union with Christ

Faithfulness or Fruitfulness?

GlenApril 2, 2015April 2, 2015Leave a comment

It's a question commonly posed among Christian ministers: Am I called more to faithfulness or fruitfulness?

When you realise that there can be great "ministry successes" based on "secret and shameful ways", you start to prize faithfulness all the more.

When you see dry-as-dust ministers making no impact but claiming a justification in their plodding "faithfulness", you might start to prize fruitfulness.

Which is it?

Three initial thoughts:

1. If the purpose of the discussion is to make ministers feel better or worse about themselves, it's almost certainly the wrong discussion. If it becomes about managing our own egos in ministry then we're already on the wrong footing. Too often we take sides on this one because we want to insulate ourselves from critique (if we're 'faithful' but fruitless) or to congratulate ourselves (if we're 'fruitful' but faithless).

2. The benefit of the "faithfulness" side is that it prioritises what God is doing in us before it considers what God is doing through us. This is good. God does not treat His children as means to an end, but as ends in themselves. The faithfulness crowd focus - or at least should focus - us on what God is up to in their own walk with Jesus before they ever consider "bums on pews."

3. The benefit of the "fruitfulness" side is that no-one can be fruitful without abiding in the Vine. It's possible to be a stone-hearted servant lacking any kind of vibrant relationship with Jesus. "Faithfulness" can become a cloak for "doing your duty" and all the sins of the prodigal's elder brother come into play. The fruitfulness crowd focus - or at least should focus - on an expectant and lively communion with Jesus that just does bear fruit. It's not the busyness of the builder, laying brick upon brick. It's the organic growth of the branch that will be fruitful in connection with the Vine,

So it seems like both sides have good points to make: faithfulness makes me think of God's work in me before all else. Fruitfulness makes me think of my position in Christ before all else. But in practice I find that both positions can unwittingly distract us from our true focus. The faithfulness minister can be too keen to protect their own ego when proper critique and hard questions may be in order. The fruitfulness minister can end up viewing "abiding in Christ" as a means to their real end - ministry "success".

But if John 15 is properly in view then the faithfulness minister is directed to the true nature of faithfulness - not bricklaying obedience, but intimate communion. They are also challenged on the issue of fruitlessness - not, notice, "numbers." But still, we should be asking about fruit. Galatians 5 fruit is a good place to start: love, joy, peace, etc... Jesus does not merely say "Plod along, the outcome is immaterial." He said "If you make your home in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (v5)

Does this fruit go beyond character formation? Well Jesus did say that the fruit itself will abide (John 15:16). It is people who abide in Christ - not simply your Christian character. Therefore it is appropriate to ask "Are others growing in the Vine through my ministry?" No? Then something's up. And Jesus tells you - abide in Him (v4), let His word abide in you (v7), pray (v16), love (v17) and you will bear fruit: promise. True faithfulness does result in fruitfulness.

And for the fruitfulness crowd - remember: the fruit is not the point. The Vine is. It's easy to get convicted about our lack of fruit in ministry and to make that the reason we return to the Lord. Well praise God that something reminds us to commune with Christ. But desire for results isn't the best motivation is it? Let's never seek fruit for the sake of fruitfulness. That would be like using your spouse simply to have children. The truly faithful do not seek first fruit - they seek first the Lord. In Him - and only there - they are fruitful and multiply.

Intimacy with God – on Union Theology

GlenJune 18, 2014June 18, 2014Leave a comment

Do you know about Union Theology? It's a very exciting development offering theological resources and, soon, theological education too. Here's Mike Reeves explaining the rationale.

On their new website there are some wonderful resources, have a look around. I've also sneaked on with a paper about intimacy with God. Here are the headings and questions for consideration to give you a feel for the paper:

The God of Intimacy:

Do you see God as enjoyable; as worth knowing?

Does it help to know God as a Father pouring infinite Spiritual blessings onto his Son?

The Way of Intimacy

Is intimacy something you’re trying to achieve or receive?

How would your pursuit of intimacy change to know it’s a gift that is yours in Christ?

The Basis of Intimacy

Meditate on the various portraits of one-ness listed above – which speak to you most strongly?

Is it possible you’ve ever sought “intimacy” instead of Christ? What’s the difference?

The Purchase of Intimacy

Is Christ’s blood atonement at the heart of your idea of divine intimacy?

How is your approach to God changed, knowing that it comes through the death of Jesus?

The Shape of Intimacy

Have you known “fellowship in suffering”?

