What’s the Good News? Divine Fellowship

Nine evangelical leaders define the gospel.

Intro | Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

Divine Fellowship

Death was overcome in life, alienation in love, sin in righteousness, delusion in truth, and darkness with the light of his face.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose life is love, created us for fellowship with himself. We chose in stead to center our existence in ourselves and stepped out of that divine love, all turning to their own ways. This separated us from our Source, the One who is light, truth, holiness, love, and life. Disintegration, corruption, and death became our inevitable fate because, when we turned from God, we turned from the source of all that is good.

We needed saving help, but we needed it where the problem was—inside of us. The Father, who is self-giving love, sent his Son to become one of us to reverse this process of destruction. A relationship, lost when we turned away, had to be reestablished with our Source. God did this in Christ, in the Incarnation—when the eternal Son of God was embodied in Jesus of Nazareth, the Jew—and with the Cross.

Jesus assumed our state, with its sin and its consequences, into himself. When the Spirit raised him in triumph over death, a grace was released that made his life a source of eternal life and holiness for us.

Thus Jesus took our judgment upon himself and provided salvation. Death was overcome in life, alienation in love, sin in righteousness, delusion in truth, and darkness with the light of his face. By this Atonement our relationship to God through the Spirit became that of child to the Father and bride to the Son. His life became ours so that we, God’s people, can fulfill his purposes for us: one, to be a kingdom of priests who live not for ourselves but for others, especially for those who do not yet know him; and two, a holy people in whom God dwells and with whom the Holy One walks in eternal communion.

Dennis Kinlaw is the founder and chief executive of the Francis Asbury Society, Wilmore, Kentucky.

Next: Mighty to Save: Robert Smith Jr.

Send us email!
Send us email!

Copyright © 2000 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also in this issue

Have We Become Too Busy With Death?' As AIDS kills 4,900 Africans daily, Christians there struggle not only against the killer virus, but against spiritual exhaustion.

Cover Story

What's the Good News?

Cover Story

Have We Become Too Busy With Death?

What's the Good News? A Mystery Revealed

Your World:Psalm 23 and All That

Classic & Contemporary Excerpts from February 07, 2000

Popular Culture:Take a Little Time Out

An Elder Statesman’s Plea

First Pages:Dad's New Prayer Hobby

In Summary:Biblical Studies

The Back Page | Philip Yancey:Would Jesus Worship Here?

What's the Good News? Reconciling Love

T.D. Jakes Feels Your Pain

What's the Good News? For Us—and Creation

What's the Good News? The Gift

What's the Good News? Wonderful News

Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?

What's the Good News? The Truest Story

What's the Good News? Mighty to Save

What's the Good News? Good News of Jesus

The Gospel Statement Revisited

Apologetics Journal Criticizes Jakes

Walking Where Lewis Walked

A Peacemaker in Provo

Mere Mormonism

Might for Right?

The Back Page | Philip Yancey:Would Jesus Worship Here?

Southern Baptists: Evangelism in Chicago stirs debate

Wire Story

Indonesia:2,000 Die in Muslim-Christian Conflict

Videos of Hate

States Discuss Marriage Laws

Bioethics:New Stem-Cell Research Guidelines Criticized

Updates

Business:Thomas Nelson Buys 60 Percent of New Life Treatment Centers

People:North America

Comics:The End of the Peanuts Parables

House Chaplaincy Stirs Catholic Controversy

Law:Do Computers Cross the Church-State Divide?

Wire Story

Orthodox Leaders Closer to Unity

'Sexual Revolution,' AIDS, and the African Church

Nigeria:Churches Challenge Islamic Law

Arrests of Pastor Signal Religious Freedom Setback

Sweden:Lutheran Church, State Divide

Jubilee 2000:Poor Nations Get Debt Relief

Briefs:The World

20 Copts Die as Village Tensions Flare

Church Leaders Confront AIDS

Letters

God vs. God

View issue

Our Latest

The Black Women Missing from Our Pews

America’s most churched demographic is slipping from religious life. We must go after them.

The Still Small Voice in the Deer Stand

Since childhood, each hunting season out in God’s creation has healed wounds and deepened my faith.

Play Those Chocolate Sprinkles, Rend Collective!

The Irish band’s new album “FOLK!” proclaims joy after suffering.

News

Wall Street’s Most Famous Evangelical Sentenced in Unprecedented Fraud Case

Judge gives former billionaire Bill Hwang 18 years in prison for crimes that outweigh his “lifetime” of “charitable works.”

Public Theology Project

How a Dark Sense of Humor Can Save You from Cynicism

A bit of gallows humor can remind us that death does not have the final word.

News

Died: Rina Seixas, Iconic Surfer Pastor Who Faced Domestic Violence Charges

The Brazilian founder of Bola de Neve Church, which attracted celebrities and catalyzed 500 congregations on six continents, faced accusations from family members and a former colleague.

Review

The Quiet Faith Behind Little House on the Prairie

How a sincere but reserved Christianity influenced the life and literature of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

‘Bonhoeffer’ Bears Little Resemblance to Reality

The new biopic from Angel Studios twists the theologian’s life and thought to make a political point.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube