1. Expanding Your Concept of Ministry
Most of us think of ministry as the work done by pastors, missionaries, Christian conference speakers, or evangelists. We rarely think of work done by bankers, lawyers, engineers, or homemakers. We typically believe that those who get their paychecks from a church or other Christian organization are the ones who “do” ministry, while the rest of us are those to whom ministry is “done.” In this session and throughout this study, we hope to change this common but faulty way of thinking. We want to expand your vision of ministry so that you come to view all you do, regardless of your occupation, as what it can and ought to be—ministry that glorifies God and influences other people.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To consider a more holistic concept of ministry and how it relates to your everyday life.
Group Aim: To think together about ways in which group members’ lives can become more ministry focused.
Preparation
Read Session 1: Expanding Your Concept of Ministry.
Complete the Life Vision: Personal Inventory, Part I exercise beginning on page 77.
Complete Biblical Exercise: 1 Peter 4 beginning on page 25.
Introduction
The idea that service to God should have only to do with a church altar, singing, reading, sacrifice, and the like is without doubt but the worst trick of the devil. How could the devil have led us more effectively astray than by the narrow conception that the service of God takes place only in the church and by works done therein.
…
The whole world could abound with services to the Lord
…
not only in churches but also in the home, kitchen, workshop, and field.
––Martin Luther
Content
The great reformer Martin Luther understood that ministry is more than just work done by pastors. Throughout this study, we will be using the term ministry in a way that is much broader than the way the term is usually used. Our definition of ministry is “the faithful service of God’s people rendered unto God and others on His behalf to bring Him glory, build up His church, and reach out to His world.” Let’s look at this definition in more detail.
The Faithful Service of God’s People
The Greek word in the New Testament that is often translated as “ministry” is diakonia. The basic meaning of this word is “service.” It can refer to tasks as basic as waiting tables (see Acts 6:1), caring for the poor through monetary gifts (see 2 Corinthians 9:12), or proclaiming the gospel (see Acts 20:24). The term is not limited to the service of a select few appointed to particular offices within the church. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. Paul said that those who hold offices in the church are given gifts for the purpose of enabling all of God’s people to do ministry:
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service [diakonia], so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12)
The leaders of the church are not the only ones doing the work of service or ministry. The leaders are given to the church for the purpose of preparing every member to do the ministry––to render service to the Lord, to the church, and to the world.
Rendered unto God
In our fast-paced, high-tech world, we often fail to recognize that God is intricately involved in the details of our lives. Yet not only is God involved in our humdrum routines, but He also wants us to be aware of and responsive to His presence:
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, emphasis added)
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17, emphasis added)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24, emphasis added)
Each of these exhortations from Paul’s letters uses the phrase “whatever you do.” This all-inclusive phrase points out that God wants to be prominent in our lives, in both the so-called “significant” things we do as well as the mundane things. We rarely think God is terribly concerned with our day-to-day activities in the boardroom, the classroom, or the laundry room, yet when our work is done “for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31), “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17), and “as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23), our work becomes an act of worship. Our work, however grand or trivial, becomes ministry.
And Others on His Behalf
The ultimate example of ministry is Jesus Christ Himself. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he told his readers that their attitude toward each other “should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Paul went on to describe the kind of attitude he was referring to:
[Christ Jesus], being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death––even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)
Jesus set aside the glory due Him and took on the form of a slave. His entire life on earth, and ultimately His death on the cross, was others-oriented. Paul’s admonition to the Philippians and to all of us as Christians is to imitate this others-orientation. This is particularly challenging in our culture, which is consumed with self.
For example, this cultural preoccupation often dominates our view of the way we make a living. We often think of our jobs in terms of the financial benefits they provide for us and our families. This isn’t necessarily wrong, but we also ought to consider how our work can benefit others—either customers who benefit from our goods or services, or perhaps our coworkers, whose lives we can affect by serving them in times of need. If we are to imitate Jesus and thereby do the work of ministry to which we have all been called, we must learn to look at life with an others-orientation in our workplaces, our homes, our churches, and every other arena.
To Bring Him Glory
The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” If this confession is true of all of humanity collectively and of each human being individually, then it should also be true of the pieces that make up the whole of our lives—from the way we parent to the way we play, from the time we spend “on the clock” to the time we spend at the dinner table.
In the passage from 1 Corinthians quoted earlier, Paul said that activities as simple as eating and drinking can and should be done “for the glory of God” (10:31). God is glorified when we do anything with thankfulness, integrity, and our whole hearts. Thankfulness comes from a recognition that all we have and all we are able to accomplish comes from God. We fail to be thankful and to glorify God when we act and think as though we are self-sufficient rather than utterly dependent on Him.
Likewise, we live with integrity when our thoughts and actions are consistent with God’s ethical intentions for His people. We compromise our integrity when our desires conflict with God’s intentions.
Wholeheartedness means focusing on giving our best in all we do, not for the accolades we might receive but out of a desire to do what we do as unto Christ (see Colossians 3:23). As we go about our daily tasks with thankfulness, integrity, and wholeheartedness, God sees and is pleased. Others see and His reputation is enhanced—He is glorified. When we seek to glorify God in all we do, all we do becomes ministry.
Build Up His Church
Each of us has a special responsibility and has been uniquely gifted to minister to others. In his book Redeeming the Routines, theologian Robert Banks likens the coming together of believers in a local church to the gathering of children for a birthday party. Everyone brings a gift; the only difference is that in the church, the gifts aren’t for one person but for everyone.
The New Testament makes it clear that all who have been born of the Spirit have been endowed with a spiritual gift (or perhaps multiple gifts). The main point of the New Testament discussion of spiritual gifts is that each of us, as individual members of the body, needs the contribution of the entire body and conversely the entire body needs the contribution of each individual member. Each of us in the body of Christ has needs, and each has something to contribute to others’ needs.
As we come to see that as Christians we are all called to do ministry, we ought to reflect upon how God has designed and gifted us to build up His church. We will visit this issue of design and giftedness again in later sessions.
And Reach Out to His World
In the book of Genesis, God gave a set of covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants. He promised that He would bless them and that through them He would bless “all peoples on earth” (Genesis 12:3; 28:14). Throughout Old Testament times, God wanted His people to be a missionary people who would visibly demonstrate to the pagan world around them that the Lord alone was the one true God. As God’s beloved people, Israel had both a blessing and a purpose––to make God known to the world. Psalm 67 captures these two themes of blessing and purpose:
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.
Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.
God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.
These same themes of blessing and purpose apply to Christians as well. We have been richly blessed through Christ and have been given a responsibility to spread the good news of His life, death, and resurrection. This is not a job reserved for a select few; it is God’s purpose for every Christian. Certainly God has uniquely designed some to take the message of Christ to people in the far reaches of the world, but all of us have our own “mission fields” in our homes, neighborhoods, places of employment, and the like. It is our responsibility to spread the gospel with our words and live out the gospel with our lives.
Conclusion
In his book The Other Six Days, R. Paul Stevens writes,
Throughout most of its history the church has been composed of two categories of people, those who are ministers and those who are not. Ministry has been defined as what the pastor does, not in terms of being servants of God and God’s purposes in the marketplace, the church, the home, the school or professional office. Going into “the Lord’s work” means becoming a pastor or a missionary, not being coworkers with God in his creating, sustaining, redeeming and consummating work both in the church and in the world.
Our goal in this session and throughout this study is to present a different view of ministry, one more consistent with the teaching of Scripture. We do “the Lord’s work” when we do whatever we do for the glory of God and the good of others.
Biblical Exercise: 1 Peter 4
Read 1 Peter 4:1-11. Also, review “A Method for the Biblical Exercises” beginning on page 17.
Observation—“What Do I See?”
1. Who are the persons (including God) in the passage? What is the condition of those persons?
2. What subjects did Peter discuss in the passage? What did he assert?
3. Note the sequence in which Peter made these assertions. (You might number them in order.)
4. What did Peter emphasize? Are there repeated ideas and themes? How are the various parts related?
5. Why did Peter write this passage? (Did he say anything about ways he expected the reader to change after reading it?)
Interpretation Phase 1—“What Did It Mean Then?”
1. Coming to Terms—Are there any words in the passage that you don’t understand? Write down anything you found confusing about the passage.
2. Finding Where It Fits—What clues does the Bible give about the meaning of this passage?
- Immediate Context (the passage being studied)
- Remote Context (passages that come before and after the one being studied)
3. Getting into Their Sandals—An Exercise in Imagination
- What are the main points of this passage? Summarize or write an outline of it.
- What do you think the recipients of the letter were supposed to take from this passage? How did God, inspiring Peter to write this letter, want this passage to impact readers?
Interpretation Phase 2—“What Does It Mean Now?”
1. What is the timeless truth in the passage? In one or two sentences, write down what you learned about God from 1 Peter 4.
2. How does that truth work today?
Application—“What Can I Do to Make This Truth Real?”
1. What can I do to make it real for myself?
2. For my family?
3. For my friends?
4. For the people who live near me?
5. For the rest of the world?
Assignment
Read Session 2: Ours for Others.
Complete the Life Vision: Personal Inventory, Part II exercise beginning on page 83.
Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry
2. Ours for Others
In session 1, we saw that all Christians ought to be ministers and that all we do, when done in a certain way, can qualify as ministry. In this session, we will explore the New Testament concept of calling. We will discover that God, in His sovereign authorship of our lives, has been molding and shaping us from birth to be effective ministers. God has uniquely crafted and gifted us and brought us through a specific set of experiences and relationships. He wants us to draw on all of these to make a distinct impact on the world around us.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To understand what a personal calling is.
Group Aim: To discuss the concept of calling and its implications for us.
Preparation
Read Session 2: Ours for Others.
Complete the Life Vision: Personal Inventory, Part II exercise beginning on page 83.
