For several weeks in this column, I have been writing about Jesus as the Son of Man. It is a title Jesus frequently used for himself, meant to illicit a specific response. Jesus’ original audience would have recognized the connection to Daniel’s prophecy concerning the “one like a son of man” who received a kingdom from the Ancient of Days. They would have remembered the prophet states the saints of the most high would eventually possess the kingdom. This kingdom realization happens as the many offspring of the “Suffering Servant” work to bring their lives and arena of activity under the lordship of King Jesus. I contend the Bible shows us exactly how kingdom actualization takes place.
In the 1950’s Bill Bright came up with an evangelism tool he called the four spiritual laws. These are, (1) God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. (2) All people have sinned, which separates them from God. (3) Jesus Christ is God's only provision for sin. (4) Individuals must personally receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
I imagine thousands - most likely millions - of people have come to know Christ through the sharing of these “laws.” I also know that the tenor of this tool has done great damage to the Church at large. How? By ignoring the biblical, Christ centered presentation of the gospel and substituting a man-centered faith.
The first thing the four “laws” emphasize is Man not God. Next, it focuses on sin as a separator rather than an offence. Third, Jesus Christ is framed as insurance rather than the purveyor of a new creation. Fourth, Man is the initiator of the new birth rather than the Holy Spirit. The result is a man-centered gospel, giving rise to a man-centered Christianity. This is not the only factor we should consider but there is no doubt it has contributed to the weakening of the Church. Think I’m splitting hairs? Look at the state of the Church in American and around the world. There are exceptions to the rule, but by-and-large the twenty-first century evangelical Church is man-centered, weak and worldly. Thankfully, there is a biblical solution.
In Luke’s gospel we read, He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation” (Luke 11:1-4). This is more than an outline for prayer. It is a diagram of our covenant relationship with God in Jesus Christ and a biblical set of “rules” for evangelism. Rather than four spiritual laws we have five. The outline for prayer, living and evangelism is as follows:
1. Father, your name be honored as holy (Sovereignty - God is in charge).
2. Your kingdom come (Representation - Jesus is King, Savior and Mediator).
3. (3) Give us each day our daily bread, (4) and forgive us our sins (Ethos - biblical disposition, character and values that actualize the Kingdom)
4. For we also [feed and] forgive everyone who sins against us (Sanctions - Blessings flow to and through citizens of the Kingdom)
5. And do not lead us into temptation (Continuity - the Kingdom is now and to eternity)
We will look at this in more detail in the weeks ahead.