What might the God of intimacy be up to in the midst of your current sins, suffering and service?

The High Priest of our Intimacy

If you knew Christ was praying for you in the next room, how would it change your experience of intimacy?

What difference does it make to know that, in heaven, Jesus prays for you now?

The Experience of Intimacy

What place does church have in your relationship with God?

How can you enjoy God and serve others in your local church family?

The Promise of Intimacy

What place does Christ's return have in your pursuit of intimacy?

How can you cultivate more of that future hope?

READ

A little gem of a book: One Forever by Rory Shiner 2

glenscrivJune 19, 20132 Comments

Union with Christ is "everywhere in Paul's letters but almost nowhere in our churches." Rory Shiner wants to fix that and "One Forever" is a terrific tool for the job.

In 77 - count em - 77 pages of crystal clear, garden fresh prose Shiner takes us from creation to new creation, demonstrating the centrality of union with Christ.

The material began life as a series of talks to students (see here **) and that origin shows in its relaxed tone and lively humour. He manages to quote from (among others) Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Karl Barth and John Owen while maintaining a light touch and a simplicity of delivery.

The chapters are as follows:

1. Glory be to God for dappled things: creation
2. Into the far country: incarnation
3. In Christ you are a new creation: salvation
4. Before the throne of God above: justification
5. In which we face some playground bullies: union and sin
6. United to the body of Christ: church
7. Union with Christ, resurrection and the end of the world

Time and again Shiner returns to an illustration I'll be nicking forthwith - the airplane. See here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7AKATss18s]

At various points the plane illustration helps him explain salvation, assurance and justification in such helpful ways.

Think about salvation... when you're in - what happens to the plane, happens to you.
Think about assurance... if you're in the plane it doesn't matter how full of confidence or doubts you are, you're gonna get home.
Think about justification... we're not interested in some legal fiction of imputed 'air miles' - if you're "in" you've actually arrived!

The book is rich and warm and my only criticism is it's over far too quickly. Please can we have more of such books that grapple with the core of our faith in fresh and engaging ways!

10ofthose are doing a special deal on One Forever until Sunday night (thanks Jonathan!). Get it NOW for the special price of £4.49: CLICK HERE.

** I know what every cricket fan will say... yes he does bear a striking resemblance to Ricky Ponting. But try to get over that, ok? Let's be grownups please.

Intimacy with God – part 3 6

glenscrivMay 15, 20136 Comments

Continued from here.

Christ’s Work

“But now in Christ, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

As we speak about intimacy with God we must never forget the way into divine fellowship. Ever since humanity rejected the LORD Christ and trusted Satan instead, the way back to fellowship has been blocked by fiery judgement (Genesis 3:24). This fallen flesh and blood cannot participate in the life of God (1 Cor 15:50). Only 'the Man out of the Heavens' could ever belong in the inner circle of God’s life (1 Cor 15:15:47-49).

Yet, with infinite grace and condescension, this Man came out of the heavens. He took the very flesh and blood of our humanity and He redeemed it. Where we had failed, He succeeded, where we had sinned, He obeyed, where we had fled, He stood tall, where we had hated, He loved, where we had erred, He taught, where we were enslaved, He set free, where we were ashamed, He gave dignity, where we grasped at glory, He gave freely, where we clung to life, He poured it out.

On the cross, God’s Man took on Himself all the sin, guilt and shame of this fallen humanity. He endured the divine fury at sin, passing through that fiery judgement which bars the way into God. And now, in His glorious resurrection body, Christ, the True Man, sits at the Father’s right hand. He is beyond death and judgement. Our Brother is now in the inner circle of the life of God. We, in ourselves, would be swept away by God’s righteous anger at sin. Yet Christ is the Way to the Father and in Him, Who "quenched the wrath of hostile heaven", we have obtained access.

Why do I recount these gospel truths? A) Because they are glorious! B) Because sometimes people (and I'm sure I'm guilty of this too), manage to speak of "union with Christ" as a warm 'n' fuzzy truth. Often the Fatherhood of God, adoption into His family, one-ness with Jesus can be articulated without the blood and fire of the Bible's presentation. But we desperately need the grit and grime - the sweat and tears - of Christ's atonement if we're going to experience true intimacy with God. A toothless, bloodless message about a heavenly Father-figure doesn't connect with people who live in the midst of suffering and sin. It can't connect, because the only real point of connection is a Bleeding Sacrifice choking to death on a cross. But He's who we really need if we want intimacy with God. Because He actually meets us in the godforsakeness of life as we know it.

