How is Mission Related to Disciple-Making?

Discipleship (or the act of disciple-making) is a hot word among Christians now. Many books have already been written on the topic. The following is an excerpt from a paper I wrote recently on the topic. The specific focus is on missional disciple-making. I am putting it here with the hope that it will spur more Christians on to treat discipleship more seriously. Who are you discipling? And who are you being discipled by? I pray that if you do not have an answer for either one of those questions, this post will get you to rectify it immediately.

Relation of Mission to Disciple-Making

A popular text that has been used profusely in the past century relating to missions was Matthew 28:19-20, and in fact still is being used today. In this Great Commission text, the act of disciple-making (μαθητεύσατε) is the only imperative, rendering everything else as supportive of this one verb. A strong case could then be made that what God wants us to do above all else, at least in the realm of doing ministry, is to make disciples. Of course, there may be other things we do, but disciple-making is the central component in God’s commission to us.

Continuing the logic, if the act of making disciples is considered central when Jesus commissioned his disciples unto mission, it should be central for us as we do mission as well. Seen in this light, missional disciple-making is really the only way to make disciples. In order to understand missional disciple-making better, this is the first and most important point that one must make. As Alan Hirsch (2006, 120) puts it, “If disciple making lies at the heart of our commission, then we must organize it around mission, because mission is the catalyzing principle of discipleship. In Jesus they are inexorably linked.” In other words, making disciples in a non-missional context or with a non-missional agenda misses the point of disciple-making.

A second related point must be made that disciple-making is subjugated to mission. Disciple-making is not the ultimate purpose of Christians and the church, mission is. And both should be a form of worship from beginning to end. Just as going, baptizing, and teaching are methods of disciple-making, disciple-making itself is a method of doing mission. Moreover, it is the method given by Jesus as his last words in Matthew’s gospel, so disciple-making needs to be the priority in our thinking and doing.

Disciple-Making on the Go

Disciple-making can happen in many ways. It can happen in the classroom, where disciples are fed knowledge and depth of insight. It can also happen at a coffee shop where a disciple seeks guidance and is in turn counseled in many ways. Yet another way that disciple-making happens is in the field, doing hands-on ministry. It is this third type that best describes missional disciple-making. I would argue that it is this third type that is the most formative way of disciple-making.

When Jesus called his disciples, Scripture gave us no indication that Jesus trained them for many years before even allowing them to go out to do ministry. No, Jesus took them with him as he went from town to town, performing miracles and proclaiming the kingdom of God (cf. Mark 5:37-40). Jesus discipled them on the go, answering their questions and teaching them kingdom values while doing kingdom work. Jesus even sent out these disciples by themselves to do ministry without him (cf. Luke 9:1-9), possibly as a way to grow them more.

Disciple-making does require teaching and one-on-one time. But it must be done in the context of active ministry. Just as Jesus did disciple-making primarily on the go, I believe that disciple-making must primarily be done on the go for us too. Halter and Smay (2010, 94) says that we should be “becoming like Jesus instead of just knowing about Jesus.” It is being on the go that makes disciple-making missional and truly effective.

Soteriology - The Doctrine of Salvation

The following is a paper I wrote on soteriology for my Systematic Theology class at Moody Theological Seminary. I was limited to 8 pages so I couldn't elaborate on some points (ie. wrath of God). In fact, this is way too brief. It's also very academic in nature so might be a bit bland to some. It does make for very concise doctrine though.

In case anyone's wondering, I took out the citations; there weren't many anyway and nothing that wasn't really "common knowledge." I also didn't get to choose the headings... In any case, let me know what you think and if you find anything you disagree with. I would be happy to talk with you. Lastly, know that I'm praying for YOUR salvation.

Introduction

Soteriology is derived from the Greek word “sōtērion” (salvation), which is in turn derived from “sōtēr” (savior, preserver). Soteriology is then the study of salvation. Christianity in particular has a soteriology that is vastly different from any other religion in the world. This paper will give a brief overview of the major points of interest in Christian soteriology in order to demonstrate the uniqueness of God’s redemptive design and how one can be saved.

Substitutionary Atonement

Wayne Grudem defines atonement as “the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation.” James says that “whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it” (James 2:10), proving that “none is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10). And if perfection is the standard (Matt 5:48), Christ had to do something because left to our own, mankind has no hope of salvation (Eph 2:12). In other words, we are sinful and totally depraved.

