Blog on Hiatus - New Blog to Explore

The original intention for this “Musings4Mission” blog was to provide a forum for interacting around key concepts related to holistic mission.  Obviously, I have not posted anything for some time.  Instead, I have been devoting my energies toward finalizing the first draft of my book on holistic mission, which I have been working on for a couple years now.  So, I think it’s best to officially put this blog on “hiatus.”

 

However, I still want to have an online forum for sharing more general reflections about the missional life – but in a more informal, casual way.  I have thus created another blog:  Mark’s Missional Meanderings, available at http://www.mmmeanderings.blogspot.com/

 

I haven’t posted anything there yet, but look for posts coming soon!

 

Future Consummation

We do not live in a world characterized by holistic peace. As servants of the King and stewards of His Kingdom, we labor unceasingly to lead human society into greater conformity with the principles of holistic peace. But the reality is that true and perfect holistic peace will remain elusive. However, this reality should not lead us to despair. This truth should not result in the evaporation of hope, but rather in hope properly directed. Our hope, ultimately, is not in the human labors for holistic peace – even when those human labors are God-empowered. Our hope, rather, is in the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6) – because He Himself has promised to introduce His Kingdom of holistic peace (Rom 14:17). The Kingdom was inaugurated when the Prince entered this world the first time (Matt 4:17), but it has not yet come in all its fullness. The New Testament promises us, however, that we can have certain hope in the future consummation of God’s Kingdom when Christ returns

When Christ does indeed return, He will institute the complete fullness of His Kingdom, and holistic peace – lasting, perfect peace – will be here at last. God promises to bring about a final consummation which will bring total restoration in each domain: spiritual, social, and physical.

SPIRITUAL
The new order will be one in which “the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them” (Rev 21:3). “His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads” (Rev 22:3-4). Humanity’s role of imaging the Creator-King will thus be fully perfected: “we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).

SOCIAL
The holy city, the new Jerusalem, will be allow the nations to walk by its light, and the world’s leaders “will bring their glory into it” (Rev 21:24). It is also said that “they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it” (Rev 21:26). John envisions the tree of life, whose leaves are “for the healing of the nations” (Rev 22:2). The bond-servants of God “will reign forever and ever” (Rev 22:5).

PHYSICAL
Scripture tells us that there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev 21:1). Paul describes the current natural order as groaning, awaiting the revealing of God’s children. There is a hope that, at that time, “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:21).

The promised consummation has not come yet. We indeed live in the overlap of the ages – between the ‘already’ of the inaugurated Kingdom of holistic peace, and the ‘not yet’ of the still-longed-for consummation of that Kingdom. It is within this overlap that we must continue to labor to serve and steward the Kingdom of God’s holistic peace. Despite many obstacles, pains, and frustrations, however, our labor will always be characterized by hope. And that hope will be properly placed – not in our own work, but in the coming King.

This hope is based in the promise of the One who said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Rev 21:5).

All Scripture quotations from NASB.

Full Understanding of Salvation

When we talk of “salvation,” we sometimes think primarily in terms of being delivered from the punishment of our sins in hell. Certainly, this is an extremely precious benefit of salvation! J However, our study together about God’s comprehensive plan for His people to live in holistic peace suggests that we should broaden our understanding of salvation beyond mere rescue from divine wrath. Salvation is not simply ‘being saved from’ something unspeakably dreadful; it is also ‘being saved for’ the wonderful holistic peace that God desires for us.

We see this, partly, in the various ways in which the New Testament speaks about our salvation experience. Granted, deliverance from divine wrath toward human sin is indeed an essential component of this salvation (see Rom 3:25; 1 Thess 1:10; 5:9; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). However, the New Testament description of our salvation is also much broader than this. The redemption introduced by Christ is designed to bring restoration in each of the spiritual, social, and physical domains.

SPIRITUAL

We have been reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). We have peace with God (Rom 5:1). We have received the gift of the Spirit (Rom 5:5). We have been adopted as His children (Rom 8:16; Gal 3:26; Phil 2:15). We cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35, 38-39)

SOCIAL

Because of Christ’s work on the cross – the instrument of our salvation – we are united into ‘one new humanity’ (Ephesians 2:14-22). This new humanity, created from the supernatural merger of previously alienated groups (specifically Jew and Gentile, but these principles can probably apply to other groups experiencing mutual hostility), is the interdependent and growing Body of Christ, characterized by love (1 Corinthians 12-14).

