"Enemy Love" and the Gospel of the Kindgdom.

I recently wrote an email to a local talk show host on 880AM WRFD. This is what I wrote.


Dear Rev. Bob Burney,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear brother, thank you for your faithfulness to our Lord in the ministries that your are presently involved in. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit is at work with you. You have been a blessing to me and no doubt to many other Christians and non-Christians alike.

Brother Bob, I've listened to your program on WRFD for several years now, as often as I can. Unfortunately my present employment situations prevent me from listening as often as I would like to, particularly because lately you've been talking about several issues that are near and dear to my heart. You have mentioned our brother Jim Wallis on occassion lately and have commented on his ministries. Unfornutalely I haven't been able to hear all your comments reguarding these ministries, but I've been able to catch some glimpses through another one of your listeners who is a dear friend of mine.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe that there are presently at minimum two major issues which you and Brother Wallis are in disagreement. First reguarding the Gospel of the Kingdom, and second reguarding the centrality of the Gospel as "Enemy Love". I recently heard you say something to the effect of, we are currently living under the Gospel of Grace and not the Gospel of the Kingdom. As stated in these words here, this is troubling to me as my convictions do not allow me to separate the two. Christ preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and Paul's writings of the Gospel must be interpreted through Christ's teachings of this Kingdom.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you have stated that the center of the Gospel is the atoning blood of Christ and salvation by grace through faith in Christ. I agree with you on this, but allow me to elaborate so we can understand why "Enemy Love" is central to the Gospel. The Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection are the most important elements of the Gospel, right? For without them, we have no atonement for our sins, and no new life in Christ. But salvation through the atoning blood of Christ is not a full Gospel. And here is where this Gospel of the Kingdom is truly centered on "Enemy Love", Christ demonstrates this "Enemy Love" by dying for us while we were still sinners, but it doesn't end here. He calls us not only to believe in His atoning blood, but to imitate this "Enemy Love" as new creatures in the Kingdom of Heaven, here, now, today, not in the future.

So the good news or the Gospel of the Kingdom is that we have access to God's Kingdom now, and can one day enter into it in its fullness. It is precisely because of the mysteries of the Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection that this Kingdom is available to us. This Kingdom life he has called us to is true life, eternal life, and is lived out through faith in Christ and evidenced by our love for God and our neighbor.

Please excuse the brevity of my comments, as there is much more to be said reguarding these eternal matters. My human understanding is too often inadequate as I can only now see in part what all God is doing. Also, please excuse me if I've misunderstood the meaning behind your disagreements with brother Wallis.

These are matters close to my heart Brother Burney, and I ask that you would prayerfully consider these words if you are unsure of them. Please pray for me as I continue seeking first His Kingdom and Justice and I pray the same for you. May the grace of our Lord be upon you.

In Christ,
Jeremy