Since “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23), someone or something has to die. This need for death was what drove the Old Testament’s sacrificial laws (Heb 9:22). And this is what drove Jesus Christ to die on the cross. If one were to enter Heaven, one had to first pay for their sin in its entirety. But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16) so that we do not have the pay the eternal punishment for our sins. Though some people may find the idea of a God demanding blood and punishment repulsive, it lies at the heart of the gospel. God could not have just forgiven our sins unless Jesus had died because a just God (2 Thess 1:6) has to punish sin. That is why it was only through His dying on the cross (as a propitiation for sin) that we can avoid the punishment we deserve and be saved (Rom 3:25).

Also important is that Christ’s identity as God Himself led to His having lived a perfect, obedient, sinless life (Heb 4:15). Without this perfection, the atonement would not be sufficient; in fact, a lamb without any blemish has always been the Biblical standard (Lev 23:12). But Christ was perfect (1 Pet 1:19), and His death then served as the only possible penal substitution because only God could appease God. God didn’t and couldn’t just arbitrarily punish someone, substitutionary atonement could only have happened through Christ, the Son of God.

Justification by Faith

If atonement is that which Christ did to earn us salvation, faith is that which we do to effectuate this atonement in our individual lives. Even though Christ died for our sins, the work does not apply to us unless we receive it by faith, as with all promises of God (Rom 4:1). Faith is then the channel through which we experience personally the effects of the saving work of Christ, giving us peace with God (Rom 5:1) as well as becoming children of God (John 1:12).

Furthermore, it is through faith alone that we are saved, without the need for any extra work whatsoever (Eph 2:8-9), nor can it be (Gal 2:16). This is the main reason Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation. This issue is the primary difference between Roman Catholicism and evangelical Christianity. This doctrine of justification by faith alone (sola fide) is an essential of the Christian faith that is affirmed by almost all evangelical schools of thought, including John Calvin, the Westminister Confession of Faith, and also Moody Bible Institute, stating clearly that Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone.

True saving faith however, is always accompanied by deeds (James 2:17) that naturally overflow out of us. Jesus Himself said that we will recognize true followers “by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). Furthermore, having a saving faith indicates having confessed Jesus as Lord (Rom 10:9), meaning that He has authority over our lives. Though some propose a free grace view of conversion that speaks contrary to this, it is not the true gospel, which says that though grace is freely dispensed through faith, this grace is not cheap and in fact costs everything (Luke 14:33).

The cost may seem great, but the reward is more than worth it. What happens during justification is that we are justified (dikaioō), declared righteous in God’s sight and does not have to bear the penalty of sin. It is not just a legal declaration though, our sin is actually taken away and replaced by the imputed righteousness of Christ (Rom 5:17). Unlike the Roman Catholic view, which holds that justification keeps happening throughout one’s life, the Christian view holds that justification happens only once in the life of a true believer (Heb 9:28a).

Limited or Unlimited Atonement

A particular point of interest lies with the extent of the atonement. The question is often phrased thus: on the cross, did Christ die for the sins of the entire human race or only for those who would be saved? This is one of the finer points in soteriology that is rarely addressed in official doctrinal statements and should not be a point of separation among Christians. Nevertheless, it is still one of the five points of Calvinism and worthy of proper discussion.

The reformed view is limited atonement (particular redemption). The primary thrust of the argument is that if Christ paid the penalty for all people in His death, there’d be nothing left to pay for in Hell. Logically, all people would be saved. All people are not saved. Therefore, Christ did not die for all people but rather only for the elect (Rom 8:33). Furthermore, Christ is known for praying for only the elect (John 17:9) and caring for just those given to Him (John 6:39). Lastly, the Bible speaks of a particular group of sheep (John 10:11), the church (Acts 20:28), and His people (Matt 1:21), all pointing to particular redemption.

Unlimited atonement (general redemption) holds that Christ came to take away the sins of the whole world (John 1:29), and not just some people. It continues in saying that since the gospel offer is universal (especially in light of God’s goodness), so must be the extent of atonement. It’s true that Jesus was a ransom for all (1 Tim 2:6), but in verses like this that speaks of the whole world, a better understanding is that it is speaking of availability or that it is to all the elect. But whatever one may believe, both sides agree that the gospel offer must be made to all people since we do not know who the elect is.

