Brian’s Reviews > Gospel Commission, The: Recovering God's Strategy for Making Disciples > Status Update
Brian
is on page 249 of 320
There are a lot of complaints today about the church being lazy, about true discipleship being rate. I'm not so sure. From where I sit, the problem is not so much that the church is lazy but that it is distracted. The greatest danger the church faces in any age is that it might not be Christian enough, either in its outreach to unbelievers or its weekly ministry to the saints.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:45PM
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Brian
is on page 277 of 320
There is a crucial distinction to be made between evangelism (proclaiming the gospel, baptizing, and teaching) and social action (loving and serving our neighbors). Christians have many callings in the world, but the church has one calling to the world.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:59PM
Brian
is on page 275 of 320
Speaking more generally of the evangelical movement (espcially in the US) the antidoctrinal tenor of our churches is consistent with the anti-intellectual tenor of our times. We have become wordly at the places where we though we were most pious. 'Deeds not creeds' equals 'law, not gospel.'
— Jun 05, 2011 01:57PM
Brian
is on page 272 of 320
Nothing that you, or I, or all of us together do can add one task to Christ's completed mission. He is the savior and we are the saved;he redeemed and we are redeemed; he is building his church and we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. All of this is a gift... that is meant to be opened, explored, wondered at, and used.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:55PM
Brian
is on page 272 of 320
'Living the gospel' confuses the law with the gospel. The law is good not only because it exposes our sin, despite all our efforts at spin and self-justification, and sends us to Christ for justification, but also because it guides us. It tells us what pleases God. We believe the gospel,/i> and we follow the commands.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:52PM
Brian
is on page 272 of 320
In the external as well as internal sources there is no evidence that Christians were persecuted merely because they were following the example of Jesus.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:49PM
Brian
is on page 264 of 320
Stanley Grentz on inner transformation: The spiritual life is above all the imitation of Christ...In general we eschew religious ritual. Not slavish adherence to rites, but doing what Jesus would do is our concept of true discipleship.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:48PM
Brian
is on page 255 of 320
In the covenant of grace, the spotlight is on God's electing, redeeming, and regenerating activity, which results in a communion of saints. In a contractual model, the customer is king, the sovereign chooser, who may or may not belong to the covenant community.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:47PM
Brian
is on page 242 of 320
As covenant heirs, belivers are given two mandates: the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. The Great Commandment is rooted in God's act of creation. The Great Commission is rooted in God's act of redemption.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:42PM
Brian
is on page 241 of 320
Loving and serving our neighbors is not "kingdom work." Whether Christians work alongside mainly Christians or non-Christians their labors are common rather than holy.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:40PM
Brian
is on page 231 of 320
The ministry of the church as an institution or embassy instituted by Christ - identified by preaching baptizing, communing, and teaching everything Christ delivered - is where disciples are made. Worldly vocations are where disciples are sent.
— Jun 05, 2011 01:39PM
