Does Conversion Always Produce a Change of Affection and Behavior?

Making Better Disciples

J.D. Greear, who I have much respect for, had a post the other day that I had a slight disagreement with. The post was titled, “Am I Really Saved?”  He shared how a mentor had helped to settle in his mind that he really had believed in Christ by directing his heart to 1 John 5:10-11 (… he who has the son, has the life…). While I have no doubt that J.D.’s mentor appropriately applied the verse to J.D.’s situation, I don’t think it can be ripped from its context and applied to every situation. Here’s a slightly expanded version of what I wrote:

Your friend had a lot of wisdom and what he shared with you that day in college was a great and particular word tailored for your need and appropriately applied to and by you. At the same time, John’s epistle is specifically written to address the issue of those who say they believe but really haven’t. In other words, 1 John 5:10-11 have the larger context of the first four chapters as an informing backdrop. We must allow those chapters and their very challenging content to inform what it means to believe. To not do so is to run the risk of being dangerously reductionistic when applied to all situations and to communicate a false sense of security to those who may not have savingly believed.

“Salvation is given as a gift and it is earned entirely by Christ.” Amen. Believe and be saved. Amen. But believing is evidenced by a life, however imperfectly, of behavior and affections changed by that belief.

Question: Does conversion always produce a change in the affections and behaviors?

 

A Truly Converted Life

Friday Musings

A truly converted life is a life that is infused with the missio Dei. Being on mission for God is always word and works, proclamation and compassionate action, herald and healer. If we care only for social justice and never give voice to the Jesus Story—the gospel narrative of redemption and the call to repent and believe or if we only care for the gospel narrative of redemption and never give effort to issues of justice and care for the poor, we fail to integrate our lives in a biblically wholistic fashion.

 

 

A Provacative Quote with which Jesus Would Completely Agree

Follow the link below to the quote. It is from a book by John Piper.

This is the book that simply must be read, if you have been struggling to understand the gospel, if you know someone who is struggling to understand the gospel, if you have ever wondered why some people can “pray a prayer” of salvation and see no evidence of spiritual life, this is the book to read.

 A Provacative Quote with which Jesus Would Completely Agree.

 

Doubling the Number of Churches in the United States and Beyond

Monday Discussion

Who will be the first denomination to truly take church planting seriously and begin to plant churches rapidly, reproductively and globally?  When will American churches stop hoarding their resources and spending them on themselves and truly seek to reach the harvest that is being prepared by the Spirit of God?  Here’s one way to make a start:

A Church Planting Strategy

“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

Proposal:  Every church in your denomination (or district) commits one eight-hour day a month (or an equal amount of time spread through out the year) by one of its pastors for the next 5 years to be praying about, learning about, and planning for  the planting of at least one church in the year 2017.

Result:       The denomination doubles in size in the number of churches and more than doubles in size in number of congregants in the year 2017 (based upon the average size of church plants and the average size of our churches).

Rational:

1. Five years is more than enough time for even the smallest churches to find a creative way to plant a new church.
2. Five years of prayer will yield a great harvest because God delights to answer the prayers of an obedient, praying, dependent church.
3. Five years is an adequate time period in which to solve the resource dilemma that some churches will have.
4. God will be glorified and the name of Christ will be exalted.

Broader Strategy:

1. Challenge churches over 2000 to plant an additional 3 churches overseas.
2. Challenge churches between 1000 and 2000 to plant an additional 2 churches overseas.
3. Challenge churches between 700 and 1000 to plant an additional 1 church overseas.
4. Challenge churches between 400-700 to partner with churches under 60 in the planting of churches Stateside.
5. Challenge churches between 200-400 to partner with churches between 60-200 in the planting of churches Stateside.

Rational:

1. Larger churches have larger responsibilities to set the pace with the resources of people, finances, training and experience that God has entrusted to them.
2. Smaller churches will need the encouragement and support of others who labor with greater resources at their disposal.
3. This is a doable plan.

