Do you have a theology of risk? When it comes to making decisions about the kingdom of God do you have a theology of risk? I hope so. Every Christian and ministry or mission organisation needs one. Without one, we won’t step out and take risks. And worse, your Christian life (or mission, or church) will be oriented towards comfort, stability and protection. Why do I say that? Because life is already unstable.
Life already feels unstable
Sure, there are moments when you think ‘I’m living the good life’, but just around the corner comes the next bump in the road, or perhaps a giant crevasse cutting the road in half. I’ve lived half a century on this planet now and sometimes it feels like lurking around each corner is something that will throw you, not only off the road but completely off course.
So, why then, would you, if you’re a Christian take risks for Jesus? Since life is hard as it is, why step out and take on more risk? Why cross the relational pain line and share Jesus with a friend who might not want to hear what you have to say? Why start a new church? Why give up money and security and stability to see new things happen in God’s kingdom? The answer isn’t found in us or our life circumstances. If we look there, the answer given our fragility and life’s instability will always be don’t take a risk.
Rather, the answer to why risk can only be found in who God is and what he is doing. And these, in many ways, are basic to the Christian life - who is God? What is he doing? How am I part of this? But we need to think these things through in the category of taking risks.
Put more positively, who is God and what is his plan such that we ought to take risks for him?
Why we should take risks
In short, we take risks because we know who the Lord is and what his plans are.
•We know who the LORD is - he is the eternal Creator who loves sinners and wants humanity to know him through Christ. (John 17:3, Colossians 1:21-23, Romans 5:8-9)
We know his ultimate plan to build the church and bring everything under Christ (Matthew 16:16, Ephesians 1:10, 1 Corinthians 15:25-27)
We know his desire for us to be involved because if we’ve come to Christ we are involved. (Ephesians 2:22, 4:1-6, Mark 8:34-38)
We know he supplies - he gives gifts and abilities and capacity for his plan to be fulfilled and for us to be involved (capacity includes money). (Mark 10:29-31, Ephesians 4:7-13, Psalm 50:10-12). He also supplies his very self in the Holy Spirit (John 15:26, Romans 8:9)
We know the ultimate outcome and end - Jesus will return as victor and be glorified. For all who trust Christ as their Lord and Saviour - they know their outcome and end - to be raised up from the dead to be with him.
We know his goal for us to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:28-29)
It is these truths together that enable a believer to take risks for Jesus. Each one is significant. But not enough. However, taken together they provide us with a framework for stepping out, trusting God, and seeing him do more than we expect. After all, he is the God of the impossible.
Yes, these are big picture. But that is the big picture we need. For it is this vital overarching framework that ought to direct our thinking and fill our hearts. Consider Paul’s words in Colossians 3. He commands Christians to set their hearts on Jesus’ rule in heaven.
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
You don’t get much more big picture than that!
And did you notice how the points of the framework above are mostly eschatologically oriented? The words plan, desire, outcome, end and goal all reveal this. Eschatology is often considered the the study of the last things in Christian theology such as: when Jesus will return, how he’ll return, the final judgement etc. But it much more helpful to understand eschatology as the study of God’s purposes through time. It’s about God’s plan. Put as questions, ‘What is God planning and why?’ And, ‘What will God achieve?’
As we understand God’s plan & purposes we start to understand our place in his purposes. As we come to understand what God is doing we know what we should be or could be doing. And we also know what the outcome will be. Which is unsurprisingly highlighted by Paul in Colossians 3, ‘When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.’
Glory is coming. It is inevitable and unstoppable for those in Jesus Christ. Which means it is not now. Now is the time of setting our hearts on Jesus.
One caveat - not at the cost of your salvation
However, there is one important caveat in all this. Will taking on this risk grow you or destroy you? I am utterly convinced God wants us to take risks for him. But not at the cost of our salvation. Paul writes to Timothy his protege, ‘Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.’ (1 Timothy 4:16).
Timothy is to watch his own life and doctrine so that he remains in Christ and his hearers remain in Christ. Put another way, Timothy isn’t to walk down a path in life that would destroy his godliness or his trust in Christ even if it means he saves others for Christ. His salvation matters to God.
What this means practically is that if you want to go on an overseas mission trip or even go to the local pub but it is a significant possibility that your godliness or walk with Jesus will be damaged then don’t do it. That’s an unacceptable risk. Not all of us are cut out for all things. Our disposition and our situation matters. Some of us, by God’s grace, can cope with some things that others can’t. And that is more than okay. That’s why we are a body of Christ working together to see the kingdom grow.
Take risks, yes, but it is dangerously wrong to take risks that you expect to damage your godliness and threaten your salvation.
And what if our project or goal fails?
But that’s not the only consideration. As we look to take risks we have to count the cost before we go forward. And one of the costs might be that what we hoped to achieve doesn’t come off. So what then?
Success is not the measure. It is a measure. Yes, outcomes matter and we should have outcomes as goals and weigh up a mission or ministry against them. This is wise.
However, we are not the Lord. And even with perfect planning, perfect strategy and a perfect team, God may choose to not grant success. ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’S purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)
Which points us to consider other outcomes. Looking back at the dot points above we know that God’s plan is big, certain and includes every believer. But there are no guarantees that our gospel project to grow the kingdom of Jesus will succeed. Our project may fail.
This doesn’t mean that God’s plan has failed or that the kingdom isn’t growing. Jesus’ project never fails. Rather we trust that he was doing something greater in our project failure such as growing us to be like Jesus, in our trust and dependence on our heavenly Father.
Cross-shaped & eschatological risk
What I want to invite you into is a cross-shaped risk. We take risks because of Jesus. And risks almost always mean sacrifice, be it personal or corporate. And sacrifice means suffering. In this sense risk is cross-shaped.
But, it is also eschatalogical risk. For we know what the cross event achieved and made possible. We know the part it plays in God’s great plan. Jesus is building his church, he is saving people from hell and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
So, plan boldly, plan wisely, count the cost, plan in light of the gospel and the purposes of Jesus and expect gospel fruit. Take up your risky cross for Jesus, for he is building his church and the gates of hell will not overcome it.