AUTHOR: Robin Dugall DATE: 12:11:00 PM ----- BODY:

I have always thought that a vast majority of Christ-followers and "church goers" use religious sounding language with NO IDEA what the words actually mean. People say "I want to be holy"...but they don't know what they are really asking for...it sounds like the right thing to say but they don't "get" that it has to do primarily with personal and complete sacrifice, humility, and living counter-cultural. I hear people talk about righteousness and they don't get that is has to do not only with our relationship with Jesus but a lifestyle that is consistent with that relationship. Now, on to "the Gospel". Many of you know that I teach bible courses at a Christian University. I passed on an article that I put together using many of the posts that Scot McKnight (www.jesuscreed.org) wrote on his blog regarding the Gospel. Well, here are some of the remarks that the students made...these are just a few comments...these words were consistently echoed throughout the group: "I found this article to be interesting because I have never really sat down and thought about what I think the gospel is." "I personally have not thought what the gospel is about, and I am ashamed to admit that when I read Dr. McKnight's article, I realized how a lot of the times I see the gospel in the hyper-individualism perspective." "To be honest, I've never thought that hard about what exactly the gospel is" "Dr. McKnight wrote, 'Conversion is seen as a birth certificate instead of a driver's license.'...when I read this, it clicked! It gave me an analogy that made perfect sense to something I couldn't put my finger on. Back in Arizona, I was involved in a small group church where we did “birth certificate evangelizing”. We told the people we talked to that all they had to do is just “pray the prayer”, and then we peaced out and let God do His work and radically change their lives." "I just have to say that that article was a beast!" Maybe we do need to encourage the people in our journey to re-think the Gospel. So much of what people walk around with are based upon assumptions and misunderstandings and meanings that have NEVER been discussed, thought through, or even contemplated in a serious manner. By the way, here are a few snippets from Scot's blog for you to feast on: From Scot McKnight's blog, Jesus Creed: "I’ve been asked this enough times that I’ll turn it into a post on its own — if the gospel is what I am claiming it is, then how does one evangelize? And I’ve been asked this one several times already, and Embracing Grace isn’t even out of the chute, what are the down-in-the-dirt type things you would say to people? Well, here goes: the question itself that I’m being asked emerges out of a different understanding of the gospel. And this is no small claim, but I’m making it: the question of “what do you say to someone and ask them to do?” is a question that comes from a gospel that is something you can respond to all at once and be done with it. But, here’s the problem and you won’t be surprised to hear this from me. The gospel is about God’s embracing grace that unleashes our embrace of God and our capacity to embrace others. You don’t respond to grace all at once, any more than you fall in love all at once. For far too many, conversion is seen as a Birth Certificate instead of a Driver’s License. (I said this in Jesus Creed, I think.) Conversion is a marriage rather than the Marriage Certificate. That question I’m being asked, and I don’t mean to be hard on anyone who is asking it, is a question that is asking how you get a Birth or Marriage Certificate, and I think the point is a Driver’s License and a Marriage. The question the gospel of embracing grace asks is not “what can I do to get in?” but “will I be a part of God’s work?” Once this is understood, and that the gospel is designed to regenerate our hearts to love God and to love others, then what we are asked to do is as simple as that: we are asked to love God and to love others. That, my friends, ain’t sumfin’ that happens all at once. I don’t say I love Kris because one time I told her that, and I don’t love God because one time I “asked Jesus into my heart.” Now, don’t get me wrong here: there are beginnings and there are decisive moments, though not all know when they are (and I went to great efforts to make this clear in Turning to Jesus), but the issue is not the beginning but the relationship. So, how do you do that? Very simple. We summon others to become friends with Jesus and to join us in the work God is doing in this world, in the work God is embodying in a community of faith, and to join us at the Table where God comes to us in the form of bread and wine. (Some will think that last comment is too high-church, but I’ll stick with it because I think it is biblical and historic for the Church. I don’t mean by that one bit that it is not personal; I just want us to see that this is about what God is doing in this world right now.)"

-------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:1:18 PM COMMENT-BODY:Very interesting thoughts. I sometimes think a lot of Christians treat the "assurance" of salvation in terms of the "insurance" of salvation. Like, "I have the certificate that says I am getting "in" so it really doesn't matter what I do or say or how I live my life. Kind of like Jesus is a big insurance policy or something. The Good News is not that we are going to heaven, but rather, that we are given the priviledge to help bring the kingdom of heaven here to earth into those places where we have influence. We are to let our light so shine before others (in those dark places) that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven. -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: wellis68 COMMENT-DATE:5:09 PM COMMENT-BODY:Great post. So often we put all the salvational weight on the initial conversion. Thanks for re-focusing us on the relationship. -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: Anonymous COMMENT-DATE:8:42 AM COMMENT-BODY:AMDUGALL: I think the question regarding Holy Communion would have to be prefaced with some questions about what the person believes about Scripture, the authority of Scripture and the person of Jesus. Holy Communion can hardly be "explained" in a short amount of time unless one understands some other stuff first. It would also depend on how open the person is toward understanding any part of it anyway. -------- COMMENT-AUTHOR: H. West COMMENT-DATE:4:18 PM COMMENT-BODY:I think this is a great post. It definately is so true that it is so easy as christians to completely disregard what the gospel actually means, but go on living our lives under this empty label. This past week, someone was talking about how important it is to tell ourselves the gospel everyday, but how sometimes we get bored of it. I think we get bored of it when we forget that it is the whole point, when the idea of God's grace doesn't encompas our whole lives. good post. --------