The gospel does change our identity.
Gentiles felt this immediately when the “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel” came to know what it was like to be heirs and joint-heirs.
The gospel breaks down all man-made barriers.
The gospel destroys racism.
The gospel destroys economic barriers.
What happened between Philip and eunuch from Ethiopia in Acts 8 is a good example of how the cross changes a man’s identity. Philip would have never dared talk to such a man. In fact, the man had probably been turned away from the temple in Jerusalem which is why he had unanswered questions about the Book of Isaiah. But the Spirit of Christ intentionally sent Philip to engage the eunuch and lead him to Christ.
By grace we have become a new humanity, a new race of people. We are the true descendants of Abraham, children of God, brothers and sisters bonded by grace.
And grace should define our Christianity. A gospel of grace is missional by definition — it is intentionally taking the initiative — for it is by grace. And our gospel should invite people to join the “race of grace” — this people of grace. Sola Gratia should be our message. And grace should be our glory.
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Jason Robertson is a husband and a father and a pastor. He is dedicated to leading and equipping his the Church with God’s word and biblical theology for life ministry, using a combination of pastoral, church planting and evangelism experience. He holds a Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He is experienced in church planting, evangelism, missions, and the training of pastors and Bible teachers.
Jason has been preaching the gospel since 1985, serving the first ten years of ministry as a Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist out of Milldale Baptist Church in Zachary, LA which ordained him in 1993. He has preached in hundreds of churches in over 30 States and 4 countries. He planted churches in Siberia, Russia in the summers of 1993 and 1994. He founded Murrieta Valley Church in California, which he planted in cooperation with the SBC NAMB in 2001. He also teaches ministry students at California Baptist University.
You can hear his sermons and read his manuscripts on sermonaudio.com. Just follow the link to "sermons" at the top of this page.
So, let me get this straight. In one hand we have methodology. Of which the Scripture says what? That methodology is not also governed by doctrine? That is quite contrary to Scripture. Style, perhaps with in reason, short of chaos and confusion of which the Lord is not the author.
I am a 55 year old hippie fungoo, so my sympathies lay with the neuvo-Christies, still, why is it that a son will not want to follow in his father’s mold? That mentality escapes me. That is what we were all about. The anti-institutionalism, anti-establismentarianism was the hallmark forty years ago. Tell me what has changed? What is new about a youth culture that cannot recognize reality, so it makes up its own? And if we bite into it, we have become facilitators. Paul never became what he was not. The missuse of Scripture for personal agenda is really the problem. Paul was a Jew, who had been converted. He explained it as the wall of partition that had been broken down. He did not, ever become the culture. He became a Gentile and remained a Jew. That is what he was talking about and nothing more.
In the third video, what are we doing embracing the heretical veiw of an experiential existentialist? When Christianity becomes realization theology, we have taken a leap into darkness. Far from being post-modern, we have steped back in time to German idealism and protofacism.
Follow.