PHYSICAL

We have the future promise of a resurrection into a new and glorious body (1 Corinthians 15; Phil 3:21). The natural world itself awaits this redemption of God’s children, because it will then be restored and set free from bondage (Romans 8:19-22). This calls to mind the prophetic images of a restored natural order in which “the wolf will dwell with the lamb” and “they will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain” (Isa 11:6-9).

As we have seen, this holistic peace of perfect harmony in our worship toward God, in our relationships with other people, and in our stewardship of the natural order was God’s intention from the beginning. It was humanity’s SIN – rebellion against God’s rule and disobedience of God’s command – that introduced the alienation and corruption which destroyed holistic peace. Thus, our consideration, discussion, and proclamation of salvation must never underestimate or minimize sin. God’s just wrath toward sin is THE issue which undermines our experience of holistic peace. God’s just and loving resolution of His own divine wrath through the cross is thus an unspeakably precious gift – because it opens the door once again for us to enter the magnificent holistic peace He has prepared for us.

Thus, we can define salvation in this way: Salvation is redemption from sin (and its effects) and restoration of man’s holistic role in God’s Kingdom.

Messianic Introduction of SHALOM

In our “Musings4Mission,” we have seen how God’s plan for humanity involved the roles of worship toward God, relationship with other people, and stewardship of the natural order. These three roles/responsibilities received detailed exposition in the Torah of Moses, and were further articulated by the Old Testament prophets.

However, it was clear that sinful humanity, ensnared in the rebellion which started in the Garden of Eden, would never fully realize the SHALOM which God intended for them. Despite the repeated admonitions of the prophets calling the people of God to repentance, they continued to persist in their ways of rebellion against God’s plan of holistic peace.

The first phase of God’s redemptive plan through Israel and the Torah was good, but it was only provisional. God’s plan of holistic redemption would take a giant leap forward, however, when the promised Messiah entered the world. The Messiah would be God’s anointed King – completely fulfilling humanity’s role of God’s vice-regent in the world. The Messiah would be the Perfect Human, flawlessly satisfying the demands of God in the roles of worship, relationship, and stewardship. The Messiah would be a great Teacher, instructing His community of disciples in a new Torah which would lead them toward holistic peace. The Messiah would be, in the words of Isaiah, the “Prince of SHALOM” (Isaiah 9:6).

Thus, the complete implementation of God’s redemptive plan came in His Son, Jesus the Messiah, and through the community of disciples gathered around Him. It is little wonder that Jesus inaugurated His public ministry with a quote from the book of Isaiah:

“THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,
BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.
HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,
AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,
TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,
TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.” (Luke 4:18-19, NASB, quoting Isaiah 61:1-2)

Within the ministry of Jesus, we see how the Messiah demonstrated faithfulness in His commitment to worshiping God alone (Matt 4:8-11); expressed compassion for the social concerns of humanity (Matt 5:21-32; 6:25-34; etc.); and revealed His mastery over the natural world (Matt 8:23-27).

Jesus was indeed God’s promised Messiah, and it is in Him – and only in Him – that we gain access to the full promise of holistic peace which has always been God’s intention for His people.

The Prophetic Vision

The people of Israel had received a clear set of instructions – the Torah – which could guide them in the way of holistic peace. Sadly, the people of Israel did not heed God’s instructions. They wandered far from God’s intentions for them. However, as a good Shepherd and Teacher, the Lord continually called the people of Israel back to obedience according to His holistic plan. He frequently did this through His servants, the prophets.

The Old Testament prophets, then, are helpful guides to a full understanding of holistic peace. They remind us, for instance, that God’s holistic plan is not just about ‘religion’ or about ‘being spiritual.’ Rather, it demands obedience in every aspect of life.

Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh? (Isaiah 58:6-7, NASB)

The prophets also point the way beyond the disobedience of rebellious Israel to a bright and glorious future. They predict a time when SHALOM, God’s Holistic Peace, would truly come in its fullness.