If all our talk of intimacy with God is not dripping in the blood of Christ we're just holding out "a nice idea" to people who are burdened by shame and guilt and who will never connect with our words of "divine participation" - no matter how warm or inviting we sound. More than this, if our talk of divine intimacy is not utterly cross-shaped then people will play off "taking up our cross" against enjoying life in God. Which would be absurd - yet it happens all the time! But no, triune glory is cruciform glory. Therefore participating in God means participating in the cross. The way to God is through Christ and Him crucified.

Christ's Priesthood

Our Great High Priest, Jesus, does not simply bring God's life down to us. He also offers our life up to God. He is not just God-for-us, He is also Man-for-God. Thus, from Christ’s representative humanity (for us) there is a presentation to the Father. This is Christ’s Priestly work – again a work done for us.

By the Spirit, Christ has made the perfect offering to the Father:

‘Christ, through the eternal Spirit… offered Himself unblemished to God.’ (Hebrews 9:14)

Christ’s worship constitutes the fullness of all acceptable worship to God. Without participation in His perfect obedience, His perfect sacrifice and His perfect Priesthood, there is no worship worthy of the name. To offer true sacrifice to the Father we must be in Christ. Only then do we have a share in acceptable worship. Yet, in Him, we are pure, spotless and holy – as acceptable as Christ Himself (Colossians 1:22).

What place does our worship have?

If Christ is our Great High Priest, where does my worship fit in?

Worship is the gracious invitation which the LORD makes to us to share in His own worshipping life. Just as Christ is the Righteous One (for us) and yet invites us to share in His holy life, just as Christ is the Great Sufferer (for us) and yet allows us to share in His sufferings, so we, His people are to share in His worship.

Hebrews 8:2 calls Christ our Leitourgos – ‘the leader of our worship’. Calvin, following Psalm 22:22, called Christ ‘the great choirmaster’, tuning our hearts to sing the Father’s praises. Worship is the participation in Christ’s perfect worship. As James Torrance says,

“Whatever else our worship is, it is our liturgical amen to the worship of Christ.”

Every act of worship or devotion that we perform is grounded in and surrounded by Christ’s prior and perfect offering. Thus we do not worship as those attempting to gain intimacy with God, but as those who have been gifted it. And the ‘direction’ of the activity is the gracious movement of God coming to us in Christ. Any ‘upward’ movement is that done by Christ and we participate by faith. Thus, the focus of all worship must be on the LORD Jesus. In other words:

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no-one comes to the Father except by me. (John 14:6)

Next post...

Intimacy with God – part 2 4

glenscrivMay 14, 20134 Comments

Continued from here.

Participating in the Divine Nature

The God who is an eternal communion is a God who wills to share. He does this through creation and maintains His offer in redemption.

The Father, by the Spirit, has created a love-gift through and for the Son – the creation (Col 1:16). His desire is that the Son be the firstborn among many brothers (Rom 8:29). The Father wants many brought into the life of God through the Son and by the Spirit (Gal 4:4-7). This is the goal of all His creating and redeeming purposes.

As Christ says Himself:

‘Father, I want those You have given me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because You loved Me before the creation of the world… I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me will be in them, and that I myself may be in them.’ (John 17:24-26)

The glory of our Triune God expresses itself in His will to share His divine life with us. The love of the Father for the Son – that which defines both God and the creation – cascades over to His people when they are united, by His Spirit, to the Son.

By our union with Christ (discussed below), we are thus adopted as sons and daughters in the same Family. In this way, we do not simply share in a favoured status external to the LORD, we share in the Father-Son relationship which is constitutive of the divine life itself. To know and appropriate the love of God is to participate in that which forms the very being of God.

2 Corinthians 1 tells us that God bellows an exultant YES towards His Son (v19). The incarnate Son answers with a mighty AMEN on our behalf (v20). By the Spirit we are sealed into Jesus and find ourselves responding to God with Christ's own AMEN (v21-22). In the Bible, we do not simply admire the LORD from afar, we participate in His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

The way in to this divine participation is the Son. As John Owen says in his classic book "Communion with God":

‘Scripture shows us that we hold communion with the Lord Jesus in grace by a marriage relationship… This spiritual relationship is accompanied with mutual love, and so in this fellowship with Christ we experience and enjoy all the excellent things which are in Him.’

Christ is the Bridegroom, we (the Church) are His Bride. In this union we enjoy all His benefits as though they were ours by right. Not least of these is His status as the Father’s beloved Son. Therefore Christ can say to His Father, ‘the love You have for Me will be in them.’ In this way we are caught up into God.

