Foundations for Christian Mission, Mentor's Guide, MG04

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F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

• For mission, the main implications of the divine romance are these: God is drawing from all nations a people for his own, which includes both Jews and Gentiles. Mission, therefore, is the work of sharing this message of God’s selecting a people from all nations who by faith in Jesus Christ form the members of his kingdom community who will live with him forever.

I. Mission as the Romance of the Ages : God’s Resolve and Desire to Draw Out from among the Nations a People Which Would Belong to and Serve Him Forever

Video Segment 1 Outline

The Covenantal Union between God and His People

The NT takes up the OT theme of the covenant between God and humanity as the framework within which the Christian’s and the church’s relationship with God through Christ is understood. Christians are united with him in a covenant relationship grounded on better promises and a surer foundation through Christ’s work on our behalf. The marriage picture, used by some OT prophets to describe God’s covenant with his people, is taken over in the NT and applied to Christ (the Bridegroom) and the church (his bride). This underlines the nature of the covenant union as one of committed mutual love, respect, trust and faithful allegiance. (Other family-relationship pictures are also used, as father/son, and the older brother and other children.) The Puritans, among others, especially loved this theme. ~ J. P. Baker. “Union With Christ.” The New Dictionary of Theology. S. B. Ferguson, ed. (electronic ed.) Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. p. 698.

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A. The notion of the bride and the bridegroom in OT use

1. “Bride” and “bridegroom” are used together in a connected way in John 3.29.