Relationship between Regeneration and Faith

If faith is the channel through which we effectuates Christ’s salvific work, then regeneration is the reason that we can have this faith. If we are indeed total depraved, that means we do not seek God (Rom 3:11). If we do not even seek God, then trusting in God becomes impossible unless God effectuates a transformation in us first. Just as calling a physically dead person will produce no response, calling a spiritual dead person will yield the same result. Regeneration is what must be done so that we can respond. It is the act of taking we who were spiritually dead (Eph 2:1) and making us spiritually alive in Christ (Eph 2:5).

We are born again into God’s kingdom not even by our own wills (John 1:13). This act of regeneration is done solely by God and is an instantaneous event. In fact, though it technically precedes faith in the logical order of things, it is more accurate to say that it happens concurrent with saving faith (Titus 3:4-5). God gives us new birth through His word (James 1:18) through the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44) as He showers us with His irresistible grace. So while Christians do have to voluntarily place saving faith in Christ, it is always inevitably done with God’s help.

Eternal Security

After placing saving faith in Christ, the person becomes a Christian and can never lose their salvation. This perseverance of the saints is a great assurance that makes the Christian gospel unique. We can have complete confidence of what we have (2 Cor 3:4), knowing that there is nothing the world can throw at us that will ever separate us from God’s love (Rom 8:38-39) and the state of grace. Furthermore, if our salvation was based on unconditional election, based on His grace and mercy instead of our merit or desire (Rom 9:15-16), then our remaining in this election is also something that is outside of our control.

Once we are in the hands of our Great Shepherd, no one can snatch us away (John 10:28). God’s calling is irrevocable (Rom 11:29), and He will carry through our salvation to completion once He starts it (Phil 1:6), being the one who both begins and perfects even our faith (Heb 12:2). His plans will always come to pass (Isa 14:24) and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for eternity (Eph 1:13), the Spirit Himself assuring us that this is true (Rom 8:16). What’s at stake here is no longer our eternal security, but God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. So if anyone claims to have stopped being a Christian, it only proves that they were never really one in the first place (1 John 2:19), showing themselves to be goats and not His sheep (Matt 25:32).

Process of Salvation: God’s Side and Our Side

Finally, note that everything mentioned thus far puts salvation in the hands of God. He is the author of salvation (Heb 5:9) and had predestined our lives according to His will (Eph 1:11). Those whom He predestined, He molded and justified, continuing to conform them to Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29). All of redemptive history, from the birth of Adam to the death of Christ, happened exactly how God envisioned, willing all things to work for His good (Rom 8:28). This includes the actions of every human being (Psalm 139:16), including their coming to faith (Prov 16:33). The entire process of salvation, both the grace and the faith, is a gift of God (Eph 2:8).

Nevertheless, from a human perspective, we must still do something. God may have ordained all things, but we are still responsible (Rom 2:6). Our responsibility is simple though: in order to receive this salvation and be a Christian, a person must simply believe (Acts 16:31). This simple act of believing is not just mental acknowledgement of the truth of Christ’s salvific work, for even demons believe that (James 2:19). It involves genuine repentance, which is a true anguish over sin and a sincere decision to turn away from it and run to Christ. It does not mean that we will never sin again or attain perfection in this life, but rather that we have started our first step in our lifelong process of wholesale sanctification (1 Thess 5:23).

With this repentant faith, one can utter any prayer that admits their sin, confesses their need for Christ for salvation, and gives their life to God, trusting Him to save them. At this point, if their heart was true, they are a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), a saint (Psalm 30:4), and a Christian who will one day experience the final phase of our redemption, the glorification of our bodies (Phil 3:21) and to be like our beautiful savior (1 John 3:2).

Conclusion

This paper has briefly overviewed the range of topics in Christian soteriology. As mentioned in the previous section, salvation is not merely an intellectual exercise nor is it just an emotional experience. It is a combination of both, leading to “knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 2:25) and to us walking in a manner worthy of our God-given calling (Eph 4:1). It is the true gospel (Gal 1:8) for which Jesus Christ died and of which we should spend our whole lives understanding more and proclaiming to the nations (Matt 28:19).

What is the Gospel?

Forget the internet, forget the audience, forget your friends, preach to yourself Tony. What is the gospel?

The gospel is the terrifying fact that God is good, so good in fact that He cannot tolerate an ounce of evil. It is the revelation that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The gospel tells you to repent, for you are disgustingly evil in the sight of a holy God. It is showing that you are a liar, adulterer, blasphemer, and murderer at heart. It is realizing the impossibility of ever being near God because of your very nature, which is one that hates Him who created you. The gospel is examining your own life and seeing how you've hurt others and how in turn you might have been hurt. It is seeing this fallen world for what it really is. The gospel is the sound of many footsteps marching into Hell.