Introduction
Many people say that they aren’t exactly sure what a calling from God is but that they’re pretty sure they haven’t received one: “Aren’t there some people who are ‘called’ to ministry and others who aren’t? Don’t those who become pastors and missionaries go into those ministries because they have received some kind of divine calling?” To answer these questions, we need to carefully examine the way the language of calling is used in the New Testament. When we do so, we discover that all Christians are called.
Content
Although New Testament writers occasionally used the word calling to refer to the selection of certain individuals for special service to the Lord (“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” Acts 13:2), this is not the primary way calling is used. The fact that the term is used in this way so infrequently should teach us that we shouldn’t focus on who has or hasn’t received this kind of divine calling. Instead we should be concerned with the way calling applies to all of us as Christians. The primary way New Testament writers speak of calling is to refer to a person’s salvation. In this sense, every true Christian has responded positively to the divine call to become children of God through Christ. Consider these verses:
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (1 Corinthians 1:9, emphasis added)
He called you to this salvation through our gospel, so that you may possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:14, net, emphasis added)
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (1 Peter 5:10, emphasis added)
These are just a few of the many verses that speak of our salvation in terms of calling; therefore, we shouldn’t think that some Christians are called and others aren’t.
But it’s true that we’re called to more than salvation alone. We are also all called to be a part of a community. In our individualistic North American context, we often interpret the Bible in individualistic ways, but at the heart of the New Testament understanding of Christianity is community. In fact, each of the verses quoted above is addressed not to individuals but to a group. Our call to salvation is a call to identify with and to share in the eternal destiny of the community of those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
A third way we’re called is to a life of obedience and service that is “worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:11).
R. Paul Stevens sums up the ways the New Testament speaks of calling as belonging, being, and doing. He writes,
The call of God is threefold. First there is the call to belong to God. Thus persons without identities or “names,” who are homeless waifs in the universe, become children of God and members of the family of God. . . . This is the call to discipleship. Second, there is the call to be God’s people in life, a holy people that exists for the praise of his glory in all aspects of life in the church and in the world. This is expressed in sanctification; it is the call to holiness. Third, there is the call to do God’s work, to enter into God’s service to fulfill his purposes in both the church and in the world. This involves gifts, talents, ministries, occupations, roles, work and mission—the call to service.
This third aspect of God’s call is our focus in this study, but we need to understand that all three aspects are inseparably bound up in God’s one call for us. He has called all of us to belong to Him, be His people in life, and do His work.
In his description of the call to do God’s work, Stevens mentions things such as gifts, talents, ministries, occupations, roles, work, and mission. God wants us to see all of these as resources for serving Him. He has given us our gifts and talents in order for us to use them for His purposes. He has placed us in our occupations so we can minister for Him there. He has also brought us through experiences and relationships to shape us into the kind of people He can use to meet others’ needs.
On this aspect of calling, Os Guinness writes, “Calling is the truth that God has called us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.” He goes on to say, “We have nothing that was not given to us. Our gifts are ultimately God’s, and we are only ‘stewards’—responsible for prudent management of property that is not our own. This is why our gifts are always ours for others, whether in the community of Christ or the broader society outside, especially the neighbor in need.”
We often hear sermons on being “good stewards” by giving our financial resources to God. But as Guinness points out, good stewardship involves much more than that. It involves using “everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have” for God’s work. As an example, consider Paul’s words to the Corinthians:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, emphasis added)
Here Paul told the Corinthians that part of God’s purpose in comforting them in their difficulties was to equip them to be His instruments to do the same for others. Sometimes our deepest sources of pain can become our deepest resources for ministry if we make those experiences available to others. Again, all we are and have is “ours for others.” Gifts and talents, joys and sorrows, strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, time and money—God has sovereignly allowed all of these into our lives and wants us to use them as resources for ministry.
For example, Jack’s tragic loss of his mother when he was a little boy and his wife when he was an old man gave him an acute ability to speak about pain. His years as a hardened atheist and his keen God-given intellect made him one of Christianity’s great intellectual defenders. His vivid imagination, years of literary study, and gift for telling stories enabled him to write wonderful children’s books such as The Horse and His Boy, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. God’s authorship of the life of C. S. (“Jack”) Lewis made Lewis one of the most influential Christian writers of the twentieth century.
Lewis’s temperament and gifting, along with his unique set of formative experiences and relationships, enabled him to leave his mark on the world. He was never “called” to become a pastor, never trained at a seminary, and never left the security of home to become a missionary, yet his ministry has affected hundreds of thousands of people around the world because what he had he made available to God. And God used him mightily.
Conclusion
We may never have the same fame or influence that C. S. Lewis had, but each of us can and should make a mark on the world around us. God has called us to Himself, called us into community, and called us to do His work in the world. Each of us has a unique contribution to make that is shaped by God’s sovereign design and providential guidance.
Assignment
Read Session 3: Contexts of Ministry.
Complete the Life Vision: Roles and Needs exercise beginning on page 89.
Related Topics: Basics for Christians, Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry
3. Contexts of Ministry
Having established that we should use all we have in serving others, we will now turn our attention to where this ministry will occur.
Throughout your day, you live in various contexts. Perhaps you begin your day talking with your husband and children over breakfast. Then you head to the office, where you interact with coworkers and fulfill your tasks. Over lunch you meet an old friend from college. After work you stop by the high school to pick up your son from band practice and have a conversation on the way home about his day. Maybe you see a friend at the grocery store or stop to greet your neighbor. After dinner you attend a meeting held by the city to discuss zoning for a new neighborhood school. Each day, you encounter a variety of contexts, or settings, in which you can have a ministry mindset when interacting with others.
In this session, you will be introduced to three broad categories of contexts in which you can minister: the world, the church, and the home.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To identify the needs of others and the contexts in which you can serve others.
Group Aim: To consider the particular contexts in which each group member can minister.
Preparation
Read Session 3: Contexts of Ministry.
Complete the Life Vision: Roles and Needs exercise beginning on page 89.
Introduction
How often do you lie in bed at night and think, What did I accomplish today? Some people ask themselves this question at the end of each day. Others may ask themselves, What do I need to get done tomorrow? Still others reach the end of the day so exhausted that they don’t have the energy to ask themselves anything.
Perhaps a better question to ask at the end of the day is, How well did I depend on God in my ministry to others today? As we move through our typical daily routines, we interact with our brothers and sisters in Christ and with those who aren’t Christians. In all of these interactions, we should seek to have an others-oriented, ministry mindset.
Peter urged his readers to lay down their lives for the sake of others, for those both in the church and in the larger world:
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22)
Maintain good conduct among the non-Christians, so that though they now malign you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God when he appears. (1 Peter 2:12, net)
Notice that Peter emphasized both loving fellow Christians and behaving excellently among those outside the church. Later in Peter’s letter, he again implored his audience to live out their faith both in the public arena and in the community of faith:
Honor all people, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17, net)
Peter said, “Honor all people,” whether they are coworkers, employers, family members, or perfect strangers. Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37) may have been ringing in Peter’s ears as he wrote the phrase “Honor all people.” Jesus told that story in response to the question “Who is my neighbor?” His story makes it clear that our neighbor is anyone whom God brings across our path. We need to show honor to everyone God brings into our lives, whether they are in authority over us, serving us, or simply someone we randomly encounter.
The broad scope of Peter’s instructions has significant implications for all of our interactions with other people, regardless of the context. In this session, we will focus on three common contexts.
Content
The three main contexts for ministry are the world, the church, and the home. The world, as we will use the term, refers to the work we do and the interactions we have outside an explicitly Christian context and with people other than our families. This includes our jobs, our neighborhoods, our favorite restaurant, and our children’s PTA meetings. The church represents not only things done at a church but also those things we do specifically with and for other believers (the term church in the New Testament is never used of a building but always of a gathering of believers). The home will refer to what we do with our families. These are all contexts in which we should fulfill our calling to minister.
In each context, we have multiple roles. For example, in the world, you might be an electrician, a neighbor, and a Little League baseball coach. In the church, you might be a deacon, an accountability partner, and a financial supporter. In the home, you might be a wife, a mother, and a daughter. Reflecting on the roles you play in each context will help you understand that everything you do can be an act of ministry.
The World
Our roles in the world provide many opportunities for ministry. The role in which most of us spend the majority of our waking hours is our occupation, our job. In our job, we typically interact with both believers and unbelievers. In this role, we aren’t financially compensated to be Christian witnesses (unless, for example, we work on a church staff). We are compensated to do a task or manage people. Even full-time parents or homemakers, who don’t have paying jobs, interact with store clerks, school employees, and other children’s families. The way we fulfill our responsibilities in our job is part of the ministry to which we have been called. Consider the following Scripture:
For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? . . . Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 2:15-16; 3:5-6)
An attitude of service and a willingness to lay aside our own interests for the interests of others should pervade our entire life. In this way, our jobs will be contexts for ministry. Ministry in that context involves both the way we interact with others and the way we accomplish our tasks.
We should do our work with a commitment to excellence. Adam and Eve were created to labor in Eden. While it was an entirely pleasant labor before their fall, God intended them to do their work with excellence. Likewise, God gives each of us labor to perform with excellence. Whether that involves changing diapers, writing computer software, plowing a field, managing a marketing team, or framing a house, all of our responsibilities ought to be performed with our utmost effort and concentration.
The manner in which we accomplish tasks is not our only concern if we want to have an attitude of ministry at the workplace. The Christian worker shouldn’t have an “accomplish at all costs” attitude. The way we interact with others also counts. After all, our witness to those who don’t share our beliefs and work ethic––and our example to fellow believers who do––is related to how we love more than to anything else. Love should be our chief characteristic (see 1 John 4:8). Our ministry at work involves both working as if we were working for the Lord and relating well with others.
The Church
While many of us spend most of our waking hours doing our job, our workplace is not the only arena for ministry. Just as every believer should live a life of ministry in the world, every believer should also serve others in the church. While there is no sharp distinction between these two, it’s important to keep in mind that we have a responsibility to give of ourselves in both contexts.
