It is fashionable today among church slogans and mission statements to hear phrases like “we exist to produce life transformation” or “our mission is to help people live changed lives”. There are many others that are common, but I think you get the point. But I wonder – is that really the mission and purpose of a New Testament Church? There was a time I would have said that is was, but now I’m not so sure.
Just in case you read this and are tempted to accuse me of speaking against teaching “life change” for believers, let me make a simple distinction to help you understand where I am coming from. What I am against is the kind of life change teaching that is merely behavior driven. What I am very much in favor of is the kind of life change that is belief driven. So this is where I will be coming from as I write on this subject over the next few weeks. I believe that while this emphasis has some value, it is not where the primary focus should be in our teaching. And I believe that historic, orthodox, Christian teaching supports my position.
My thoughts on the subject may be too many to share in one posting, so I am thinking I will write a series of posts to discuss this. I would be interested in hearing feedback from my readers so feel free to weigh in whether you agree or not.