holistic spiritual transformation
Mark 12:28-34 - 28 And one of the scribes came up and...asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
We dream of developing disciples who love God with everything - all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30). This kind of growing love results in disciples loving their neighbors (Mark 12:31) and the church expanding. The gospel is simple enough for a child or derelict to understand, yet it is complex enough that it can never be outgrown or fully comprehended by the most spiritually mature or astute people. Therefore, its purpose is to penetrate and transform every aspect of our lives. Life is completely seen as gospel driven. Instead of having compartmentalized lives where God is one aspect, we live holistically with every compartment of our lives integrated toward the purpose of loving God and others.
The results are that addicts, idolators, the ailing, and the poor find recovery, meaning, health, and freedom only through an encounter with Jesus. This is only possible when we understand that the Gospel is not first about our morality, but about Jesus powerfully & supernaturally saving us from ourselves. around the Gospel about Jesus Christ and our place in that story. The gospel is the only answer to all problems and when experienced, is the only source of true, lasting joy. This is more than a cranial understanding of the Gospel, though (although that is important). The Gospel is active. We find ourselves in the midst of God’s story and purpose. When we love our neighbors, help the poor, or seek restoration and reconciliation, we do so not to feel good about ourselves or to try and earn God’s favor. We do these type of things because we love Jesus, and more importantly, because he loves us. We reflect his love when people see his love in us, and they can experience the renewal and fullness the Gospel brings.