian discipleship as participation in the life of Christ.

Experiencing Truth

Today, attending churches in central Scotland and north Glasgow, it impacted me that people do need to be told that they can experience truth. That is, when they invite in sincerity Jesus to be their Saviour and open themselves thereby to the Holy Spirit. This is where Gospel Hall preaching and Pentecostal worship meet together -  and in truth they are in this one and the same. It's easy to lose sight of this and become simply religious. Don't. Remember that God wants you to be changed through a real experience of Him. God wants you to experience the truth, to experience the truth of Jesus in your life. When that is real, in repentance and faith, it changes us.

Please don't package

To understand Jesus and the purpose of our life requires a big picture. It strikes me that some Christians get the big picture wrong. Although many would deny it, I find that many often start with theory and abstract ideas. Wrong place.

The key issues are nothing to do with whether you are conservative or liberal. Calvinist or Arminian. The real question is whether you believe in a product or in participation. Packaging the Gospel?

When I listen to some of my brothers and sisters it strikes me that they think of the Gospel in terms of product. It's something to offer. Something to encourage others to take. Something that people need to

be persuaded that they need or want. Sell it to them and once they are hooked, reel them in.

I just can't begin to think of the Gospel that I know and read of in Scripture in this way. The gospel I believe in begins with being, leads to doing and ends up in telling and rejoicing - real evangelism.

How do we get there? Perhaps the best place to start for people who are already Christian and in church is to stop asking the question, 'how can we attract people to our church?'. That's a question about selling a product. Better starting with the question, 'How can we meaningfully serve people and show them Christlike love?'

When you and the people you gather with begin to ask this question, then you're on the way to becoming a church that is addressing the big picture. Please don't package the Gospel.

Apostolic Genius

What makes Alan Hirsch so Good is that he is so readable. But he has good insights. His take on the 'Apostolic Genius' and the idea that the basic DNA of missional ministry is latent, there inside us by the Holy Spirit is, I believe, right on. Whilst firmly rejecting the utility in perpetuating a Christendom church model, he offers real alternatives and encouragement to look back into the Bible and meaningful

engagement with our culture.

But, as it hits me again and again in reading folk when they speak of 'mission', I don't yet find him clear enough in distinguishing what he actually believes that 'mission' is. What is more clear to me than ever is that the simple triad of 'marturia-diakonia-euangelia' is the key to a holistic perception of mission, brought into profile by the drivers that arise from our identity in God together with the eschatological foci of the Christian life.