A good friend, Chuck, wrote me yesterday about a statement in my post and made a good point. I asked him permission to use it for today's post. In his note, Chuck said,...
"I have read with interest your last two blogs. You made many good points. I do, however, wonder about your statement: "None of my efforts at social justice will hasten or delay the coming of His kingdom." My understanding of the kingdom is that it "comes" whenever God's will is done. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus uses a parallelism to say basically the same thing. "Thy kingdom come" happens when and where "Thy will be done." For that reason I do believe your work and that of many others does, in fact, hasten the coming of God's kingdom. Our failure to practice social (or kingdom) justice, likewise, does, unfortunately, delay its coming."
Chuck made a good point and my response to him was...
"What I meant was that our efforts at social justice does not hasten the consummation (final coming) of the Kingdom. No doubt, when we minister to the least of these, we minister to Jesus and in fact demonstrate the coming of His Kingdom. In some modern missiological circles, there is the thought that our proclamation to the last (e.g. those who haven't heard) actually "hastens" the coming back of Christ (based on Matthew 24:14) Conversely, there is the thought in social justice circles that our efforts at
making things "just" will hasten Christ's return (e.g. culmination of the ages) as well."
Herein is one of the mysteries of the gospel. God has set a time for the consummation of the ages and all things. My efforts at evangelism, missions and even social justice neither hastens nor slows down His appointed time. Yet, in all His infinite wisdom, He (for some reasoning way beyond my feeble mind) invites me (and you) to join Him in his work of reconciliation. This ministry of reconciliation entrusted to us encompasses both proclamation and demonstration of His gospel. The ultimate goal, when it is all said and done, is to make Him know and give God His due glory.
I want to thank Chuck for his clarifying question which helps me think through these great mysteries even more. But most of all I want to thank God for inviting me to join Him in reaching out to the helpless, homeless and hurting...all for the sake of His Name.
Blessings...
"I have read with interest your last two blogs. You made many good points. I do, however, wonder about your statement: "None of my efforts at social justice will hasten or delay the coming of His kingdom." My understanding of the kingdom is that it "comes" whenever God's will is done. In the Lord's Prayer Jesus uses a parallelism to say basically the same thing. "Thy kingdom come" happens when and where "Thy will be done." For that reason I do believe your work and that of many others does, in fact, hasten the coming of God's kingdom. Our failure to practice social (or kingdom) justice, likewise, does, unfortunately, delay its coming."
Chuck made a good point and my response to him was..."What I meant was that our efforts at social justice does not hasten the consummation (final coming) of the Kingdom. No doubt, when we minister to the least of these, we minister to Jesus and in fact demonstrate the coming of His Kingdom. In some modern missiological circles, there is the thought that our proclamation to the last (e.g. those who haven't heard) actually "hastens" the coming back of Christ (based on Matthew 24:14) Conversely, there is the thought in social justice circles that our efforts at
making things "just" will hasten Christ's return (e.g. culmination of the ages) as well."
Herein is one of the mysteries of the gospel. God has set a time for the consummation of the ages and all things. My efforts at evangelism, missions and even social justice neither hastens nor slows down His appointed time. Yet, in all His infinite wisdom, He (for some reasoning way beyond my feeble mind) invites me (and you) to join Him in his work of reconciliation. This ministry of reconciliation entrusted to us encompasses both proclamation and demonstration of His gospel. The ultimate goal, when it is all said and done, is to make Him know and give God His due glory.
I want to thank Chuck for his clarifying question which helps me think through these great mysteries even more. But most of all I want to thank God for inviting me to join Him in reaching out to the helpless, homeless and hurting...all for the sake of His Name.
Blessings...
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