The gospel is good news, it is the news that tells us of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the picture of people running away from God, but stopped by His loving hand. The gospel is confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead. The gospel is turning over control of your life to Him, actually letting Him guide your every word, action, and even taking every thought captive. The gospel is saying that we cannot and we are not, but He can and He is. The gospel is being covered by the righteousness of Christ, being bought by his blood and therefore becoming slaves of Him. The gospel is substitutionary atonement, propitiation of sin, justification of the sinner, sanctification of the saint, glorification to God. The gospel is life eternal. And you are not to be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

The gospel is coming to the foot of the cross every single day and never wanting to leave. It is forgetting everything else in the world, desiring nothing else except the presence of our Lord and saviour. The gospel is a love relationship with the one who will never leave you nor forsake you. It is the ultimate picture of a husband and a wife. The gospel is perfect love, driving out fear, fear of how others might look at you or feel about you. The gospel is living a different life from the people around you, so different in fact that you must live always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. The gospel is grace, the gospel is law, the gospel is peace, the gospel is war. The gospel is real, the gospel is love, the gospel is Him coming down from above. The gospel is everything that points to God.

O why do you sin? Why do you lead this defeated life? Why do you anger? Why do you seek approval from men and to fit in with your friends? Look to Him, look AT Him. Look at Jesus' face as he took on the stripes by which we are healed. Look at the torment that caused him to sweat drops of blood. Look at the man who bore the terrible and complete wrath of God. Look at the Christ who came back three days later and pronounced final victory. What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops! Preach, preach to the nations! How can you hold it in?

The gospel is not being right or treated fairly, it is being in awe of the unfairness of the great transaction. The gospel is not reading your Bible every day, it is clinging to the cross every moment. The gospel is not running from sin, it is running to Him. The gospel is not wondering whether you have done enough, it is wondering if it can ever be enough. The gospel is not easy for it costs a man his life, but it is simple for even a child can understand it. The gospel is Jesus Christ. Please, I beg of you, receive the gospel of Jesus Christ! Love Him with everything that you are, love the gospel, be reconciled to your Master! And taste the sweetness of the joy set before you. And for the first time, live. For the sake of your own soul, live! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, live! In the name of Jesus Christ, live!

Yes God, I shall.

Clinging to the Cross

I am clinging to the cross because right now, that is the only thing I know how.

I am a lazy excuse of a man, having my parents take care of so much around the house. I am an impatient teacher, letting my anger flare up in the tiniest of mistakes. I am a horrible lover, unable to guard my own heart and unwilling to let go. I am a habitual sinner, daily unworthy of God's love as I continue to do the things that bring him no glory. I am a powerless evangelist, hardly preaching the word and never preaching the word hard. I am a nobody.

Here I lie, broken, unworthy, scared, angry, sad, and finally seeing a small glimpse of what I truly am. So I will cling to the cross. I will cling to the cursed tree that brought life (Deut 21:23). I will cling to that which is foolishness to most people (1 Cor 1:18). I will cling to the fulfilment of all the law and the prophets (Matt 5:17). I will cling to the impossible love demonstrated on the cross (Rom 5:8). I will cling to Jesus Christ, the hope of glory (Col 1:27).

What does it mean to cling to the cross? It means to hold fast and embrace the cross. Embrace the sacrifice that brought us peace. It means to hold on for dear life, never letting go, not for a job, not for a family, and not for anything in this world. It means to remain close to the cross and resist anything that would distance yourself from it. Resist those things because when the storm comes- and it is coming- the cross is the only thing that will save you. We cling to something when we are desperate, when we have nothing else around us, and when we believe that without it, we will die. Cling to the cross.

That is where I am, not by choice, but because God has painfully opened my eyes. I asked him, "Why God why?" "Look at the cross" he says, "Look at the cross!" It's not about me and my tiny problems, it's about God having solved it already. It's not about trying to be more humble, it's about obeying Jesus in every action. It's not about feeling depressed and hopeless, it's realizing the full magnitude of what was accomplished up there. It's not about whether I am this or I am that, it's about the great I AM.

