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Foreword by Gabe Lyons.
First Words. Two lessons from Scott's early life.
- Saved. "A Christian is someone who has personally accepted Jesus Christ, who has found forgiveness through his death, and who is now on their way to heaven when they die." He accepted Jesus at age 6 and wouldn't wait until his father came home because he was afraid he would die before that happened.
- Instructed. "A Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus; and the Christian life if the development of personal (private) practices of piety, separation from sin and the world, and a life dedicated to rescuing sinners from hell."
If lesson one is the sole goal, you get superficial Christians. If lesson 2 is the goal, you get legalists.
The question asked and hopefully answered in One.Life is What is a Christian? Scott's former answer: "A Christian is someone who follows Jesus, and the Christian life focuses on personal practices of piety." His answer today: "A Christian is someone who follows Jesus."
Discipled. Scott's orientation changed in his first class in seminary when he was introduced to the Jesus of the gospels. After 34 years of an admittedly Jesus first theology, he has come to 3 convictions.
- Jesus didn't define the Christian life the way many Christians do today.
- Jesus defined being a Christian as "following" him.
- Following Jesus is bigger than the single-moment of accepting Christ and the personal-practices-of-piety plan.
This book will describe what it means to be a follower of Jesus.