All that we do at KAINOS seeks to be rooted and grounded in God’s Word. We truly believe that all Scripture is “God-breathed,” or “expired” by God. While He used human agents to write His Word, God did not simply use the human writers as secretaries to whom he dictated His Word. No, God used their personalities, experiences, knowledge, and life circumstances. He did not in any way circumvent their humanness. They were all carried along by the Holy Spirit so that what they wrote was what God wanted them to write. So, Scripture truly covers the full gamut of life and human experience. So, we believe that Scripture is able to equip us for all we need to be effective servants of God and for all we need to enjoy God as our loving, steadfast Heavenly Father.
A significant aspect of this value will be seen in the way we seek to counsel others in the New Life we have been given in Christ. So, how does Scripture impact the way we view people and how we approach people? We truly seek to consistently apply a biblical anthropology in all of our ministry. This means that we approach people and their struggles in the light of their being “embodied souls.” This means that while we are physical beings, we are also spiritual beings. While there are certainly physiological aspects to various kinds of problems we might encounter, the answers are not ultimately found by just focusing on the physical and medication alone. So, while a person who is clinically depressed certainly might require the help of meds, the ultimate prescriptive focus will have to entail dealing with what is going on in the heart of the person. This is the marvelous way in which God has made us. We seek to provide hope and help through the resources of relationship with Christ that are spelled out in God’s Word.
In a summary fashion we seek to effectively walk with others on the path of faith working through love. Love is the summary of all of God’s Law and it focuses on a life that pursues loving God and our neighbors. These two loves cannot be separated. Love for God is reflected in love for others and vice versa. This provides us with a powerful and encouraging framework in which to work out our struggles and difficulties.
Faith truly does commerce with the promises of God and the truths of His Word. Faith interacts with the reality of who we truly are in Christ and what has been given to us in Christ. During the writing of this blog we are in the midst of dealing with the COVID-19 virus and all of its impact. During the early days of quarantining I really began to struggle for several reasons. My family and I are going through some significant transitions in terms of moving, new ministry development, etc. I began to feel overwhelmed and even began to feel some economic insecurity as the stock market continued to drop significantly. So, I began to become anxious about financial matters as well. So, I went back to basics and focused on what I truly believed and what God’s Word says about such matters of life. I happened to be reading John 14 as a part of my daily Bible reading and I was truly struck and helped by the truth of that passage. “Let not your hearts be troubled.” Why and how? Jesus said, “Believe in God, believe in me.” Jesus then taught about the many reasons why we must trust our Father and Savior. Jesus reminded his disciples that while he was leaving them, he was going to prepare a place for them and would receive them there. He promised them that he would not leave them as orphans but would send another Helper who would remind them of what he taught. So, while I felt kind of alone I was reminded that the very Spirit of God has made a home in my heart. Also, I was reminded that NOTHING could hinder me from making it to where Jesus is because HE IS THE WAY! No maps or GPS needed. He is my way and my Door. I became overwhelmed by being reminded of these great realities.
So, we will seek to minister and pray in the light of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, where Jesus prayed and asked God to sanctify his disciples by the truth…God’s word is truth.
We take grace seriously. We take truth seriously. We will seek to trust the Holy Spirit to enable us to walk in that glorious tension of grace and truth. Why? Because God is full of grace and truth (John 1).