What does ministry in the church mean? It is ministry performed explicitly as a representative of Christ with and for other believers. It includes such things as leading a small group, being an usher, working at a Christian homeless shelter, doing evangelism on a short-term mission trip in Asia, providing refreshments for a small group, serving on a cleanup committee for the youth group gatherings, and organizing a Christian businessperson’s luncheon.
Almost every church leader needs more laborers. There are more great ideas for how believers can serve each other and their communities than there are laborers to implement them. If you have been ministered to but have not yet ministered in the church, now is the time to jump in and begin. This study will help you think about where to start. If you have been ministering in the church, it will help you explore how you serve so that your service will fit your giftedness. The body of Christ needs each believer to serve in just the way God has gifted him or her––and to do so with excellence.
The Home
The most important context of ministry is with one’s own family members. There is no higher calling to other people than to one’s own family. While your roles in your job and church are important, your role as a member of your family takes precedence. Ministry in a job or church should never make you neglect the calling to minister to your own family. Jesus demonstrated this principle when He provided for His mother by charging John with her care—even while He hung on the cross (see John 19:25-27).
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to help you see your entire life—your job, roles in the church, relationships within your family, and every other area of daily life—as ministry. We have been called to love just as Christ loved. That doesn’t necessarily mean we are to begin a traveling ministry like Jesus. Rather, we are to love others in all the contexts in which God has placed us. We are ministers of new life in Christ. Let us walk by the Spirit in an all-pervasive life of ministry.
Assignment
Read Session 4: Spirit-Directed Ministry.
Complete the Life Vision: Ministry Vision Statement exercise beginning on page 97.
Complete Biblical Exercise: John 15 beginning on page 46.
Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry, Missions
4. Spirit-Directed Ministry
In session 3, we saw that ministry should be an all-pervasive attitude in the world, the church, and the home. This session will focus on the power that enables us to live out an attitude of ministry in all areas of our lives. That power is the Holy Spirit of God. We must seek God’s wisdom and strength through His Spirit in order to develop a vision for ministry and live it out in every context.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To establish a ministry vision for each context in dependence upon the Spirit.
Group Aim: To encourage one another by listening to each group member’s ministry vision and offering feedback.
Preparation
Read Session 4: Spirit-Directed Ministry.
Complete the Life Vision: Ministry Vision Statement exercise beginning on page 97.
Complete the Biblical Exercise: John 15 exercise on page 46.
Introduction
Have you ever found yourself in a situation at work that made you completely confused about how to respond? You may have asked yourself, What does it look like to love my boss? or How do I make an ethical choice when all I seem to have available are unethical alternatives? You may face similar challenges at church. A kid in the youth group shares something with you in confidence, and you aren’t sure whether you need to address it with one of the pastors. The church leadership makes a decision that you think adversely affects your ministry as a Sunday school teacher. Should you respond? If so, how?
If you have a relationship with God through faith in Christ, you have without a doubt experienced the guidance of the Spirit of God. Even the moment in which you placed your faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sin was a moment of responding to wisdom revealed by the Holy Spirit. You have probably also experienced many moments since then in which you have been led by the Spirit, whether you knew it at the time or only upon later reflection. It’s helpful to reflect on those times in order to remind yourself of God’s faithfulness. If you seek His guidance, wisdom, and strength, He will provide.
Content
Jesus compared the Spirit’s regenerating work to the wind. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). The Holy Spirit works in individuals, drawing them to the Father. Every believer is indwelled, baptized, and sealed by the Spirit. As Jesus pointed out, this work is beyond human control. Those of us who are God’s children must humbly recognize His work in our lives. Our salvation depends on the Spirit’s work.
And we are still in a state of dependence: “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14). We no longer walk according to the flesh but should make all of our decisions under the leadership of the Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit moves in direct ways. He makes abundantly clear the course we are to take. The most common way He does this is through the Word. Have you ever been going through your day and suddenly a Bible passage comes to mind that relates to the circumstances of that moment and tells you how to respond?
Consider an example of a father who takes his little boy to the beach. The son says, “How many grains of sand do you think there are?” The father is spontaneously reminded by the Spirit of Psalm 139:17-18. He responds, “There sure are more than we can count, aren’t there? Did you know that God has more thoughts about us than there are grains of sand?” The boy learns about God’s great love in a way that is relevant to his experience. That is a simple example of how the Spirit of God uses the Word of God.
The Spirit also uses the counsel of others in guiding us. Have you ever been discouraged and experienced the power of encouraging words from a fellow believer who motivated you to persevere in godliness?
Consider two coworkers who go out to lunch together. One is a longtime employee of the company and the other just joined the staff. Over their meal, the longtime employee discovers that the newcomer is also a believer. The newcomer shares about her struggle as a Christian in the company. The veteran tells about her early struggles at the company and how she has come to be respected for her faith and her contribution as a dependable worker. The newcomer leaves lunch with a renewed sense of dependence upon Christ at her job and a sense of hope that she can persevere through the present trials. That’s how the Spirit can provide strength and wisdom through the counsel of others. The Spirit of God indwells fellow believers and ministers through them.
At other times, the Spirit causes our hearts to burn with passion for a cause in God’s kingdom. We can think of nothing else and experience restlessness until we can pursue the course He laid before us. Sometimes the Spirit inspires us to the core of our being with a passion for serving others who have some particular need.
Consider the example of a stay-at-home mom who meets a single, teenage mom at the park. After the interaction, the older mom becomes burdened for teen mothers. She decides to start a ministry of support and encouragement for teen mothers.
The Spirit is not bound to work in one way or another and may use a combination of the Word, counsel, and the desires of our heart to guide us in ministry.
Conclusion
The Spirit’s guidance leads us into ministry and gives us strength and wisdom in ministry. Because each person’s life is unique, including the roles held and circumstances present, individuals need a great deal of wisdom to discern how to live with a ministry attitude. The changing life circumstances that we all face give us the opportunity to depend on the Spirit afresh every day.
In addition to giving support for daily decisions, the Spirit can also help us establish a vision for ministry that can broaden our sense of purpose and direction. In the next three sessions, you will refine your ministry vision and develop a plan for ministry in the world, the church, and the home. Seek the Spirit’s wisdom in this process.
Biblical Exercise: John 15
Read John 15:1-17. Also, review “A Method for the Biblical Exercises” beginning on page 17.
Observation—“What Do I See?”
1. Who are the persons (including God) in the passage? What is the condition of those persons?
2. What subjects did Jesus discuss in the passage? What did He assert?
3. Note the sequence in which Jesus made these assertions. (You might number them in order.)
4. What did Jesus emphasize? Are there repeated ideas and themes? How are the various parts related?
5. Why did Jesus say what He said? (Did He say anything about ways He expected people to change as a result of hearing that?)
Interpretation Phase 1—“What Did It Mean Then?”
1. Coming to Terms—Are there any words in the passage that you don’t understand? Write down anything you found confusing about the passage.
2. Finding Where It Fits—What clues does the Bible give about the meaning of this passage?
• Immediate Context (the passage being studied)
• Remote Context (passages that come before and after the one being studied)
3. Getting into Their Sandals—An Exercise in Imagination
• What are the main points of this passage? Summarize or write an outline of the passage.
• What do you think the readers of this passage were supposed to take from it? How did God, inspiring John to write this passage, want it to impact those who read it?
Interpretation Phase 2—“What Does It Mean Now?”
1. What is the timeless truth in the passage? In one or two sentences, write down what you learned about God from John 15.
2. How does that truth work today?
Application—“What Can I Do to Make This Truth Real?”
1. What can I do to make this truth real for myself?
2. For my family?
3. For my friends?
4. For the people who live near me?
5. For the rest of the world?
Assignment
Read Session 5: Ministry in the World.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The World exercise beginning on page 113.
Related Topics: Pneumatology (The Holy Spirit), Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry
5. Ministry in the World
In session 3, we introduced a distinction between ministry in the world, the church, and the home. We will now discuss ministry action steps for each area. Action steps vary, depending on our season of life and the details of our context, so each of us needs to reevaluate our vision periodically.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To reevaluate your vision for ministry in the world and identify action steps to attain it.
Group Aim: To encourage and support each other in the process of developing action steps for ministry in the world.
Preparation
Read Session 5: Ministry in the World.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The World exercise beginning on page 113.
Introduction
In an autobiographical essay, novelist Walter Wangerin reflects on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:11. Wangerin says, “When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child. When I became a man I put away childish things, but the man I became was shaped in childhood, and that shape remains forever.” Many forces have shaped you into the man or woman you have become.
In this session, you will look at some of the forces that have shaped you with an eye toward your ministry within the world. While most of this session emphasizes a workplace setting, ministry in the world encompasses a larger scope. Your “world” encompasses your PTA, neighborhood preschool playgroups, a homeowners association, city recreation leagues, social clubs, stores, and anywhere else you gather with unbelievers.
Content
Think of your vision as a picture of what you want your ministry to look like. For example, you may want a ministry of mentoring your team of analysts. In order to minister to the people on your team, you will take specific steps to attain that vision. You may commit to having lunch with each person on the team twice a month. You may keep a file on all individuals with notes of previous conversations and questions you want to ask them. You may help them come up with plans for their personal development. You may periodically invite them to your home. These are the kinds of action steps you will record in your “Life Vision” exercise for this session.
In addition to action steps, you also need to think about obstacles you’ll face as you pursue your vision. Ministry vision isn’t pie-in-the-sky dreams; it’s a commitment to demonstrate Christian love and ethics to those with whom you come in contact. Knowing yourself well lets you understand the challenges you’ll face in living out your ministry vision. Remembering past experiences in which you struggled with an issue can make you aware of how temptations tended to trip you up. Awareness of those past experiences can help you overcome those temptations today.
For instance, if you have consistently been drawn into cynical gossip in the break room about your coworkers, you may need to avoid the break room or be more prepared to restrain yourself from gossiping. Maybe each time you go into the break room, you can commit to an attitude of prayer, seeking God’s moment-by-moment guidance for what you say. The obstacles section of your “Life Vision” exercise is a good place to note temptations you’ll face.
