Philosophy of Grace Baptist Missions

In every aspect of our Christian lives, God must be first and foremost. The same is true with Missions. Our lives and our focus on missions must then be God-centered. What do God-Centered Missions look like?
Remember that salvation is not just a change in eternal address; it is also to be a change in the way that we live.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:18, deals specifically with the progressive changes that are to be occurring in the lives of true believers each day. To rightly understand this concept, you must understand the underlying truths of God's plan and purpose for believers.

I. God's Original Design: Man as God's Image and Glory

It is critical for us to remember God's original design. Mankind was created in the image of God. We were created to reflect His glory.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
Mankind was created in God's Image. This was God's Plan.

II. The Result of Sin: God's Image Marred, Not Removed

God tells us in Romans 3:23, that because of our sin, we fall short of revealing God?s glory.

III. The New Birth: God's Image Renewed within the Believer

New Birth - Salvation begins the re-creation of the image of God within the believer.

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Salvation is the renewing of God's image within us.

IV. Final Salvation: Conformed to the Son's Image, the Perfect Representation of God's Image

The Bible tells us that one day we will be completely conformed into the image of Christ. This concept is called Glorification - Final Salvation, this is the state at which we are completely like Christ.
This is the end result in God's Plan to change us into His image.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

V. Progressive Sanctification: Changed into Christlikeness by the Spirit through the Word

- God's sanctifying work is the progressive transformation of into the image of Jesus Christ that is explained by being moved from glory to glory.

- God is not content to wait until we get to heaven to change us into the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God is doing this work of transformation right now in our lives.

- We are being transformed as we look into God's Word at the glory of Christ.

This is the message of missions. We must proclaim to the world that God desires to transform their lives. Our goal for missions is to fulfill each of these five purposes of God. We must begin here in Wilmington, let it spread to the rest of North Carolina, then the United States and finally around the world. This will be accomplished as we first obey God's commission for us here, but then as we facilitate others to go and spread this great message to others both here in the states and around the world. Our goal is to support those who go and do this great work, while we labor here in the same work.