The bible speaks of our union with Christ at different levels. In one sense, we share in Jesus’ benefits as co-beneficiaries:

As Christ is the Son, we can be called sons (Galatians 4:4-7)

While Christ is Heir, we are co-heirs (Romans 8:17)

While Christ is the Living Stone, we are living stones (1 Peter 2:4-5)

In this way we are graciously allowed to come alongside Jesus, to be treated to His blessings on the same level.

Yet, at times, Scripture tells of a higher level of identification. Often we are said (in the plural) to be exactly what Jesus is in the singular:

While Christ is the Seed, we are the seed (Galatians 3:16 <=>3:29)

While Christ is the Light of the world, we are the light of the world (John 8:12 <=> Matthew 5:14)

While He is the Vine, we are the branches (John 15:5)

Note that, with this last example, it is not that Christ is the root structure and we are the branches. Rather we form part of the Vine Himself! The Vine is One, we are others, but in this organic relationship that He creates and sustains, we become part of Him.

This leads naturally to a third category by which the bible speaks of our union. That is, in the sense of a symbiotic relationship.

Thus, Christ is the Head, we are the Body (Colossians 1:18)

Christ is the Groom, we are the Bride (Isaiah 54:5; Ezekiel 16; Ephesians 5:21-33; Revelation 19:6-9)

When the bible speaks in these kinds of terms, we are on hallowed ground indeed. Christ unites His Church to Himself that our union might redound to His greater glory. As He says in John 17:10, He is glorified in us.

This is not to say that we sinners complete Christ in the sense of contributing our worth to the equation. In ourselves we could only bring shame to Jesus. Yet Christ redeems and cleanses a Bride and then (Eph 5:26) presents her to Himself. In this way Christ becomes more truly who He is because of His union with us. After all, must not the Head have a Body? Should not the Vine have branches? Ought not the Bridegroom to have a Bride? If He did not have a Bride, would He not have to give up the glory of being Bridegroom? Therefore Christ is very committed to His covenant partner – His own Person and glory is bound up in the fate of His Church.

Christ takes His own marriage advice and loves Himself by loving His Bride (Eph 5:28). Thus when the infinite powers of the Father have been committed to the Son, He employs them solely ‘for the church’. (Eph 1:22). All divine power in heaven and earth is employed for the good of Christ’s Bride. Thus the Church has its immeasurable status both conferred by divine right but also under-girded by divine commitment even to death. No wonder Paul can ask ‘Who will separate us from the love of Christ?’ This is more than impossible.

Our union with Christ could not be closer. The Apostle Paul can speak of our history and identity as entirely bound up in Jesus: ‘When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with Him in glory.’ (Col 3:1-4) The believer is in fact seated with Christ in the heavenly realms and has not actually appeared yet. We are hidden with Christ in God.

In this way, we are more united to Christ than we are to ourselves. Certainly His identity and not our own determines our standing in God’s eyes both now and in eternity.

Next post...

Daniel Rowlands on the Love of Christ for His Church

glenscrivDecember 31, 2012Leave a comment

Language slightly updated...

“Christ took our nature upon him that he might sympathise with us. Almost every creature is sympathetic to its own kind, however ferocious to others. The bear will not be deprived of its cubs without resistance: she will tear the aggressor to pieces if she can. But how great the jealousy of the Lord Jesus for his people! He will not lose any of them. He has taken them as members of himself, and as such watches over them with fondest care. How much will a man do for one of the members of his body (like a hand or an eye) before he suffers it to be cut off? Think not O man, that you would do more for your members than the Son of God. To think so would be blasphemy, for the pre-eminence in all things belongs to him.

Yes, he is acquainted with all your temptations, because he was in all things tempted as you are. Are you tempted to deny God? So was he. Are you tempted to kill yourself? So was he. Are you tempted by the vanities of the world? So was he. Are you tempted to idolatry? So was he; yes even to worship the devil. He was tempted from the manger to the cross. He was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. The head in heaven is sympathizing with the feet that are pinched and pressed on earth, and says , ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’"

A Great New Song on Union with Christ 2

glenscrivOctober 29, 20122 Comments

Where are all the union with Christ songs? Well Dominic White's done us all a big favour with "All the Promises of God."