Time is the top obstacle on many people’s lists. We’re so overwhelmed with responsibilities that we can’t imagine adding one more thing. Be realistic and gentle with yourself. What can you do? If you don’t have time to have lunch with every team member twice a month, could you make time to do so with each team member once a month? Know your limits, but let God stretch you.
To live according to your ministry vision, you’ll need to pay deliberate attention to it each day. You must daily seek God’s guidance and strength to live it. When you fail to do so, seek forgiveness first from God and then from others, if necessary. For example, if you are committed to encouraging your employees, you may have to apologize for discouraging or cynical comments. Don’t give up on your ministry vision simply because you experience failure. Failure is defined not by moments when you live contrary to your vision but by ceasing to be committed to it altogether. In many “world” settings, living out godly character is a daunting task. Many workplaces provide no incentive for godliness; some offer incentive for ungodliness. Believers can’t expect godly character from those who have no dynamic, life-changing relationship with a holy God. Don’t expect unbelievers to embrace the lifestyle God has led you to embrace. Rather, seek to live a holy life in their presence for His glory.
Conclusion
In some ways, your past experience and personal makeup may help you be Christ’s witness in your world. In other ways, you may feel those things create overwhelming challenges for your effectiveness as a witness. Yet in both your strengths and weaknesses, God wants you to walk through your day in relationship with and reliance on Him, with a heart that intends to glorify Him rather than yourself.
Assignment
Read Session 6: Ministry in the Church.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The Church exercise beginning on page 117.
Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry
6. Ministry in the Church
In session 5, you thought about your ministry vision in the world. In this session, you’ll reflect on your vision for ministry in the church and the action steps you need to take in order to accomplish it. Even if you’ve never been involved in Christian service, you can start thinking about it. In light of your personal resources and the needs you know of, what kind of ministry should you be involved with? How do you go about getting involved? Whether you are refining your vision for an existing ministry or just getting started, this session will help you.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To reevaluate your vision for ministry in the church and identify action steps that will help you attain it.
Group Aim: To encourage and support each other in the process of developing action steps for ministry in the church.
Preparation
Read Session 6: Ministry in the Church.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The Church exercise beginning on page 117.
Introduction
Most Christian organizations have an established ministry vision that guides what they do. In your occupation, you may have to establish a ministry vision that the organization doesn’t embrace, but in a Christian organization, the established vision often gives you enough guidance in your role there. Your church’s vision for small-group leaders, for example, may be completely adequate for guiding you as a group leader. Embrace that vision, and seek to serve consistently with it.
It’s still helpful, though, to reflect on your personal ministry vision. You may find that God convicts you to embrace additional biblical principles. For instance, in a ministry to the homeless, the main goal may be to meet physical needs. While the organization may not emphasize evangelism, you may feel that sharing your faith is a priority that God has put on your heart. As long as you make sure that the way you live out that vision is acceptable to the leadership, you ought to remain committed to it.
Content
The difference between laboring in a Christian organization and laboring in your occupation is that in the former one, you explicitly represent Christ and His church. In your occupation, others may or may not think of you as a Christian, depending on how well they know you. In Christian service, others can rightly assume you represent the Christian message, the Christian community, and Christ Himself. When you teach a Sunday school lesson for a group of fourth-grade kids, those kids and their parents expect that your character and attitude will reflect the character and attitude of Christ. You are expected to love those children and teach them about Christ and His commands.
On the one hand, living out a ministry vision in a Christian organization can be easier than doing so at work. People have a deeper sense of responsibility and often built-in accountability to one another. While your coworker at the office has no vested interest in whether you live out biblical principles at the office, your partner in leading the youth group, as well as the parents, will question you if your behavior gives a poor example for the kids.
On the other hand, it’s easy for Christian service to slip into a status quo. You may think your service as an usher amounts to showing up and going through the motions. But if you take your service seriously, you will check your attitude to make sure your heart is bent toward loving fellow church members and guests. You might pray, for example, that the Lord will use your ushering to encourage someone who is downcast. This way of ministering is far harder to sustain week in and week out.
You will always minister imperfectly. You will never achieve perfect consistency in living out your vision, especially if you prayerfully continue to reevaluate and refine it. There will always be areas in which you can grow. God will make those areas evident as you listen to His voice through Scripture, prayer, and the counsel of other believers.
Because you will sometimes fail, you’ll need to seek forgiveness from God and others just as you do in your occupation. The person who fails to show up to prepare the sanctuary for a service and the pastor who betrays a church member’s confidentiality are both equally responsible for confessing their failures and seeking forgiveness. Forgiveness must be sought from God and from those who were affected by the failure.
Forgiveness should never be something Christian servants frown on. In what other context should Christians be more committed to freely confessing their faults to one another? Sadly, though, Christian service may be the area in which believers feel least willing to confess their failures. Be quick to seek forgiveness when you injure another. If you make a biting remark to a fellow servant, go to that person as soon as you can and ask for forgiveness. If someone comes to you seeking forgiveness, don’t brush him off. Rather, warmly offer forgiveness and reconciliation.
Conclusion
Being overworked is a key reason why people leave Christian service. So if you’ve never become involved in Christian service, you have more to offer than you think. By jumping in, you’ll help not only those whom you are serving directly but also your fellow ministers who are probably overworked.
If you have difficulty with saying no, you especially must beware of the peril of becoming overworked. If you overcommit yourself in Christian service, you will cease to have time for the Lord to minister to you. You can serve others only to the degree to which you are served by the Lord in your own spiritual life. If you are always filling an urgent need for Sunday school classes and thereby never attending the service, you may not be letting God sufficiently minister to you. Make it a commitment to let the Lord minister to you as you minister to others.
Conflict also is a common reason why people leave Christian service. The way you relate to fellow servants is as significant as the way you relate to those whom you are serving. For example, if you’re on a short-term mission trip rebuilding homes in an area devastated by a natural catastrophe, you might think your main concern is relating well to the locals. But the way you relate to others on your mission team has a major influence on other team members’ involvement in future mission trips. It might also give you greater influence on the locals. If they see you exhibiting Christ’s love to each other, they will receive a picture of Christian love and community that may be a primary influence in their coming to faith. You are called to love those you serve and also to love those you serve alongside.
Assignment
Read Session 7: Ministry in the Home.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The Home exercise beginning on page 121.
Related Topics: Issues in Church Leadership/Ministry
7. Ministry in the Home
In this session, you’ll explore having a ministry mindset in your family. This context of ministry is often the most personal and emotional. You may feel deeply connected to your family and motivated to serve them. Or you may feel alienated from your family members and question whether a ministry with them is even possible. Regardless of your situation, you can make it a priority to serve those whom you have come to call family. They may be those who raised you, those whom you have raised or are raising, or those with whom you were raised. Take time in this session to consider how you can be an ambassador and servant of Christ to your family.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To reevaluate your vision of ministry in the home and identify action steps that will help you attain it.
Group Aim: To encourage and support each other in the process of developing action steps for ministry in the home.
Preparation
Read Session 7: Ministry in the Home.
Complete the Life Vision: Action Steps, The Home exercise beginning on page 121.
Introduction
No matter your family role––single adult, grandparent, daughter, married parent––you have the responsibility to minister to your family members. The responsibility we have to family members is of highest priority within the command to love others as Christ loved us. The New Testament writers had a lot to say about how family members should relate to one another (see Ephesians 5:22–6:4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:4,16; 1 Peter 3:1-7). These passages are full of instructions for husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, siblings, children, and other relatives. How can you fulfill your responsibilities to your family with the attitude of a servant, just as Christ did when He took on the form of a servant (see Philippians 2:5-8)?
Content
In Mark 7, Jesus passionately rebuked a group of Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) for neglecting the fifth commandment, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). The fifth commandment is the first one that deals with relations among human beings. Strikingly, it even comes before the commandment against murder. Jesus accused the Pharisees of developing traditions that nullified the responsibility to honor one’s parents:
And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” (Mark 7:9-13)
The Pharisees had created an arrangement whereby they could insulate their assets from the responsibility to care for their elderly parents. It was like refusing today to help pay your needy elderly parent’s hospital bills because that would infringe on your 25 percent tithe to the church. Or saying that you can’t help out because your money is wrapped up in a retirement fund. While this example of neglect toward family members involves money, there are many examples that don’t.
Suppose you live in the same town as your grandson and he plays on a Little League team on Saturdays. What kind of ministry are you going to have in his life if you constantly tell him you can’t make it to his games because you play tennis every Saturday afternoon with a friend? You may even rationalize your choice by saying you are a witness to your tennis partner.
If you live at a great distance from family, it may be easy for you to operate with the motto “Out of sight, out of mind.” However, telephones and e-mail enable you to be involved with family members from a distance. In addition, the way you use vacation time demonstrates the level of priority you place on family relationships.
The parental role is also crucial. Though we may not often think in terms of serving our kids, parenting is a servant role. As a parent, you serve your children by training them in such a way that they will reap gigantic dividends in the future. You repeatedly rebuke them for offensive speech toward others. You ingrain in them a respect for others, especially for authority figures, such as teachers, coaches, and employers. You encourage them to pursue endeavors (such as music and sports) that will further their growth and development. You take time to enter their world and listen to what’s on their minds. You do all that as service to your child. You freely give of yourself for their benefit.
Finally, your marriage relationship is a ministry. Far too often, spouses neglect to ask how they can minister to each other. While couples may discuss their parenting, they rarely ask each other, “What can I do to make you feel appreciated?” or “What do you need and want from me as your partner?” Just as they need God to minister to them so they can serve in the church, parents need their spouses to minister to them so they can serve their children. This is one reason why single parenting is especially difficult.
Don’t be like the Pharisees, who created ways to neglect service to their families. Seek wisdom from God on how you can minister to your family.
Conclusion
Family relationships can be stretching. You may feel patronized around your brothers if you are the youngest sibling, even though you are forty-two and have three kids of your own. You may feel disconnected from your sister whom you have seen only twice in ten years. You may be going through a time of tension with your spouse. Or you may struggle with your father’s constant disapproval of your majoring in literature instead of premed.
