A close adaptation of this will soon appear on Crossroads Church’s website. Feel free to copy and paste this and adapt it to the language of your church. Let’s not be Christians who only live out 1/2 the Gospel…
The Whole Gospel Manifesto
Crossroads Church is a multiethnic 7-year-old church plant committed to the whole Gospel to the whole person. This Gospel is found in being reconciled to God through Jesus’ forgiveness of sins, which he made possible through his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead (Romans 5:8-11). The reconciliation doesn’t stop with us as individuals though. The rest of the Bible shows us how we become partners with Jesus as his followers in reconciling the entire world to the heart of God. This includes the forgiveness and elimination of individual sins, but also societal sins that we are called by God to rise up against as his agents of love and light. Societal sins such as centuries of American racism and division, as well as the oppression of the poor and vulnerable around the world. The Gospel of Jesus is a two-edged sword that is meant to break both the eternal and earthly chains of sin that shackle humanity. Jesus came to free the oppressed (Luke 4:16-21) and we at Crossroads aim to take up that mantle, bringing the freedom of Jesus to those in both physical and spiritual slavery; providing the healing and wholeness that can only be fueled by Jesus. Healing and wholeness for our sins of today, as well as the sins of multiple centuries that have created many of the systems of injustice people face today. Rather than enjoy the comforts the injustices of our forefathers have brought us (Jeremiah 22:13-16), we will step into the brokenness and oppression. We will stand up for the orphan, for the poor, for the enslaved, for the destitute, for the stepped on, as Jesus stood up for us, and as he continues to stand up for them. We will join hands with Jesus, being channels of his redemption and reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20); using the whole Gospel to bring wholeness and healing to the whole city and the whole world.
If you want to connect with an organization living this out exceptionally well in the United States, visit the Christian Community Development Association.
If you want to connect with an organization living this out exceptionally well globally, visit World Relief.
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He is:
Author of Beyond the Battle: A man's guide to his identity in Christ in an oversexualized world
Host of the The Flip Side Podcast
Join an online men's small group led by Noah and team at BeyondTheBattle.net
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