Sweet as a nut, insanely catchy with a beautiful simplicity to the words:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkt16pTblJw]

We are chosen in the Chosen One
Blessed in the Blessed One
We are loved in the Loved One
And adopted in God's only Son

CHORUS
For all of the promises of God
Find their "yes" in Him. (repeat)

We're made holy in the Holy One
We're made righteous in the Righteous One
We are strong in the Mighty One
And anointed in the Anointed One

CHORUS

BRIDGE
The Spirit unites us to Jesus Christ
In whom we have eternal life (repeat)

We have died in the Pierced One
We are raised in the Living One
We're set free in the Free One
And we'll reign in the Reigning One

CHORUS

The importance of Union with Christ in evangelism 12

glenscrivAugust 29, 2012October 9, 201312 Comments

I've been thinking about blind-spots in typical evangelistic presentations.

First I considered the dangers of overlooking Trinity in evangelism. Then I discussed the evangelistic importance of original sin (the doctrine, not the term).

Finally, let's explore "union with Christ" (again, the doctrine, not necessarily the phrase). Here's why it's crucial for union with Christ to be a major category of thinking as we evangelise...

We offer a Person not a Package

The Gospel is God's offer of Christ. Whatever blessings God might have for the world, they are all to be had "in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3ff). Fundamentally God's gift is not a thing but a Him. And what He desires from us is not stuff (we have no stuff worth offering anyway). For some strange reason, God wants us.

So the point of the gospel is not a transaction. It's not like getting a mobile phone contract... you know the deal... God offers a decent package, some nice extras and an easy payment plan. We reach into our pocket and dredge up what's required.... no it's not that.

Yet so often I hear the gospel offered in terms of its fringe benefits - eternal fire-insurance, freedom from guilt feelings, a sense of Purpose in life... all for the low, low price of "repentance and faith."

In such presentations God's love is portrayed in contractual not covenant terms. Which means God's love is not really portrayed.

We can avoid licence and legalism

People are always saying “If you offer salvation freely it’s too dangerous, because people will just take salvation and then go off and sin all the time!” I want to say, Wait, which salvation are you talking about?

So often people think of salvation a little bit like those old films set in the middle ages. Imagine some Lord snootily throwing his bag of silver to a servant girl as payment for a job. The servant grabs the money and runs off out of the palace to enjoy life with the silver – and without the Lord.

Now if that’s what salvation is, then of course its free offer will mean licence. They'll take the heavenly blessings and run away from Jesus to enjoy themselves.

But what's the response? Well the legalist feels they must rein in their gospel offers. They refuse to offer a "blank cheque" willy nilly. No, no, they only offer salvation to those who really, really are committed to turning their lives around and submitting everything to God. And probably they should mean it too. Like, really mean it.

You can understand this approach. It doesn't sound very much like Jesus' whole approach to gospelling, but you can understand it. If you think that the gospel offer is stuff, then putting a price on it seems the natural thing to do. But salvation is not a stuff!

Salvation is far more like the Lord who loves his miserable servant and marries her. He gives her himself. And now they are one forever. That is a very free salvation isn’t it? It’s a much more gracious salvation than the licentious have dreamt of! Immeasurably more is offered in this salvation. And it’s offered completely freely. The girl isn’t expected to pay a penny for the privilege. But she’s not given some blessings which she can go and enjoy elsewhere. She is given the Lord himself.

Does such an offer make the hearer more likely to sin? Rubbish. It’s the only power to save someone from sin. Give them Jesus. And offer Him freely, because that’s the only kind of salvation He offers.

When we do, we'll avoid both legalism and licence. Because the offer is not a package but a person. Therefore the response is, unmistakably, the receiving of a Lord and Saviour.

"Repentance and faith" are considered properly

As believers in "faith alone", do we have a place for "repentance"?

Is it some kind of pre-requisite for faith? Or is it an obedience that we add to faith?? Do we call non-Christians to jump two hurdles, one called "repentance" and another called "faith"? That would be an odd position to adopt if we're "faith alone" people.

We've already said that "repentance and faith" are not our payment for gospel stuff. Well then, what is "repentance and faith."

Well think of union with Christ. He offers Himself to us like a Bridegroom to a bride. He says "Be one with me." If anyone receives Him, what have they done? They've repented and believed. Because they've received the LORD Jesus Christ as their Head in bonds of self-abandoning love. There simply could not be a more all-embracing "repentance".

If the preacher makes clear that salvation is belonging to Jesus (and He to us), then many errors are avoided. Our hearers won't be tempted to offer their repentance to Jesus as payment for salvation. Nor should they despair that "they don't have it in them to repent." They don't have it in them to repent. New life does not lie in their resolve. It's in Jesus. And He's offered to them, even in all their helplessness. Yet clearly, to receive Jesus is to receive a new life.

