The Real Heart of Evangelism

This cursory list of “Who we are” and “Who we have become” makes an essential point for evangelism in the 21^st century. 

Who We Are	Who We Have Become
Beloved children	Sinners
Royal Priests	Rebellious Creatures
Human	Sub-Human
Made for Community	Isolated Billiard Balls
Slaves of God	Slaves to Self
Part of Creation	Estranged from Creation
Caretakers of Creation	(Ab)users of Creation

Traditional evangelism has for the most part addressed the latter category and offered of gospel of the forgiveness of God and our acceptance in Christ through his sacrifice on the cross.  It focuses on our reclamation from what we have become.

However, the gospel, while addressing our need for such reclamation, goes further and calls us to receive the gift of who we are in creation, forfeited by us, anew in Christ through his resurrection and ascension. In other words, reclamation deals with who we have become and is an absolutely necessary part of crucified Christ’s work.  But the goal of that work is our restoration to who God created us to be fulfilled by the resurrected Christ.  It’s not that God put us back at the starting line and urges us to get it right this time.  That’s not good news.  Rather, our restoration is to who we are in Christ, who has already won that primal identity for us.  We live henceforth from our completed and fulfilled identity in him and our goal is to become now who we already and really are!

Evangelism, while not neglecting or despising the reclamation aspect of the crucified Christ must finally base its appeal on God’s call to receive this gift of restoration in Christ so that we might begin to become human, for the first time!