You can always grow in ministry to your family, even though you may find this context of ministry to be the hardest of all. Your style of relating to some family members has been ingrained in you from early childhood. Those habits are hard to change. But with the Spirit’s guidance, strength gained through prayer, and the support of a community of other believers, you can make great strides in this area.
Assignment
Read Sessions 8–10: Life Vision Presentations.
Prepare a “Life Vision” presentation by using the guidance of sessions 8–10.
Related Topics: Christian Home
8-10. Life Vision Presentations
We have been discussing your ministry vision for various roles and the corresponding action steps. In this session, you will present your own life vision and listen to that of others. These presentations will summarize each person’s ministry vision statements and action steps for the group. It will be a great time to encourage and build each other up.
Session Aims
Individual Aim: To present and listen to the “Life Vision” presentations.
Group Aim: To support, counsel, and encourage fellow group members in their ministry visions.
Preparation
Read Sessions 8–10: Life Vision Presentations.
With the following guidance, prepare a “Life Vision” presentation.
Introduction
Have you ever known people who were “naturals”? Perhaps they could play the piano without training. Maybe they had great athletic ability without coaching. Or maybe they could paint beautiful pictures without having been taught the fine points of visual art. These people’s skills are impressive precisely because they are so unusual. The rest of us have to put in intentional sustained effort in order to acquire such a skill.
For some people ministry comes naturally, but for most of us it requires intentional sustained effort and discipline. If we are to live lives of service, lives “worthy of our calling” (Ephesians 4:1, net), we must make plans and discipline ourselves to implement them.
Content
Ministry takes discipline simply because it requires an others-centeredness—an “ours for others” attitude that runs counter to the “ours for ourselves” mentality that pervades our culture and often our own hearts. As Christians we are redeemed people, but we are unfinished. The Holy Spirit is transforming our longings and allegiances, but we are still susceptible to the self-centered patterns of the world and the flesh.
Such ingrained patterns can make us view our work as just a means to accumulate wealth, power, or prestige; or conversely, we might see our employer as the one who withholds from us wealth, power, or prestige. We come to view our work in terms of “What can I get from them?” or “What are they keeping from me?” It takes discipline to transform our thinking and practice to reflect a “What can I give?” mentality. What can I give to my employer so as to honor God? What can I give my coworkers because God has put me here to meet the needs of people He loves? As we ask and answer these questions and implement concrete action steps, we will minister effectively in our workplaces.
Similarly, we might read a book on the differences between men and women but focus only on finding out what we need from our spouse. It takes discipline to overcome this self-centered tendency and focus on what our spouse needs from us. It takes effort to try to meet those needs, whether our spouse is meeting ours or not. It takes planning and follow-through to minister to a spouse, especially when we don’t feel like it.
When we implement concrete action steps, we move from intuitive ministry to intentional ministry. Intuitive ministry is ministry we find ourselves doing because something within us (the Spirit perhaps?) prompts us to do so. Perhaps you strike up a conversation with a coworker because you feel a burden for him and discover he has a need you can address. Or maybe one of your friends from church comes to mind, so you drop her a note of encouragement and find out later that she really needed it. It’s a great feeling to know you have touched someone’s life in this way.
However, the problem with intuitive ministry is that it’s haphazard and dependent on fluctuating feelings. We can easily miss great opportunities to minister if we aren’t struck with just the right feelings at the right times or if we fail to actually act on what we intuitively sense we need to do.
Intentional ministry, on the other hand, doesn’t rely on feelings or intuition. It involves careful consideration of how best to minister in a given context. It takes consistent action on behalf of those whom we seek to serve. It involves intentional sustained effort, but it’s worth it because it has the power to transform lives.
Intentional ministry involves asking and answering questions such as these:
• Within each context, what are my roles? (See session 3.)
• In each of those roles, what is my level of involvement and what are my responsibilities?
• What are the needs of those to whom I relate in these roles?
• How can I practically and effectively fulfill my responsibilities and meet the identified needs, given the resources God has given me?
Asking and answering such questions helps us develop action steps so we can minister intentionally.
Conclusion
How might it affect a lonely person at work if you made it a discipline to go out of your way just to stick your head in his or her office, smile, and say good morning every day? How might it affect a neighbor whose husband just left her if your family invited her and her kids over for dinner on a regular basis? How might it affect a friend who you know needs Christ if you simply asked him if you could pray for him and then did it? How might it affect your child if you carved out a significant amount of time every week and devoted it only to him? The transformative power of intentional ministry is tremendous. To experience it, we must develop practical action steps, discipline ourselves to carry them out, and ask the Spirit of God to empower our efforts.
Life Vision Presentations
Now you’re ready to put together your “Life Vision” presentation. Take the information you accumulated in the “Ministry Vision Statement” exercise and the three “Life Vision: Action Steps” exercises and organize it into a fifteen-minute presentation.
Use whatever approach you like to communicate your vision. You may use props, such as photos of some of the people you will serve. You may hand out lists of your action steps so the group can follow along as you talk. Your presentation need not be elaborate; impressing others isn’t the goal. Make sure your presentation takes no more than fifteen minutes.
Assignment
Read Session 11: For the Glory of Christ.
Complete Biblical Exercise: Romans 15 beginning on page 69.
Related Topics: Spiritual Life
11. For the Glory of Christ
Complete Biblical Exercise: Romans 15 beginning on page 69.
Introduction
Consider the following possibility: All of the people in your church have recently begun to see their entire lives as ministry. They’re seeing their occupations as places where they can represent Christ. They have reflected on the character traits they need in order to best represent Christ to coworkers and are starting to implement changes. Individuals who previously were only receivers of ministry at church are now serving there as well. Families also are being transformed. Parents, sons, and daughters are ministering to one another.
Can you imagine a community of believers living like this? How would they affect the broader community? Imagine the influence in a company in which ministry-minded Christians are scattered throughout the organization, from the top leadership down to the lowest-paying position. Imagine what church events and programs would be like. When a visitor came to a church event, what would he observe? Imagine the impact in a community if all the families in your church body had a ministry mindset. What would be the effect on neighborhood gatherings, Little League games, and birthday parties?
Content
The point here is not that your culture can become entirely Christian, a paradise on earth. Rather, the point is to consider the impact Christians can have. All too often, believers leave their faith locked away in some private part of their heart. This approach is inconsistent with the Christian faith. Christ calls us not only to forgiveness from sin and acceptance by God but also to repentance, transformation, and active love for others. His call involves adopting the attitude of a servant (see Philippians 2:3-11).
Christ’s servant attitude and behavior led to His exaltation. Because we have become identified with Christ, we too are called to take on a servant attitude that leads to Christ’s exaltation. If our Christian communities reflect this attitude, our neighbors will take notice and some will be drawn to enter the community of faith.
At the heart of a ministry mindset is love. Our calling is most fundamentally a calling to love. We are called to experience our Father’s love and then exercise love for others:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge––that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:10-11)
While our ministry of love (others-orientation, sacrifice, honesty) in the world might lead to the conversion of unbelievers, their conversion is not our responsibility. God is the One who draws persons into relationship with Himself. When people are reconciled to Him and when believers’ lives are transformed by His love, God is glorified. He is the agent of reconciliation and transformation. Yet He is exalted when His children cooperate with Him in His work.
Conclusion
Not only is ministry part of our calling but it also leads to the most fulfilling life we can have. May you experience the fullness of Christ’s love, and may your experience of that love overflow in service to others. Johann Sebastian Bach signed all of his compositions Soli Deo Gloria, which means “to God only be glory.” May all that we do be signed with those words.
Biblical Exercise: Romans 15
Read Romans 15:1-13. Also, review “A Method for the Biblical Exercises” beginning on page 17.
Observation—“What Do I See?”
1. Who are the persons (including God) in the passage? What is the condition of those persons?
2. What subjects did Paul discuss in the passage? What did he assert?
3. Note the sequence in which Paul made these assertions. (You might number them in order.)
4. What did Paul emphasize? Are there repeated ideas and themes? How are the various parts related?
5. Why did Paul write this passage? (Did he say anything about ways he expected the reader to change after reading it?)
Interpretation Phase 1—“What Did It Mean Then?”
1. Coming to Terms—Are there any words in the passage that you don’t understand? Write down anything you found confusing about the passage.
2. Finding Where It Fits—What clues does the Bible give about the meaning of this passage?
• Immediate Context (the passage being studied)
• Remote Context (passages that come before and after the one being studied)
3. Getting into Their Sandals—An Exercise in Imagination
• What are the main points of this passage? Summarize or write an outline of the passage.
• What do you think the recipients of the letter were supposed to take from this passage? How did God, inspiring Paul to write Romans, want this passage to impact the Roman believers?
Interpretation Phase 2—“What Does It Mean Now?”
1. What is the timeless truth in the passage? In one or two sentences, write down what you learned about God from Romans 15.
2. How does that truth work today?
Application—“What Can I Do to Make This Truth Real?”
