As I enter my 70s it is a good time to reflect on things that are important to me. Here are five convictions that underlie my life and ministry.
1. Integration
‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’ (Mark 12:29–31)
There is no sacred-secular divide. All of life is to be lived in a way that honours God. In the words of Abraham Kuyper:
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Jesus Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”
How else can we interpret the call to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength? To do otherwise is to ignore God’s agenda of making everything new (Revelation 21:5).
2. Formation
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:29–30)
Human salvation is much more than just escaping from the penalties of sin. It is to be at the forefront of God’s programme of ushering in a new heaven and a new earth. We are saved to be a new humanity that bears the image of Jesus, to be the first fruits (James 1:18) and the agents of His inbreaking Kingdom. Spiritual formation, helping people grow in Christlikeness, must be the central concern of the church.
3. Community
‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ (John 13:34–35)
The living God is one God in community, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The normal Christian life is one lived in close community. Indeed, it is not good for human beings to be alone (Genesis 2:18). In community we experience the love of God as we love each other with the love that He showers upon us (John 15). In community, different people with different strengths and gifts complement each other as they serve the Lord together (1 Corinthians 12 & 13).
4. Authority
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
The Bible properly interpreted is the final authority for belief and behaviour. Historically different church traditions and practices have emerged to help apply the Word to concrete historical demands. They do not have the same authority as the Word itself and need to be periodically re-examined as to whether they still faithfully apply the Word today. Of course our interpretation of the Word is not infallible and we too need to constantly match our interpretation of the Word with the Word itself.
5. Representation
Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ (Genesis 1:26)
From the beginning humankind was called to represent God in caring for His creation. God is spirit and invisible. We have a glimpse of what He is like by looking at the only aspect of creation that bears His image. Christ reinforces this mandate by saying that as the Father has sent Him, so He sends His disciples out into the world (John 20:21). We are God’s representatives, God’s agents wherever He puts us. For example, God wants to call a lost humanity back to Himself. We are to preach the Gospel (Romans 10:14). He wants to see compassion and justice in the marketplace. We are to bring Kingdom values into the world of work (Matthew 5:13–16; Colossians 3:22–25). We are God’s representatives in all of life.
This, then, are the five words that speak of five primary convictions that underlie my life and ministry: integration, formation, community, authority, and representation. They are not my only convictions of course. I was thinking of adding a sixth, “Relevance”. God and His Word do not change but we are to make sure that the unchanging Word dialogues with the issues of the day (1 Chronicles 12:32). But I decided to stop at five.
Are they also your five words? Drop me a line if they are.