“Christian life has the fundamental character of communion with the triune God, a communion that grows out of love and is nourished by worship. Communion reflects God’s nature, original intentions for creation, and ongoing work of re-creation.
In this light, we will begin by spending three chapters exploring love, grace, and fellowship. These three terms point to the three divine persons and the work of the one God. Christians are those who enjoy the love of the Father through the grace of the incarnate Son in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
In sum, Christian life is a response to the life and love of God as it flows from God toward us, drawing us back into communion with the Creator.
When we examine this love against the backdrop of the biblical story, we discover that it doesn’t merely bring an emotional change in us nor only have consequences for our relationship with God.
Instead, flowing from the triune God’s inner life, this love constitutes God’s working plan for shalom and his response to the problems that sin introduces. God’s love draws us back into communion with him, and receiving his love enables us to love our neighbors and the rest of creation.
As sinners, we receive God’s love and enter his kingdom not by our natural standing or faithfulness but by Christ working in and for us.
Jesus the Messiah is the gift of God: As Mediator between God and humanity, the incarnate Son is God’s grace given to us.
He is not only God, worthy of worship, but also our Priest, King, and Prophet who leads our worship.
In theology as in worship, we must always see that Christ is central to Christian life.
We enjoy life, love, and fellowship now with God by the Holy Spirit, the eternal divine person who is the bond of love between the Father and Son, so even now the same Spirit is the bond of love connecting us and God in Christ.”
–Kelly M. Kapic, Christian Life, ed. Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain, New Studies in Dogmatics (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2025), 27–28.
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