Redemption is participator, not imitative. It is grounded on grace appropriated through faith, not merely on obedience. Spiritual life flows out of union with Christ, mere imitation of Christ. When the full dimensions of God’s gracious provision in Christ are not clearly articulated in the church, faith cannot apprehend them and the life of the church will suffer distortion and attenuation.
Essential Elements of Renewal
I. Precondition of Renewal: Preparation for the Gospel
a. Awareness of the holiness of God (justice and love)
b. Awareness of the depth of sin (in one’s own life and in one’s community)
II. Primary Elements of renewal: Presentation of the Gospel
a. Justification: you are accepted in Christ
b. Sanctification: you are free from the bondage of sin in Christ
c. The indwelling Spirit: you are not alone in Christ
d. Authority in spiritual conflict: you have authority in Christ
III. Secondary elements of Renewal: Outworking of the Gospel in the Churches Life
a. Mission: following Christ into the world, presenting the gospel in proclamation & social demonstration
b. Prayer: expressing dependence on the power of the Spirit, individually & corporately
c. Community: being in union with the body, in micro communities and macro communities
d. Disenculturation: being freed from cultural blinds-destructive and protective
e. Theological Integration: having the mind of Christ towards revealed truth and towards one’s culture
The book of Acts shows us that the Christian movement cannot go on to achieve its full maturity unless its mind is fully articulate by theologians like Paul (Acts 9-28) and its cultural limitations transcended by a clear separation of the absolute Christian message from its relative cultural incarnations (Acts 10-15).
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