1. What can I do to make this truth real for myself?
2. For my family?
3. For my friends?
4. For the people who live near me?
5. For the rest of the world?
Related Topics: Christology
1. Doktrin Pertobatan dalam Sejarah Gereja
Hanya ada beberapa masalah penting yang menarik perhatian mereka yang percaya surga neraka daripada pertanyaan apa yang harus dilakukan seseorang untuk bisa masuk kedalam sorga. Jawaban dari pertanyaan ini hampir selalu mengacu pada pertobatan. Didalam keseluruhan sejarah gereja hampir setiap teolog mengajarkan bahwa pertobatan sangat penting bagi keselamatan dari neraka.1 Bagaimanapun, beberapa pengertian yang berbeda tentang pertobatan banyak dibela. Tulisan ini akan melukiskan pengertian itu.2
I. Pandangan Pre-Reformation
Dari para rasul sampai para reformer, intinya ada satu pandangan yang dipakai. Disayangkan pandangan ini sangat sedikit melihat atau tidak adanya anugrah. Suatu system keselamatan yang muncul dimasa gereja permulaan. Herannya, generasi pertama setelah para rasul telah membengkokan kabar baik yang telah dipercayakan para rasul pada mereka.3 Tentang teologi para rasul Torrance menulis:
Keselamatan didapat, menurut mereka, oleh pengampunan ilahi tapi atas dasar pertobatan [perubahan diri dihadapan Tuhan],4 bukan atas dasar kematian Kristus semata. Jelas gereja permulaan ingin untuk menjadi martir, merasa bahwa dengan cara itu orang keselamatan orang Kristesn sesuau dengan salib, daripada iman … tidak melihat bahwa seluruh keselamatan berpusat pada pribadi dan kematian Kristus .... Gagal mengerti arti salib dan membuatnya sebagai pasal tertentu dari iman merupakan indikasi paling jelas bahwa pengajaran anugrah sama sekali tidak ada.5
Tiga aspek utama dari pandangan pre-Reformation tentang pertobatan menyelamatkan.
Pengampunan Awal, Dosa Pre-Baptismal Saja
Bapa gereja dan penerus mereka percaya bahwa keselamatan dimulai pada saat seseorang dibaptis. Saat dibaptis dosa yang telah dilakukan sampai saat itu [ditambah dosa mula-mula dari Adam] diampuni.6 Bapa gereja percaya bahwa seseorang akan memulai kehidupan Kristen dengan keadaan yang sama sekali baru. Tentu saja, tidak akan terus bersih untuk waktu yang lama. Karean setiap orang terus dijangkiti dosa setelah baptisan (1 John 1:8, 10), gereja harus mengembangkan suatu rencana dimana dosa post-baptismal bisa ditebus.
Pengampunan Dosa Post-Baptismal Sins oleh Pertobatan/Penebusan Dosa
Dengan pandangan baptisan dan pengampunan dosa seperti ini, tidak heran orang mulai melalaikan baptisan sampai mereka hampir mati. Dengan cara itu mereka bisa yakin akan pengampunan total. Bapa gereja dan penerusnya berurusan dengan masalah ini dengan menganjurkan pertobatan (atau penebusan dosa) sebagai obat bagi dosa setelah dibaptis. Awalnya para bapa gereja berdebat apakah dosa utama setelah baptisan bisa diampuni sama sekali. Secara umum disetujui bahwa bahkan dosa “fana” bisa diampuni; bagaimanapun, ada beberapa silang pendapat tentang berapa banyak seseorang bisa bertobat dan diampuni.7 Beberapa pemimpin, seperti Hermas, berpegang bahwa hanya bisa ada satu kesempatan untuk pertobatan setelah baptisan.8 Pandangan itu tidak terus terpakai. Pandangan yang dipakai oleh bapa gereja adalah seseorang bisa bertobat dan diampuni untuk beberapa kali.9 Awalnya, mereka tidak menentukan secara spesifik berapa kali seseorang bisa bertobat karena takut memberikan orang digereja ijin untuk berdosa. Hal ini, jelas membawa beberapa orang menunda pertobatan sampai mendekati kematian. Abat kelima, sebaliknya, tidak takut memberikan orang ijin untuk berdosa, gereja secara keseluruhan menentukan bahwa seseorang bisa bertobat dan diampuni tanpa batas atau berkali-kali.10
Pertobatan Didefinisikan sebagai Penyesalan, Pengakuan,
dan Pelatihan Menunjukan Tindakan Penebusan Dosa
Bapa gereja mengajarkan bahwa untuk mendapatkan keselamatan dari penghukuman kekal seseorang harus merasa bersalah untuk dan mengakui dosa setelah baptisan kepada pendeta dan kemudian melakukan tindakan penebusan dosa yang ditunjukan oleh pendeta.11 Bapa gereja latin menerjemahkan atau salah menerjemahkan, kata dalam PB metanoeo„ dan metanoia untuk merefleksikan prasangka teologis mereka. Mereka menerjemahkan istilah itu sebagai poenitenitam agite dan poenitentia, melakukan tindakan penebusan dosa dan tindakan penebusan dosa.”.12 Kesalahan terjemahan itu sayangnya menjadi bagian dari PL latin dan kemudian versi Vulgata Latin dari Alkitab. Sampai reformasi terjemahan itu mendapat tantangan serius.
Ringkasan
Bayangkan anda seorang anggota gereja dalam abad 5 dibawah system seperti itu. Orangtua anda berpegang pada hal ini. Anda dibaptis saat masih bayi. Saat kecil anda diajar pentingnya penebusan dosa dan pengakuan kepada pendeta baik oleh orangtua dan pendeta. Seiring waktu anda menjadi seorang remaja dan anda yakin bahwa keselamatan hanya ada dalam gereja dan anda berjuang keras melawan dosa jika anda ingin masuk sorga. Oh, betapa ingin anda untuk masuk kedalamnya! Anda berharap, anda cukup baik hari ini dan tetap begitu untuk keesokan hari. Anda berharap tidak mati saat melakukan dosa seperti perzinahan, pemujaan berhala, atau menolak iman saat disiksa.
Anda bertanya dosa mana yang merupakan dosa fana dimata Tuhan. Bagaimana jika anda mati setelah iri atau membenci dan itu ternyata dosa yang cukup besar untuk bisa memasukan anda keneraka? Kadang anda takut kalau pendeta tidak cukup keras kepada anda saat memberi hukuman untuk penebusan dosa. Bagaimanapun, tidak ada ukuran hukuman bagi dosa. Bagaimana jika pendeta anda membuat kesalahan? Bagaimana jika anda tidak cukup untuk ditebus atas dosa anda? Anda sangat takut akan neraka dan tanpa kepastian apapun untuk bisa lolos dari apinya.
Robert Williams sangat baik meringkas pandangan gereja permulaan untuk pertobatan yang menyelamatkan dalam tulisannya:
Sedikit dan besar, jauh lebih mudah untuk masuk ke gereja daripada memasukinya lagi, sekali tujuan akhir tidak mau diakui oleh penganutnya. Permulaannya, melalui baptisan, telah diberi suatu keadaan yang baru. Apapun kejahatan yang menodai kehidupan seseorang, telah diampuni dan dilupakan dan perjalanan baru dengan Kristus dimulai. Saat gereja harus berurusan dengan mereka yang telah mengotori keadaan awallah masalah muncul. Kesalahan kecil diberikan sedikit bentuk sensor, seperti dikeluarkan sementara dari Perjamuan Kudus atau tindakan penebusan dosa lainnya. Berkaitan dengan dosa seperti perzinahan, pembunuhan dan pemujaan berhala, belum lagi kemurtadan, pemimpin gereja memiliki perbedaan bentuk hukuman.13
Pasti tetap ada orang yang mengerti dan mengetahui anugrah Tuhan dalam Kristus, bahkan dalam masa antara Para rasul dan Reformasi. Bagaimanapun, sebagian besar tidak mengetahui apapun tentang anugrah. Mereka hanya tahu legalism dan farisi. Ada kebutuhan serius untuk reformasi menyeluruh bagi gereja. Lama baru ada. Jelas lebih dari ribuan kegelapan menutupi gereja sampai adanya reformasi.
II. Pandangan Reformasi
Para reformer menantang ketiga pilar pandangan gereja atas pertobatan yang menyelamatkan.
Pengampunan Awal atas Seluruh Dosa, Pre- and Post-Baptismal
Calvin,14 dan sedikit Luther15 mengajarkan bahwa semua dosa seseorang, baik pre- and post-baptismal, telah diampuni saat seseorang menjadi Kristen. Pengajaran seperti itu dengan jelas menandai perpecahan dari Roma. Bagaimana dengan pengakuan dosa pada pendeta dan melakukan tindakan penebusan dosa? Secara logis, itu akan dihilangkan dalam gereja yang mengadopsi pemikiran reformasi tentang pengampunan dosa. Seperti kita ketahui, itulah yang terjadi.
Tindakan Penebusan Dosa tidak diperlukan untuk Pengampunan Dosa Setelah Baptisan
Calvin menolak pemikiran bahwa seseorang harus melakukan tindakan penebusan dosa untuk menebus dosa setelah baptisan agar keselamatannya tetap ada.16 Dia mengajarkan bahwa kematian Kristus, sekali didapat, menebus seluruh dosa yang sudah dan akan dilakukan.
Luther, dalam terang pengertian tentang pertobatan,17 berpegang bahwa walau tindakan penebusan dosa itu sendiri tidak diperlukan, seseorang yang mengabaikan imannya dalam Kristus dan jatuh dalam dosa akan binasa kecuali dia kembali kepada Kristus untuk memperbaharui iman. Mengomentari pandangan Jeroma, posisi gereja, bahwa tindakan penebusan dosa merupakan “papan kedua setelah kapal karam, Luther menulis:
Anda akan melihat betapa jahat, betapa salahnya untuk mengumpamakan tindakan penebusan dosa merupakan “papan kedua setelah kapal karam, dan betapa merusaknya untuk percaya bahwa kuasa baptisan telah hancur, dan kapal jadi berkeping-keping, karena dosa. Kapal tetap baik (kuat dan tidak terkalahkan) itu tidak bisa hancur jadi “papan” Didalamnya kita membawa semua mereka yang masuk kepada keselamatan, karena kebenaran Tuhan memberikan kita janji dalam sakramen. Jelas, sering terjadi banyak orang terjatuh kelaut dan binasa; ini adalah mereka yang meletakan iman dalam janji dan terjun kedalam dosa. Tapi kapal itu sendiri tetap utuh dan jalurnya tetap. Jika ada orang yang oleh anugrah kembali kekapal, itu bukan karena papan apapun, tapi kapal itu sendiri sehingga dia tetap hidup. Orang itu adalah orang yang kembali melalui iman kepada janji yang kekal dari Tuhan.18
Luther secara formal menolak tindakan penebusan dosa. Dia merasa tindakan itu “menyiksa batin sampai mati.19 Bagaimanapun, secara praktek dia tetap memegang pentingnya hal seperti itu. Untuk diselamatkan dalam penghakiman, menurut Luther, seseorang harus berusaha dalam iman, baik secara moral dan doktrin.20
Pertobatan (Metanoia) Didefinisikan sebagai Perubahan Pikiran
Berbeda dengan definisi gereja akan metanoia yang meliputi penyesalan, pengakuan dan tindakan penebusan dosa, Calvin dan Luther menyimpulkan bahwa itu membantu suatu perubahan pikiran.21 Pertobatan keselamatan menurut Calvin dan Luther merupakan perubahan pikiran diamana seseorang mengetahui dosanya dan perlu pengampunan dan kemudian berbalik dalam iman kepada Tuhan untuk disediakan pengampunan dalam Kristus.22 Intinya, Luther dan Calvin melihat pertobatan keselamatan sebagai bagian penting dari iman keselamatan.
