Truth - What do we engage them with?
The Gospel
Author: Tim Birdwell, Student/DTS
To truly be missional people who are actively engaging others with the gospel, we should probably know what the gospel is. Here is a brief synopsis...
In its simplest form, the gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). But... to really grasp the gravity and weight of this truth, we have to look at the big picture...
1) God is completely holy and loving and He created man to relate to him in a holy and loving relationship (Gen. 1-2, Isaiah 47:4, 1 Samuel 2:2). God is intrinsically holy and loving in nature much like the sun is intrinsically hot. The sun gives off heat because it is made up of a ball of fire. God is holy and loving because His character is only made up of pure and good qualities that set Him apart from everyone and everything else. This means that He has no impurities within Him and cannot commit or tolerate any wrong-doing or impure act. Therefore, He loves perfectly, demonstrates grace and mercy perfectly because He is holy and loving by nature. He calls us to interact with Him in this type of holy and loving relationship (Lev. 11:44, Eph. 1:4, 1 Peter 1:15).
The Flesh And The Spirit
Author: Tim Birdwell, Student/DTS
"Flesh" and "Spirit" are two terms that we use frequently in Christian circles without truly understanding their meaning. Understanding these two terms is crucial to our relationship with Jesus and our ability to explain the person and work of Jesus to others. It is my hope to provide clear and concise definitions of these terms and related terms to increase our understanding of them for the Glory of the Father. The ethical concept of the flesh describes the selfish desires and actions of a believer or non-believer that lead to deceit, lust, pride, and other sinful behavior not congruent with God's standard of holiness.
Walking by the spirit describes a believer in Christ who is daily yielding to God's will, while completely forsaking one's own will. The filling of the holy spirit is a process by which man is daily trusting Jesus and obeying His word, allowing the person of the Holy Spirit to have more and more control and influence on all areas of one's life. The leading of the spirit describes a believer who is actively seeking God's will and being sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit in specific life situations or circumstances. Grieving the spirit involves a believer in Christ who is stuck in a cycle of sin or is displaying sinful behavior, and therefore preventing the spirit from having its intended influence on the believer's daily life. Legalism describes a believer in Christ who is seeking to gain God's approval and achieve holiness based on one's own merit and effort.