Spiritual transformation into Christlikeness has always been the true goal of Christianity. Re-creating or transforming humanity in this way—being “born again”–is what God was up to in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Some how this mega-idea got lost in favor of a small story about a sure and secure spot in heaven when one dies.

I understand how it happened, and I was guilty of perpetuating the wrong story. Thank God for all the women and men who have been writing, speaking and teaching to correct this reductionist view in the last decade. I think especially of Tom Wright, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson, the Gospel in our Culture Network, etc.

Christianity—following Jesus as his apprentice—was always supposed to be a whole-life, embodied and practiced reality. As long as we had a Christian consensus in the US, we could all just “wink” or “shrug our shoulders” when professed believers behaved with their “whole life” in ways the contradicted their profession. But now, in the post-Christian period, as Christianity is increasingly marginalized, those outside the faith no longer just wink. David Kinnaman’s research in his recent book Un-Christian, demonstrates the biggest barrier to young outsiders today is the un-Christian lives of Christians.

As I think about “re-practicing” Christianity to live authentic lives of faith, I am not thinking in merely moral terms. I don’t mean to say that we need to be perfect to be attractive to Christians—even Jesus did not attract everyone. But being “born again” must mean something in this life—right? What I do mean to say is this simple, but I think profound and powerful point for evangelism: authentic practice of our “religion”—following Jesus for the sake of others—is the best bridge to faith today.

Young outsiders want to know if our religion is real, if it makes a difference, etc. My first book is done—you can see it on the top right of the main page. My second book—again with IVP is going to focus on this notion of how we “re-practice” our faith in a way the opens doors to faith. I am looking forward to re-thinking and re-visioning all the common practices associated with Christianity.

The Bible has fallen on hard times. This is hard to imagine because there are Bibles of every color, design, purpose and target group. There are even more translations—and even still more commentaries on the text of the Bible. Obviously owning a text of the Bible is not our problem. The problem is we don’t know how to read it anymore. Or, maybe better said, we don’t trust our readings of it anymore. Or, we trust “our” reading but not “theirs”. For some, suspicion and cynicism of the Bible even runs deeper: “How can anyone believe in a God who does or doesn’t do so and so…like in the Bible”.

Today my TiE Group was discussion chapter seven of Dallas Willard’s Hearing God. In the chapter we read the following sentences. I post them hear as a possible step for regaining confidence in the text and our ability to grow as followers of Jesus through it:

We will be spiritually safe in out use of the Bible if we follow a simple rule: Read it with a submissive attitude. Read with a readiness to surrender all you are—all your plans, opinions, possessions, positions. Study as intelligently as possible, with all available means, but never study merely to find the truth and especially not just to prove something wrong. Subordinate your desire to find the truth to you desire to do it, to act it out!

My book, Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others, from IVP is coming along. Below is a picture of the cover. Click on it and you will be wisked away to Amazon.com. You can pruchase it there.

I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!
(1 Cor. 9:23 The Message)

I hear Paul saying this in response to, and in light of, Jesus’ announcement of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. It was an invitation to a life which is derived from and lived in the Kingdom:

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1: 14, 15 NIV)

Paul didn’t just want to hear about this invitation, this greatest of all invitations ever given to humanity. He wanted to participate. Spiritual formation in order to participate in the Kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit for the sake of others is what Three is Enough is all about. Continually re-ordering our thoughts and actions (repent) and acting/behaving as if we have confidence—“bet your life on it”—in the Gospel of Jesus (believe) is the lifelong way to be “in on it” for followers of Jesus.

When Paul said he wanted to be in on it, he was saying “I became all things to all men” because he wanted to be a practicing part of the people of God. The practices associated with TiE are simply guides to help us get going along the same path in doable ways within the patterns of our existing lives.