Impact of Missions on Spiritual Life

I had the opportunity to take a course at TBS in May, Theologians of the Christian Tradition. In the four-day crash course, we studied the lives and works of John Calvin, John Bunyan, Charles Wesley, and Andrew Fuller. In fact, I will continue to be knee-deep in reading for the next month or so, and will not have much time to blog.

Yet I'm coming across a lot of good stuff in my reading and wished I had the time to reflect and synthesize my thoughts. Since I only have Nathaniel's naps to do my course work, I really have to exercise discipline. Nonetheless, if time permits, I will include excerpts here and there, hopefully, for your personal edification as well.

Here is one for today:

"In one direction, when your love for Christ is enflamed and your grasp of the gospel is clear, a passion for world missions follows. In the other direction, when you are involved in missions—when you are laying down your life to rescue people from perishing—it tends to authenticate your faith, and deepen your assurance, and sweeten your fellowship with Jesus, and heighten your love for people, and sharpen your doctrines of Christ and heaven and hell. In other words, spiritual life and right doctrine are good for missions, and missions is good for spiritual life and right doctrine. "

John Piper, "Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Vision" (to read this article, go to http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/1977_Holy_Faith_Worthy_Gospel_World_Vision/)

Okay, back to work.