In fact, our only fear is that the plan may be beneath what God is calling the church to do.  It may not be ambitious enough.  The field is ripe unto harvest and we must send more workers into the field.  This is a path to do it.   Come on people, let’s change the world for Jesus and the lost for whom he died. He rose, and lives ever more. Let’s make sure that more people know that in our generation as a result of our prayer, sacrifice and effort than ever before.

Contact Marty Schoenleber, Jr.
Marty@RadicalCHURCHplanting.com

Your comments are invited.      [Revised from an earlier post]

 

Engaging the Non-Christian Mind

If truth takes them to the left today on issue A, it may take them to the right tomorrow on issue B. In a week, the truth might lead to a third or previously un-thought of perspective. [For more see ...]

Engaging the Non-Christian Mind.

 

We Don’t Need to Plant Churches

What we need and don’t need in America. It might surprise you.  See the link below.

We Don’t Need to Plant Churches.

 

Despite the News: Coaches Change Lives for Good

It Was a Long Time Ago, But Some Things You Never Forget

One guy was puking his guts out. Groans could be heard from nine others. Heavy breathing and small clouds of vapor hovered in front of all of our faces, as we gasped for air in the cold October night. None of it seemed to faze coach Cimo’. “You play like you practice boys. You play like you practice. I want everything you can give me in these last sprints. Everything.”

It’s a mantra you don’t soon forget when you’re 17 and two and half hours of the high school football practice is in the past. The rest of my teammates went to the showers 30 minutes ago but the ten defensive backs on the team were still out practicing.

Coach Cimo’ knew we were undersized. He knew we were not the fastest. And he knew that if we weren’t better coached, better conditioned, better skilled in identifying and executing our reads, and just generally tougher than our opponents, we were not going to be able to get the job done. So he worked us harder than anyone else. He drilled us in our reads until they became instinct. And he pushed us beyond limits that we thought we had.

“You play like you practice boys. You play like you practice. I want everything you can give me. Everything.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about coach Cimo’. He was one of a long line of coaches who powerfully marked my life. He’s in my “hall of heroes.” Coaches come in all sizes and styles. And despite the recent spate of despicable coaches in the news, most coaches at every level, whether in sports or life, are people of great integrity and passion for their specialty and love for their proteges.

A coach knows the objective. A coach knows that the job is to prepare those under his care for a mission. A coach knows that the battle ahead will always be tougher than youth and inexperience thinks it will be. So a coach works to prepare for a future that will have more success than failure, more victory than losses, more opportunity than closed doors.

Every church planter needs a coach.

A coach is someone who knows the terrain ahead because he’s been there and scouted it out. He brings back information, sifted through experience, and gives it to you so that you can make better decisions and have more success. He doesn’t make decisions for you. He doesn’t control your decisions. He helps you achieve the best outcomes. He pushes sometimes. He challenges sometimes. He celebrates sometimes. He affirms sometimes. He confronts sometimes. He loves at all times.

A coach helps you practice well so that you play at your maximum God-glorifying best.

Every planter needs a coach and every planter is in training to become a coach. Every Paul had a Barnabas. Every Timothy needs a Paul. If you are planting without a coach, contact me at Marty@radicalCHURCHplanting.com. I’d love to hook you up with a coach to help you serve God in your generation.

 

Measuring Our Passion for the Lost

How much do we really love our neighbors? How much do we really care for the lost? How much do we really love our Lord when we do not do what he tells us to do?
(see the link below)

Measuring Our Passion for the Lost.

 

Helping Your People Embrace the Mission of God

#4 Cultivate a Winning Team Atmosphere of Expectancy and Cooperation –God is calling people from every nation, tribe and tongue into his forgiven and forever family that he calls his church. Cultivate a “the gates shall not prevail against us” attitude. God is for us who can be against us. Help your people remember that God wins. Help them to see that they are a team, an army, trying to accomplish the same mission as God.

for more:  Helping Your People Embrace the Mission of God.

 

Growing a Church that Does More than Cook Fish

Growing a Church that Does More than Cook Fish.

Wouldn’t it be great if our churches were filled with disciples who were passionately engaged in doing what Jesus told them to do?