Ringkasan
Reformasi mengenalkan pandangan baru akan pertobatan keselamatan. Calvin mengajarkan bahwa semua dosa diampuni saat pertobatan, bahwa tindakan penebusan dosa tidak diperlukan karena pengampunan dosa setelah dibaptis, dan bahwa istilah PB metanoia menunjuk pada perubahan pikiran dimana seseorang mengetahui dosanya dan memerlukan pengampunan dalam Kristus. Luther setuju dengan pandangan terakhir dan sedikit dengan yang 2 pertama. Mereka yang terbeban bagi kemurnian Injil anugrah menemukan itu mengecewakan bahwa Luther memegang pandangan keselamatan linear dan kemungkinan keluar dari iman.
Kekuasaan tunggal Gereja Roma telah hancur. Tidak lama lagi akan diusulkan anugrah dibatasi untuk beberapa Elijah masa kini saja. Para Reformator melihat kepada Kristus dan para rasul daripada bapa gereja dalam pandangan pertobatan dan Injil. Apakah pengikut mereka bisa memiliki pandangan yang tinggi terhadap anugrah? Atau mereka, seperti para bapa gereja, kehilangan pengertian yang tepat akan anugrah dan keluar kedalam “Injil” manusi dan legalistik?
III. Pandangan Post-Reformation
Periode post-Reformation merupakan kelanjutan pandangan sebelumnya dan memunculkan yang baru.
Penyesalan, Pengakuan, dan Tindakan Penebusan Dosa
Pandangan pertobatan keselamatan Roma terus ada dari Reformasi sampai sekarang. Pandangan Calvin dan Luther juga terus ada. Bagaimanapun, pandangan mereka dalam beberapa kasus dimodifikasi sehingga sekarang ada 3 pandangan protestan akan pertobatan keselamatan.23
Memalingkan Diri dari Dosa
Mereka yang memegang pandangan ini menganggap pertobatan keselamatan merupakan suatu perpalingan aktual dari dosa dan tidak hanya kemauan atau keinginan melakukannya.24 Mereka akan menjadikan seorang alkoholik sebagai contoh, bahwa untuk menjadi Kristen dia harus berhenti mabuk.
Suatu Kerelaan atau Keputusan untuk Berhenti Berbuat Dosa
Orang lain berpendapat bahwa seseorang perlu untuk rela berpaling dari dosanya.25 Mereka akan mengatakan pada seorang alkoholik bahwa untuk menjadi Kristen dia pertama kali harus rela berhenti mabuk. Mereka akan berhenti sebentar untuk mengatakan bahwa dia harus berhenti minum sebelum bisa diselamatkan.
Orang yang memegang kedua pandangan pertama ini akan menekankan pada tingkatan kebutuhan untuk sedih akan dosa seseorang dan mengkomitmenkan diri pada ketuhanan Yesus Kristus.
Suatu Perubahan Pikiran
Sebagian Protestan berpendapat bahwa pertobatan keselamatan tidak meliputi berbalik dari dosa seseorang atau bahkan keinginan untuk melakukannya. Tapi, menurut mereka, pertobatan keselamatan merupakan perubahan pikiran dimana seseorang mengenali keberdosaannya dan memerlukan keselamatan dan melihat Yesus Kristus sebagai Pengganti yang tidak berdosa yang telah mati diatas salib untuk dosanya.26 Mereka mengerti istilah PB metanoia dalam pengertian klasiknya.
Mereka akan mengatakan pada seorang alkoholik bahwa dia harus mengenali keberdosaannya dan perlunya akan keselamatan dan menempatkan imannya hanya pada Yesus Kristus agar bisa diselamatkan dari penghukuman. Mereka akan menghindari memberikan kesan bahwa individu harus mengubah gaya hidupnya atau mau melakukannya agar mendapat keselamatan dari penghukuman kekal.
Variasi dari Tiga Pandangan Protestan
Harus diperhatikan bahwa beberapa orang yang memegang ketiga pandangan protestan tentang pertobatan keselamatan tidak harus percaya bahwa keselamatan sekali didapat itu aman dan tidak bisa diganggu. Sebagian protestan berpendapat bahwa keselamatan bisa hilang karena tidak setia atas pertobatannya sendiri. Pengajaran seperti itu tidak sesuai dengan pandangan reformator tentang depravity dan kematian Jesus' yang sekali untuk mengganti kematian. Sebagian protestan memegang pandangan katolik roma akan pertobatan keselamatan –sekalipun pengakuan yang sebelumnya kepada pendeta sekarang langsung kepada Tuhan. Bagaimanapun, kita menyebut variasi itu sebagai pandangan “protestan” karena mereka yang memegangnya adalah anggota gereja protestan bukan katolik. Kenyataannya, ada enam pandangan protestan tentang pertobatan keselamatan: 1) berbalik dari dosa dan terus begitu untuk menjaga keselamatan yang bisa hilang.27 2) berbalik dari dosa untuk mendapat keselamatan kekal yang tidak bisa hilang, 3) kerelaan untuk berbalik dari dosa dan kemudian, setelah bertobat, berbalik dari dosa dalam cara hidup untuk menjaga keselamatannya, 4) kerelaan untuk berbalik dari dosa agar mendapat keselamatan kekal. 5) mengubah pikiran anda tentang diri sendiri dan Kristus untuk mendapat keselamatan dan berbalik dari dosa dalam cara hidup untuk menjaga keselamatan itu, dan 6) ubah pikiranmu tentang diri dan Kristus dan mendapat keselamatan yang tidak bisa hilang.
IV. Kesimpulan
Dari awal abad kedua sampai Reformasi satu pandangan pertobatan keselamatan dijalankan, yaitu posisi Roma.28 Mereka berpegang bahwa saat seseorang dibaptis hanya dosa sebelumnya yang diampuni dan dosa sesudahnya hanya bisa diampuni dengan mengakui dosa kepada pendeta dan dengan seksama menjalankan tindakan penebusan dosa yang dianjurkan.
Reformasi memperkenalkan 2 pandangan baru. Calvin berpegang bahwa saat pertobatan semua dosa seseorang, sebelum dan sesudah dibaptis, telah diampuni dan pengakuan dosa kepada pendeta dan tindakan penebusan dosa tidak diperlukan. Luther memegang posisi diantara Calvin dan Gereja Katolik Roma. Dia percaya bahwa pengakuan pada pendeta dan melakukan tindakan penebusan dosa tidak diperlukan untuk menjaga keselamatan seseorang. Bagaimanapun, walau dia menolaknya secara formal, dia terus memegang bahwa seseorang bisa gagal mendapat keselamatan akhir karena memilih untuk hidup dalam dosa.
Sejak pandangan Reformasi dan Roma terus berlajut dan keenam pandangan protestan muncul. Kita harus hati-hati untuk tidak mendasarkan teologi kita pada mayoritas. Mayoritas bisa salah –dan dalam dunia yang telah jatuh ini hal itu sering terjadi.
Kemudian, kenapa kita harus mempelajari sejarah interpretasi? Karena dengan melakukan ini kita lebih mampu untuk datang dan menjaga kesimpulan kita sendiri dan berinteraksi dengan yang lain, baik orang percaya maupun belum. Jika, sebagai contoh, saya mengerti posisi Roma akan pertobatan keselamatan, kesaksian saya pada Katolik juga dikuatkan.
Pandangan mana yang benar dalam hal ini? Tulisan berikutnya29 akan menunjukan bahwa perubahan pikiran dan keselamatan yang tidak bisa hilang merupakan yang sesuai dengan Alkitab. Jika seseorang harus menyerahkan sesuatu atau mau melakukan itu untuk mendapat keselamatan, maka itu bukan cuma-cuma. Jika seseorang harus hidup taat untuk menjaga keselamatan, maka iman ditambah usaha, menghilangkan anugrah. Pandangan lain tentang hal ini gagal menangkap gawatnya keberdosaan kita ditangan Tuhan yang Suci. Tidak ada yang bisa kita lakukan untuk membersihkan hidup kita sehingga berkesan bagi Tuhan. Hanya darah Yesus Kristus yang bisa menebus dosa kita. Dan, satu-satunya cara untuk itu adalah melalui iman dalam Kristus semata. Satu-satunya hal yang harus kita serahkan adalah sikap membenarkan diri. Kita harus berhenti melihat diri kita cukup baik untuk mendapat keselamatan dan menempatkan kepercayaan kita atas apa yang Yesus Kristus lakukan disalib bagi kita sebagai pengganti.
Tidak ada yang bisa pergi kepada Tuhan dengan usaha sendiri. Tapi banyak yang mencoba. Satu-satunya cara yang perlu dilakukan seseorang adalah mengenali ketidakberdayaan mereka dan perlu seorang Juruselamat dan meletakan iman dalam Yesus Kristus dan Dia semata untuk menyelamatkan mereka dari dosa. Suatu perubahan pikiran dibutuhkan. Sekali orang percaya dalam Yesus Kristus, dia bisa yakin, atas dasar janji Alkitab, kalau dia selalu menjadi bagian dari keluarga Tuhan yang kekal. Tuhan telah melakukan segalanya bagi kita kecuali kita harus menerima pemberian cuma-cuma itu. Itu bagian kita.