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him [the Branch from Jesse]...
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth....
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them....
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:2-9, NIV)

The prophets, then, were God’s messengers of correction and discipline – but also of hope. They remind us of God’s intentions, and inspire us with the confidence that one day God’s plan of holistic peace will be consummated in its fullness. When obedience to God’s instructions is the starting point of our journey, and we take as our destination the promises contained in the prophetic visions, we are truly walking the path of holistic peace.

Holistic Peace

In our last “Musings4Mission,” we looked at the first phase of God’s plan of redemption – the calling of Abraham and the people of Israel to be a special nation which would display His glory. We saw how the ‘instructional manual’ – the Torah – that God gave to the Israelites provided detailed guidelines regarding all the roles/responsibilities of humanity – worship toward God, relationship within human society, and stewardship of the natural order. Together, these instructions point us to a model of human redemption which I like to call ‘holistic peace.’ We can best illustrate holistic peace with a diagram, as follows:


This diagram encapsulates God’s intentions for humanity – stewardship of the natural environment which God created, healthy and just relationships in human society, and genuine worship of the one true God expressed through Christian discipleship.

In order to live in holistic peace, humanity must recapture his role and responsibility to take care of the environment and use it in an appropriate way to sustain human health and livelihood. I have ‘filled out’ the concept of healthy human society through the identification of seven key ‘pillars’ that support wholesome personal interactions and development. These seven pillars include the provision and protection of Democratic Rights, the Family, an Equitable Economic System, a system of comprehensive Education, provision of Health Care, the protection of Public Safety, and a Balanced Legal System. (As we noted in our last Musings4Mission, these seven areas are at least touched upon within God’s Torah guidelines for the people of Israel.) Finally, while those of all religious faiths would appreciate the value of environmental stewardship and healthy society, as evangelicals we must recognize that holistic peace is not complete until people are rightly related to God as disciples of Christ – fulfilling their Biblical functions of worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and service. Christian Discipleship is thus the pinnacle of holistic peace, and holistic peace is not complete without it.

Redemption – Israel and the Torah

In our last “Musings4Mission,” we looked at the effects of humanity’s fall into sin – including alienation and corruption. Despite the devastation caused by rebellion against the Creator-King, God thankfully never lost control of the situation. He also never abandoned His plan to bring glory to Himself through doing good to His people which He had created.

God’s holistic plan of redemption had two major phases. The first phase involved the creation of the people of Israel. God called Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8), a man of faith, and from his descendants created a nation for His glory (Isaiah 49:3), a nation which we can view as a model of the holistic peace that God intended for His people (see Exodus 19:3-6). To guide this model nation, God gave them the Torah, a set of instructions which would lead Israel into a lifestyle which reflected the principles of holistic peace.

In the Torah, the supremacy of God as the only Lord and King is unmistakable. Israel is clearly called to a recommitment to fulfilling the human role/responsibility of worshipping the one and only true God (Exodus 20:1-6). In later times, the prophets, who were the guardians of the Torah principles, repeatedly called the Israelites to forsake their idolatries and renew their commitment to worship.

The Torah also includes comprehensive guidelines for life in human society. If one conceives of seven fundamental pillars of healthy human society (as described below), we can see that God addressed all of them to some extent in the Torah’s instruction.

1. Democratic Rights. The Torah demonstrates respect for the person, including basic rights such as property (Exodus 20:17; 21:28-36; 22:9; Leviticus 6:3-4).

2. Family. The family is the core of society in the framework of the Torah. There are numerous laws which regulate sexual behavior and protect the integrity of the family unit (Leviticus 18).

3. Equitable Economic System. Care is given to avoid economic oppression (see Deuteronomy 24:10-22)

4. Education. Education of the next generation in the Torah lifestyle is important (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

5. Health Care. Instruction is given in basic sanitation and health (e.g., Leviticus 13; Deuteronomy 23:12-13).

6. Public Safety. Protection from violence is provided for in the law (e.g. Numbers 35).

7. Balanced Legal System. A system of judges who implemented the law without partiality is instituted (Exodus 18:17-26).

By addressing these issues, the Torah thus provided a basic framework for healthy society. The prophets were equally concerned when the people of Israel wandered away from this ideal (Isaiah 58:1-11, Micah 6:1-8).

The Torah also does not ignore the final responsibility of man – environmental stewardship. The people of Israel were instructed in how to live in care for the land (Exodus 23:12; Lev 25:1-5; Deut 22:6-7).