CONVERSION ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN

BIBLICAL TEXTS I JOHN 3:16-17—“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, SO THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY NOT PERISH BUT MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. INDEED GOD DID NOT SEND THE SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT IN ORDER THAT THE WORLD MIGHT BE SAVED THROUGH HIM. (NRSV; A COMMON UNDERSTANDING IN JOINT DECLARATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION).

GOOD WORKS, SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION WE CAN NOT WORK OUR WAY TO SALVATION WE ARE SAVED THROUGH FAITH BY GRACE. FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. WORKS WITHOUT FAITH AND GRACE, A GIFT OF DIVINE GRACE IS DEAD.

UNDERSTANDING CONVERSION THE TASK OF UNDERSTANDING CONVERSIONIS TO STUDY HOW WE MOVE FROM THE PROBLEM OF SIN TO THE GOODNESS OF GOD’S SAVING WORK IN HUMAN BEINGS IN EVERY ASPECT. HUMAN BEINGS ARE EMBODIED SPIRITS WITH SOULS (HUMAN MINDS AND INTELLECT). AS JARENA LEE PUT IT: “ISN’T JESUS A WHOLE SAVIOR WHO CAME TO SAVE MEN AND WOMEN?” CHRIST JESUS IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD CONVERTS HUMAN BEINGS IN OUR PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL AND MENTAL WELL-BEING, MALE AND FEMALE FROM THE PROBLEM OF SIN. SIN IS ALWAYS SOCIAL, BECAUSE SIN IS THE NEGATION OF LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR, INCLUDING HEAVEN AND EARTH WHO ARE PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD. CHRIST JESUS SAVES HUMAN BEINGS IN AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT INCLUDES SANCTIFICATION, PERFECTING SOCIAL LOVE, BY GRACE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT. FAITH IS ALSO INVOLVED AND FAITH IS A GIFT FROM GOD IN THE HEARTS OF BELIEVERS

JOINT DECLARATION OF FAITH THE PROBLEM: SIN THE SOLUTION: GOD’S RESPONSE TOWARD HUMANKIND AND CREATION JUSTIFICATION: FORGIVENESS OF SINS, WHICH IS DIVINE PARDON, AN ACT OF MERCY AND GRACE SANCTIFICATION: ONGOING GROWTH IN HOLINESS THROUGH GOD’S GRACE, WHICH IS ALWAYS SOCIAL IN LOVING GOD AND NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES CONVERSION IS THE GRACIOUS WORK OF GOD: SALVATION (HEALING AND WHOLENESS) COMES THROUGH CHRIST’S “ATONEMENT OR “AT-ONE-MENT”OR “AT-ONE-MENT” WITH GOD AND CREATION. (ROM 3:25); CHRIST DOES THIS WORK WITH GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.

ATONEMENT (AT-ONE-MENT) BIRTHMINISTRYCRUCIFIXION

THE SON OF GOD REVEALS THE FULLNESS OF GOD TO THE WORLD?

FOR PAUL CHRIST IS WITH GOD AT CREATION “HE IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OF ALL CREATION; FOR IN HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH….HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS, AND IN HIM ALL THINGS HOLD TOGETHER” (COL. 1:15-17) “THE CHRIST, IN FACT, IS THE PERSONIFIED DIVINE WISDOM, THE LIVING EXPRESSION OF ALL THAT GOD IS AND ALL THAT GOD WILLS…IT IS THIS WISDOM WHO IS WITH PEOPLE IN JESUS.” (RICHARD A. NORRIS, “INTRODUCTION,” THE CHRISTOLOGICAL CONTROVERSY, P. 4.

FOR PAUL CHRIST EMBODIES THE WISDOM OF GOD (PROVERBS 8:12; 17; 22-31,NIV) 12“I, WISDOM, DWELL TOGETHER WITH PRUDENCE; I POSSESS KNOWLEDGE AND DISCRETION…17I LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE ME, AND THOSE WHO SEEK ME FIND ME.12…17 22“THE LORD BROUGHT ME FORTH AS THE FIRST OF HIS WORKS, C BEFORE HIS DEEDS OF OLD; 23I WAS FORMED LONG AGES AGO,AT THE VERY BEGINNING, WHEN THE WORLD CAME TO BE.24WHEN THERE WERE NO WATERY DEPTHS, I WAS GIVEN BIRTH,WHEN THERE WERE NO SPRINGS OVERFLOWING WITH WATER; 25BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE SETTLED IN PLACE,BEFORE THE HILLS, I WAS GIVEN BIRTH, 26BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD OR ITS FIELDSOR ANY OF THE DUST OF THE EARTH. C I WAS THERE WHEN HE SET THE HEAVENS IN PLACE, WHEN HE MARKED OUT THE HORIZON ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP, 28WHEN HE ESTABLISHED THE CLOUDS ABOVE AND FIXED SECURELY THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP, 29WHEN HE GAVE THE SEA ITS BOUNDARY SO THE WATERS WOULD NOT OVERSTEP HIS COMMAND, AND WHEN HE MARKED OUT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH THEN I WAS CONSTANTLY E AT HIS SIDE. I WAS FILLED WITH DELIGHT DAY AFTER DAY, REJOICING ALWAYS IN HIS PRESENCE, 31REJOICING IN HIS WHOLE WORLD AND DELIGHTING IN MANKIND.30 E31

