Words

Middleton & Walsh in their work The Transforming Vision demonstrate that redemptive history is the story of creation, fall, redemption and recreation. It is a holistic view that shows what God has been, is, and will be doing in his plan for the universe. Too quickly we as Christians jump to the find the remedy without placing that remedy in the larger framework the Bible presents. This “story” expands the view of what Christianity is by enlarging it beyond its individualistic borders. As Middleton & Walsh make plain, too often contemporary evangelicalism makes Christianity simply a personal relationship. While this is true, it is also the bringing together a people of God to represent the image of God on earth.

They discussed the idea of imaging God together. I agree with their assessment that too often we (as contemporary evangelicals) give quick, glib answers to culture’s problems. They suggest that we must “wrestle” together as Christ’s church to find these answers. I believe that this means both our local congregations and as a larger body. We must use all the resources that God has given the church, present and past to adequately display the image of God.