Injil menyediakan obat bagi dosa dan akibatnya, neraka. Pesan Injil sangat berkuasa selama tidak dibengkokan. Air hidup yang murni akan selalu memuaskan dahaga jiwa yang kering.
1 Melalui tulisan ini ekspresi pertobatan keselamatan akan digunakan untuk menunjuk pada pertobatan yang diperlukan untuk lepas dari penghukuman kekal.
2 Tulisan ini berasal dari disertasi doktoral saya. Cf. Robert N. Wilkin, Repentance as a Condition for Salvation in the New Testament (Th. D. dissertation, Dallas Theological seminary, 1985).
3 Lihat Thomas F. Torrance, The Doctrine of Grace in the Apostolic Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959).
4 Ibid., 135.
5 Ibid., 138.
6 Untuk contoh, lihat, Hermas, Mandate, 4. 3. 1, 6; Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 2, 5; Justin Martyr, The First Apology, 15-16; Origen, Homilies on the Psalms, On Psalm 37 (38): 2, 6; Ambrose, Concerning Repentance, 2.11; Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, 1.17-18; Anselm, De Concordia III: Grace and Free Choice, 8; and Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles, IV: 71-72.
7 Sebagai contoh, karya dua volume Ambrose, Concerning Repentance, merupakan pembelaannya terhadap klaim Novatianists' bahwa gereja tidak bisa mengampuni dosa seperti kemurtadan. Ambrose memegang posisi gereja bahwa mereka memiliki kuasa mengampuni dosa setelah dibaptis dalam tingkatan apapun.
8 Lihat Hermas, Mandate, 4. 3. 6. Lihat juga Ambrose, Concerning Repentance, 2.10, dimana dia mengajarkan bahwa dosa yang lebih sedikit bisa bertobat sehari-hari tapi tidak yang fana. Ambrose berpegang bahwa hanya ada satu tindakan penebusan dosa bagi dosa fana.
9 Sebagai contoh, lihat, Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians, 7-9, 50-51; 56-57; Polycarp, Philippians, 2, 5; and Cyprian, Epistle 52 (56 Oxford Edition), Treatise on the Lapsed, and The Seventh Council of Carthage.
10 Sebagai contoh, lihat, Jerome, Letter 122: To Rusticus, 3; and Augustine, On the Creed, 15- 16.
11 Lihat Hermas, Mandate, 4. 3. 6; Clement of Rome, First Epistle, 8-9; and Polycarp, Philippians, 2.
12 Lihat William Douglas Chamberlain, The Meaning of Repentance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1943), 27-28; Edgar R. Smothers, The New Testament Concept of Metanoia,. Classical Bulletin 10 (1933): 7-8; Aloys Herman Dirksen, The New Testament Concept of Metanoia (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America, 1932), 66-67; and John Cecil Anderson, Repentance in the Greek New Testament (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1959), 14ff.
13 Robert Williams, A Guide to the Teaching of the Early Church Fathers (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1960), 142.
14 See Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4. 15. 3.
15 Luther berpegang pada pertobatan linear. Dia percaya bahwa keselamatan seseoragn tidak selesai sampai dia mati. Dia mengajarkan bahwa seseorang bisa kehilangan keselamatannya –atau, gagal menyadari hal itu sampai akhir –jika dia menolak percaya pada Yesus Kristus dan terlibat dalam kehidupan dosa. Dia melihat kematian Kristus sudah meliputi seluruh dosa, baik sebelum dan sesudah baptisan, selama orang itu tetap berjuang dalam iman. Jelas, pernyataannya bertentangan dengan kematian Kristus sudah mencukupi dan menghilangkan kemungkinan kepastian. See Luther's Works, vol. 36, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, 1520, 60-61, Marilyn Jean Harran, The Concept of Conversio in the Early Exegetical and Reform Writings of Martin Luther (Ph.D. dissertation, Stanford University, 1978), and Fred J. Prudek, Luther's Linear Concept of Conversion (Th.M. thesis, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1979).
16 See Calvin, Institutes, 3. 24. 6, 4. 19. 14-17
17 See footnote 15 above.
18 Luther's Works, vol. 36, The Babylonian Captivity, 61
19 Ibid., 89.
20 Ibid., 59-61, 89, 123-24. Perlu juga diperhatikan penyelidikan oleh sarjana Lutheran Lowell Green (How Melanchthon Helped Luther Discover the Gospel: The Doctrine of Justification in the Reformation [Fallbrook, CA: Verdict Publications, 1980]) menunjukan bahwa Luther berpendapat orang percaya harus berusaha terus berjalan dalam iman untuk bisa menerima keselamatan akhir (lihat, e.g., 260).
21 Lihat Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 48, Letters (May 30, 1518 Letter to John von Staupitz), 65-70; Calvin, Institutes' 3. 3. 1-16; and Dirksen, Metanoia, 79-80 and Metanoeite, The Bible Today 19 (1965):1262, 1266.
22 Lihat Calvin, Institutes, 3. 3. 5, 18; 3. 4. 1-39; and Luther, Luther's Works, vol. 48, Letters, 66-67.
23 Bagaimanapun, setiap pandangan ini memiliki 2 bentuk. Maka itu, seperti yang akan kita lihat, dalam praktek ada 6 pandangan protestan tentang pertobatan keselamatan. Harus diperhatikan bahwa semua pandangan ini mengajarkan bahwa pertobatan keselamatan harus digabungkan dengan iman dalam Yesus Kristus untuk mendapat keselamatan.
24 Untuk contoh, lihat, James Montgomery Boice, Christ's Call to Discipleship (Chicago: Moody Press, 1986), 105-lU; James Graham, Repentance, Evangelical Quarterly 25 (1953): 233; George Peters, The Meaning of Conversion, Bibliotheca Sacra 120 (1963): 236, 239; Rudolph Schnackenburg, The Moral Teaching of the New Testament (Freiburg: Herder and Herder, 1965), 25-33; Charles Scobie, John the Baptist (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1964), 80, 112, 148; A. H. Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: Judson Press, 1912), 832-35; and Eugene La Verdiere, The Need for Salvation: A New Testament Perspective, Chicago Studies 21 (1982): 234.
25 Untuk contoh, lihat, William Barclay, Great Themes of the New Testament (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1979), 72-73; Lewis Bookwalter, Repentance (Dayton, OH: United Brethren Publishing House, 1902), 30, 43, 53-55; William Douglas Chamberlain, The Meaning of Repentance (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1943), 47, 143-44, 216, 222-23; Daniel Fuller, Gospel and Law: Contrast or Continuum? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980), 151-52; Kenneth Gentry, The Great Option: A Study of the Lordship Controversy, Baptist Reformation Review 5 (1976): 57-62, 77; Billy Graham, The Meaning of Repentance (Minneapolis: The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1967), 5-11; George Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 95-106; 1. Howard Marshall, Kept by the Power of God (London: Epworth Press, 1969), 37-38; J. 1. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1961), 70-73; Kazimierz Romanink, Repentez-vous, car le Royaume des Cieux est tout proche (Matt. iv. 17 par.), New Testament Studies 12 (1966): 264; Robert Shank, Life in the Son (Springfield, MO: Wescott Publishers, 1960), 324; Bob Stokes, Repentance, Revival, and the Holy Spirit (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), 10-16, 24, John R. W. Stott, Basic Christianity (London: InterVarsity Fellowship, 1958), 111-32, and Must Christ be Lord to be Savior?, Eternity 10 (1959): 15, 17; Lehman Strauss, Repentance (Findley, OH: Dunham Publishing Co., 1959), 13-19; and Effie Freeman Thompson, METANOEO and METAMELEI in Greek Literature Until 100 A. D., Including a Discussion of Their Cognates and of Their Hebrew Equivalents (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1908), 24-25.
26 Untuk contoh, lihat, Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, 8 vols. (Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 1947-48), 3: 372-78; G. Michael Cocoris, Lordship Salvation--Is It Biblical? (Dallas, TX: Redencion Viva, 1983), 11-12; Milton Crum, Preaching and Worship: Dynamics of Metanoia, n in Preaching and Worship (N. R: Academy of Homiletics, n.d.), 88-89; H. A. Ironside, Except Ye Repent (New York: American Tract Society, 1937), 34, 53, 171-76; Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Biblical Theology of the New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1959), 116-17; Richard A. Seymour, All About Repentance (Fayetteville, GA: Clarity Publications, 1974), 33, 46, 62; and Treadwell Walden, The Great Meaning of Metanoia (New York: Thomas Whittaker, 1896), 4-9, 79-81,125,151.
27 Beberapa tahun lalu saya melihat bagian ini dimarquee gereja yang mengajarkan pandangan ini: “Jalan ke surga adalah belok kanan dan tetap lurus.'
28 Walau posisi Gereja Timur terhadap pertobatan tidak serupa dengan posisi Roma, tapi detil utama pada intinya sama. Gereja Timur mengajarkan bahwa tindakan penebusan dosa adalah sakramen yang dibuat untuk menyediakan pengampunan bagi dosa setelah baptisan dan tindakan itu meliputi penyesalan dan pengakuan kepada pendeta. Untuk informasi lebih lanjut tentang pandangan Gereja Timur Orthodox tentang hal ini lihat Frank Gavin, Some Aspects of Contemporary Greek Orthodox Thought (Milwaukee: Morehouse Publishing Co., 1923), 358-70, and Sergius Bulgakov, The Orthodox Church (London: Centenary Press, 1935), 133-34.
29 Tulisan berikutnya: Doktrin Pertobatan dalam Perjanjian Lama dan Doktrin Pertobatan dalam Perjanjian Baru, dan Bagaimana Mengkomunikasikan Doktrin Pertobatan dengan Jelas.
Related Topics: Soteriology (Salvation), History