The gospel is not something you try to share with unbelievers. The gospel is something that you preach to yourself day in and day out. The natural overflow of that is what reaches those around you. The gospel is not cheap grace that focuses on how God has changed you or how great your relationship with him is. The gospel is that God is unchangeable and that he has always been a self-sustaining and glorious triune God. The gospel is not Jer 29:11, the gospel is Phil 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain".

Clinging to the cross isn't about how hard you can cling, it's about what the cross actually is. It's not about your petty sins. Look at the cross... It's not about your daily devotions. Look at the cross... It's not about Christian living, there's too much "me" in the bookstore, in worship music, in everything. LOOK at the cross! It is HIS life, HIS son, HIS blood, HIS wrath, HIS justice, HIS mercy, HIS grace, HIS goodness, HIS love, HIS plan, and HIS glory. Oh the beauty of our saviour, the majesty of our king!

I am everything I wrote in the first paragraph, but more than that I am a saint, so much so that the first paragraph doesn't even matter anymore. And I am part of a holy priesthood. I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). And I WILL bring glory to the one who died on that rugged cross. I will look at the cross, not myself, neither my strengths nor my weaknesses.

I am clinging to the cross because right now, that is the only thing I know how.

A Study on Hell

I can never hope to aspire to the same level of literary eloquence as the great theologians of the past. After much painstaking research, followed by awe-inspiring learnings and intellectually stimulating worship, I shall relay their thoughts on the matter.

The nature of Hell: 

"When we use the imagery of the Old Testament in an attempt to understand the forsakenness of the lost, we are not speaking of the idea of the departure of God or the absence of God in the sense that He ceases to be omnipresent. Rather, it’s a way of describing the withdrawal of God in terms of His redemptive blessing. It is the absence of the light of His countenance. It is the presence of the frown of His countenance. It is the absence of the blessedness of His unveiled glory that is a delight to the souls of those who love Him, but it is the presence of the darkness of judgment. Hell reflects the presence of God in His mode of judgment, in His exercise of wrath, and that’s what everyone would like to escape."

- R.C. Sproul (The Truth of the Cross)

The justice of Hell:

A crime is more or less heinous, according as we are under greater or less obligations to the contrary. ... The fault of disobeying another, is greater or less, as any one is under greater or less obligations to obey him. And therefore if there be any being that we are under infinite obligations to love, and honour, and obey, the contrary towards him must be infinitely faulty... Our obligation to love, honour, and obey any being, is in proportion to his loveliness, honourableness, and authority; for that is the very meaning of the words. ... But God is a being infinitely lovely, because he hath infinite excellency and beauty. ... His authority over us is infinite; and the ground of his right to our obedience is infinitely strong; for he is infinitely worthy to be obeyed himself, and we have an absolute, universal, and infinite dependence upon him. So that sin against God, being a violation of infinite obligations, must be a crime infinitely heinous, and so deserving of infinite punishment.

 - Jonathan Edwards (The Work of Jonathan Edwards)

The inhabitants of Hell:

On the other hand, hell is certainly the world of disobedience. ... Jesus said there are fire and worms in hell, but that is not the reason it is hell. You might endure worms and fire, but for a moral creature to know and realize that he is where he is because he a rebel - that is the essence of hell and judgment. It is the eternal world of all the disobedient rebels who have said, "I owe God nothing!" ... We have no basis to believe that we can come casually and sprightly to the Lord Jesus and say, "I have come for some help, Lord Jesus. I understand that you are the Savior so I am going to believe and be saved and then I am going to turn away and think about the other matters of lordship and allegiance and obedience at some time in the future." ... We have owed Him obedience ever since the second we cried out to Him for salvation, and if we do not give Him that obedience, I have reason to wonder if we are really converted!

- A.W. Tozer (I Call it Heresy!)

Our reaction to Hell:

Etiquette nowadays often demands of a Christian that he should not 'intrude' his religion on company. Out with such etiquette! It is the etiquette of hell! True courtesy to my fellow's soul makes me speak to him, if I believe that his soul is in danger. How many, my dear friend, were you ever the means of bringing to Jesus? You believe that they must eternally perish unless they have faith in Christ. How many have you prayed for? How many did you ever break your heart about? You believe that they must love Christ or be damned. How many have you ever talked to concerning him who is the only Savior? Are you satisfied to remain silent? Are you content to let those around you sink to hell? What! Never tell of Christ's love? What! Never tell of salvation? Can this be right? In God's name wake up! Oh my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.

- Charles Spurgeon (Various sermons put together)

No one expects to go to Hell, no one.