We do not offer repentance to God as a condition of our salvation. We are summoned to repentance in the gospel because this is the very nature of life "in Christ".

We have a gospel that applies to Christians as well as non-Christians

Think of the “Get out of hell free” gospel. Imagine that you've been evangelised by this and coughed up the requisite response (walking down an aisle and resolving to believe in substitutionary atonement, or whatever). That gospel is not particularly helpful to me day to day, is it? At one point, it helped me to get off the judgement hook, but now, I’m basically left to myself until heaven. Which means "the gospel" and day-to-day living have no real relationship.

I need the gospel to get saved, but I need wisdom and hard work to get by, day to day.

Maybe a little "gospel-law" preacher will come and remind me not to take the mick and to try and be godly. But their exhortations don't really arise from the gospel, do they?

Once I've trusted such a gospel, it has served its purpose. It's not for me any more. It's for unbelievers.

But if "union with Christ" is in view, that's like saying "the wedding ceremony" was everything, I don't need marriage day-to-day. Bonkers.

The real gospel is Christ graciously given to me in the nitty gritty of my life, for better and for worse. Which means it bears on everything.

Which is good because the world rarely asks the question “What must I do to be saved?” But our friends and family are constantly asking “How do I raise my kids? How do I handle my anger? What do I do about these panic attacks? How could I possibly forgive that person? Why is marriage so difficult? What’s the way forward in this family breakdown? How do I handle this bullying boss? How can I cope when my dreams are shattered? Why does food enslave me? How can I be free of these addiction? What’s wrong with me?”

The world is asking all of these questions all of the time. These are the problems of a world that’s condemned already (see previous post). This is part of the hell on earth that Jesus spoke about. But Jesus also has a salvation for here and now. The gospel also brings light and freedom into these pastoral situations.

Which means we can gospel people through pastoral problems and we can bring pastoral healing through the gospel. The more we grasp this, the more effective we’ll be in gospelling. Which brings us finally to...

Ordinary Christians might just realise that they too can evangelise.

If the gospel is a package deal, then it needs sales people. And, to be honest, the package that most evangelistic presentations offer is so unappealing it really would take a special class of Christian communicator to make it attractive. You’ve got to have a very good patter in order to sell a package of heavenly blessings. (Especially if that package is basically: Bow to the Big Guy or burn forever).

But what if, what if, what if.... we offer a Person. Jesus.

This is what’s helped me most in my own evangelism: realising I’m not selling some gospel benefits, I’m offering a Person. Jesus sells Himself. I don’t need a hundred illustrations and some cracking mother-in-law gags and the gift of the gab. I just have to talk about Jesus and let His magnetism do the job.

We’re offering a Person, not a mechanism of salvation. We’re saying – “This is Jesus, let me paint Him in biblical colours for you, let me tell you that I love Him and why, let me tell you what He has done for me, let me tell you my favourite things about Him. This is Jesus – do you want Him? He’s yours, have Him. Receive Him, He’s offered Himself to you, take Him now.’ That’s evangelism. In a deep sense, that all of what evangelism is. Just. Talk. About. Jesus.

And if the words don't come then guess what, it's not because "you're not a professional evangelist". Words often fail me too. You know why? Cos I'm weak. Cos nothing good lives in my flesh. Cos I'm a sinner. And if I haven't been receiving from Jesus, the Fountain of Living Waters, then of course the words will dry up. Because I'm dry.

So then, return to the Source. Get filled. Receive again from Jesus, our Heavenly Husband, who loves us in spite of ourselves. And then the words will come. Feebly and falteringly. But genuinely. Because from the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. (Matthew 12:34).

And as everyday people lift Him up in everyday circumstances, He will draw all people to Himself. But it begins by realising this: the gospel's not a package, He's a Person.

Those are some reasons why "union with Christ" is a vital component of our gospel explanations...

So there you have it. Three blind-spots in modern evangelism: the trinity, original sin and union with Christ. If only we had a gospel explanation that gave them proper attention... perhaps one that was easy to memorise and share with friends... And maybe there could be a snazzy video presentation. And a website with further explanations. Maybe some tracts. Heck, why not a book? A cheap and cheery paperback - a give-away for friends. One that laid it all out simply... that'd be nice.

i f o n l y . . . i f o n l y . . .

#StayTuned