JESUS WHO IS DUST AND SPIRIT LOVES ALL CREATION, CALLING US TO LOVE GOD AND CREATION

THE CHURCH AND SALVATION THE CHURCH AND SALVATION THE CHURCH DOES NOT EXIST WITHOUT SALVATION. THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHO ARE IN THE WAY OF SALVATION. CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING. CHURCH IS THE FAMILY OF GOD. CHURCH IS US IN PRAYERFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND CREATION. GOD’S INITIAL AIM CALLS US INTO A DYNAMIC ONGOING PROCESS OF BECOMING CHURCH. THE ONGOING PROCESS OF BECOMING CHURCH IS SOCIAL. IT IS EVIDENT IN FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH WORKS OF MERCY BY GRACE.

CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS: METAPHOR AND MISSION CHURCH EXISTS WELL BEYOND CHURCH BUILDING WALLS AND ITS MOST IMPORTANT PRESENCE AND GRACE-FILLED WORK IS VISIBLE IN THE WORLD. WHERE CHURCH IS NOT VISIBLE IN THE WORLD THE CHURCH IS DEAD.

REALIZING THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN: GOD’S EMPIRE SALVATION IS MORE THAN AN INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE THAT GETS US INTO HEAVEN. SALVATION IS AN EMBODIED, CREATURELY AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. CHRIST INVITES US TO OPEN OUR HEARTS TO GOD’S LOVE FOR US AND ALL OF CREATION CHRIST CONVERTS US RECEIVE GOD’S LOVE SO THAT IT MIGHT MOVE IN AND THROUGH US SO THAT ALL CREATION MAY BE REDEEMED

GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT LIKE ANY NATION’S GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT MARXIST GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT CAPITALIST GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT DEMOCRATIC GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT REPUBLICAN GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT SOCIALIST GOD’S EMPIRE IS NOT COMMUNIST GOD’S EMPIRE IS “THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN” (HEBREWS 11:1). GOD’S EMPIRE IS AN EMPIRE OF “UNSURPASSABLE LOVE” (CHARLES HARTSHORNE). GOD’S EMPIRE IS “AT HAND”; IT IS “YET AND NOT YET.”

ROMANS 8: WE KNOW THAT THE WHOLE CREATION HAS BEEN GROANING AS IN THE PAINS OF CHILDBIRTH RIGHT UP TO THE PRESENT TIME. 23 NOT ONLY SO, BUT WE OURSELVES, WHO HAVE THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, GROAN INWARDLY AS WE WAIT EAGERLY FOR OUR ADOPTION TO SONSHIP, THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODIES. 24 FOR IN THIS HOPE WE WERE SAVED. BUT HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NO HOPE AT ALL. WHO HOPES FOR WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE? 25 BUT IF WE HOPE FOR WHAT WE DO NOT YET HAVE, WE WAIT FOR IT PATIENTLY.

ALL OF CREATION IS INVITED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD GOD WHO CREATES RECREATES DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT WE ARE INVITED TO COMMUNE WITH GOD, ONE ANOTHER IN AND WITH ALL OF CREATION CONVERSION IS AN ONGOING PROCESS IT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, BECAUSE OUR RECREATION IS AN ONGOING PROCESS PRAYING WITHOUT CEASING IS NECESSARY TO AID THIS PROCESS PRAYER, HONEST RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND ONE ANOTHER, GIVES NEW INSIGHTS TO WHO WE ARE IN GOD’S VISION AS WE WALK IN THE WAY OF JESUS WHO IS DUST AND SPIRIT HOW MIGHT WE BETTER LOVE GOD AND CREATION TODAY? LET US LISTEN AND DISCERN THE SPIRIT OF GOD AS WE SEEK THE WISDOM OF JESUS CHRIST.