The Way

Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida. Nadie puede llegar hasta el Padre si no es por mí. — Juan 14:6

I can get too familiar with familiar language. For a long time, I read this verse, in English, as: if I follow the ways of Jesus, I can be admitted into the Father's presence. That sounds like earning. Reading this in Spanish, and hearing Jesus say, "I am the road...," hit me differently. The focus is on Jesus' work, not my works. This is reconciliation.

Where's the Kingdom?

"...the kingdom of God is in your midst.” — Luke 17:21b

Where do you place God's kingdom? Is it somewhere out there in the universe or beyond it? Is it in the future? Is it in the world, an improving world being gradually sanctified? Is it in America on behalf of the world? Or is it in the Church, Christ's body, exiled in the world? Your answer to this question will greatly influence your life, evangelism, discipleship, and ministry.

And/Or

In life, we face checkboxes — select all that apply, and radio buttons — choose only one. The Christian life is like this, too. Some things can be true at the same time: we have been given dominion over God's creation, and we are part of God's creation. We simultaneously exercise loving authority and submit to Loving Authority. Other things are exclusive: moment-by-moment, we are either of the world's system or of God's kingdom. We toggle between two citizenships: Old or New.