Sunday, March 11, 2012

Saved for what?

Several years ago, I remember sitting around with a group of socially minded Christians, thinking about how we could change the world, when one person asked if personal salvation the point of the Gospel. There was an awkward pause as we all looked at each other. Finally someone broke the silence. No?

With a collective sigh of relief we all voices our frustrations with the gospel as it is preached in American Evangelical churches. A gospel that is laser focused on a personal salvation. A gospel that answers the question "What can God do for me?" Not that this isn't an important question. It speak to our very human condition, our brokenness and need for a savior.

But, the focus on personal salvation prevalent in evangelicalism comes at a cost. It puts blinders on us and makes us unable to see the larger picture of what God is doing throughout history and how we can play a part in it. We are saved by God, saved to play a part in his plan for the redemption of the whole world not just ourselves.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

How we should speak of God

Let me be honest here, although I love theology I sometime hate talking about it.......

To often we talk about what we know about God and we forget about what we do not know. We forget that our theology needs to leave room for mystery.

I also have a firm belief that all theology is flawed. Paul says that, We only know in part. (1 Cor 13:12) We have only a portion of what we will know of God in heaven. We should speak humbly about what we are so firmly convinced of.

This is not to say that we shouldn't vigorously defend our theological positions, but we should do it with respect for others. Remembering that we could be just as wrong as they are.