Denver Seminary

14 FALL 2016 and the new earth reveals, when God's mission is accomplished, everything that's wrong in the world will be made right, everything that's broken in the world will be made whole, and everything that's ugly in the world will be made beautiful. The mission of God, sometimes referred to as the missio Dei, is a powerful paradigm that shapes the way we read the Bible, frames the way we think about God, and directs the way we live as His people. It provides a framework to organize what the Bible reveals about God's character and to interpret its diverse, sometimes confusing, sometimes disturbing stories, sayings, poetry, and teachings. It gives us a sense of the whole so we can make sense of the parts. As we reflect on how the Bible tells the story of God's mission, several critical implications begin to cluster around that central idea. The implications of the mission of God for our lives are profound. Movement. The mission of God implies that God takes the initiative to move redemptively toward humanity. God is the initiator of the relationship between Himself and humanity. We cannot know Him if He does not reveal Himself to us. We cannot redeem ourselves, so God intervenes on our behalf. Throughout Scripture God makes the first move over and over again, away from self and toward others. The crux of God's redemptive movement toward humanity is the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Beneficence. The mission of God implies that God seeks that which is good for His creation. Needing nothing, existing in perfect joy and satisfaction, God created for the sake of our welfare. Out of His beneficent love, He moved toward us in creation so we could experience a life of joy and satisfaction in Him, just as He finds it in Himself. In like manner, because of His great love for the world, He redemptively moved toward us, sending His Son to die on the Cross for our sins so we may experience life eternal in Him (John 3:16). Sacrifice. The mission of God implies that God willingly paid the price of our redemption, no matter how great the cost. Paul describes the cost of God's redemptive act with these words: "Though he was in the form of God, [Christ], did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:6–8, ESV). Hope. The mission of God implies that God's redemptive engagement with creation is moving toward an end that He has already foreseen and ordained. The accomplishment of the mission is not in doubt. He will redeem all things. He will make all things new. Even though human rebellion creates pain, suffering, and death throughout creation in these days, the ultimate victory of God over evil, sin, and death is as certain as the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Indeed, as John's vision reminds us, in the new creation there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Rev. 21:4). The implications of the mission of God for our lives are profound. Imagine how it would change us if we thought of ourselves not just as the people of God, but as the people of God's mission, moving redemptively toward a broken world, compelled by beneficent love that seeks their good above our own, willing to pay whatever price is necessary for them to experience God's rescue and restoration, and certain that, no matter how much it seems that evil, sin, and death have the upper hand today, the completion of God's mission is certain. That's a life worth living—a life of purpose, compassion, commitment, and certainty. That's the power of living into and living out the mission of God. Mark Young, PhD PRESIDENT Dr. Mark Young has served as President of Denver Seminary since 2009. As a theological educator and pastoral leader with over 35 years of global ministry experience, his life passion is to align all that he is and all that he does with the eternal purpose of God—that all people in all places worship Him alone. Mark and his wife, Priscilla, have been married for 35 years and have three grown children and four delightful grandchildren. They are grateful for many opportunities to travel and minister together and love adding new countries to their growing list of "places we've been." Optical_Lens/iStock Izabelite/iStock

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