A. What Is Biblical Mission? “Biblical mission means more than simply going overseas to plant churches or spread civilization. It means the church participating in the ‘mission of God (Missio Dei)’ and seeking the restoration of God’s rule and glory throughout the whole earth. Mission is not a program that begins with human enthusiasm; rather, it is the heart of God that runs throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and is a fundamental reason for the church’s existence. Let me clearly summarize five essential principles of true mission as presented in Scripture. 🌍 1. The Mission of God (Missio Dei) The subject and initiator of mission is not human beings but God. In order to save fallen humanity, God first comes to us, sends His Son, and sends the Holy Spirit. He is the “missionary God” who sends. Biblical basis: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” (John 20:21) Key meaning: The church acknowledges that God has the initiative in mission and serves as His agent, obed...
Is space essential?
In a
marriage relationship, couples need to give each other space so that the Lord
can work in their hearts and lives (something I thought was important in my
conversation with my wife tonight).
"We
should respect all people. We may not
respect them for who they are now, but we should respect them for their
potential to change through the blood of the Lamb and the renewing power of the
Holy Spirit" (A. W. Tozer).
People
cannot see the "potential to change" unless they themselves are
changing. The reason we want the other
person to change and think, "Why doesn't that person change?" is
because we ourselves are not changing.
A
couple must be able to see the "potential for change" in each other
with faith. In order to do so, I must first continue to change in my
relationship with the Lord. In the midst
of this, I must see my beloved spouse from the perspective of faith that trusts
in the Lord, and quietly and patiently watch with the eyes of faith how the
Lord changes my spouse in that "space."
So when I talk to my wife, I tell her that we
need to avoid saying things like, "You always do that," or, "You
never do that," because the words "always" and "never"
lock the other person into our preconceptions and blind them to the
"potential for change."
If a
couple lives a life centered on the Lord, they will trust in the Lord and look
to each other, pray, expect, and wait with faith that the Lord is changing
their spouse just as He is changing them, and that He will continue to change
them in the future.
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