In this post I want to explore (and ask you to join in the conversation about) what I believe is a missional understanding of sanctification/conversion. At this point the books The Continuing Conversion of the Church and a few insights from The Shaping of Things to Come have played a role in my understanding as it is put forward in this post. I did not borrow this from anyone so if I am way off base then I am the only one at fault, and be sure to let me know. We’re all in this together. I believe however, that there are at least some important discussions that we need to be having in our churches about what kind of believers we are shaping and how they can and should “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18). So here it is:
Friends/Family/Neighbor/Stranger
These are people who are NOT-YET-CHRISTIANS. We interact with them on a daily basis. They are not limited to our community or our relationships. This includes the “all nations” spoken of in God’s promise to Abraham. This is our community, our nation, and the world whom we are trying to reach.
New/Renewed Believers
These are people who have just become or just recommissioned themselves as servants of God and followers of Jesus. This group needs to be trained, mentored, and commissioned to move closer to Jesus Christ and more fully into the mission of God (a.k.a. the Missio Dei) for his Body, the Church.
Members
This group is characterized by people who are not new or newly recommissioned to Christ but have not grown to the place of spiritual maturity that manifests itself in sacrifice and service. They are in need of equipping and mentoring to become better equipped and more involved in God’s mission.
Ministers
This group is marked by their desire and willingness to serve and minister primarily in ways that effect and benefit only the body of believers. They are in need of equipping and mentoring to become fully involved in and devoted to God’s mission for the church and the world.
Missionaries
This group is characterized by their love for God and neighbor. They are concerned about the spiritual health and vitality of the church, they are committed to the mentoring and equipping of other believers, and are active in finding ways to express the Gospel in whatever context they find themselves in. This group has moved from being alienated from Christ to participating in God’s mission to their fullest with a desire to grow in their understanding of and participation in it.
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Does this make sense? God has always been on a mission, from before the creation of the world, his plan was already in place. God did not give us a mission he simply invited us, through Jesus Christ, to join him in fulfilling his mission, the blessing of all nations. Jesus is the key to the blessing of all nations but his life, death, and resurrection were not the totality of that promise. Otherwise, why is he coming back?
When we look at passages about the church and our mission (Ephesians 4; 2 Corinthians 5:14-21; etc.) we see a picture that looks much different than what we see in our churches on average. I think we need to reclaim the desire and purpose of moving people from alienated from God to missionaries (in the true sense of the word) who participate in the mission of God, the blessing of the entire world.
What would be different if our churches really sought to move people from Not-Yet-Christians to missionaries instead of just members? I think a lot of things would be different. But how do we make this move? That may take the rest of my life (or longer) to turn into a reality. Let’s talk about it.
michaelhanegan
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