Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART II: T HEOLOGICAL AND M ISSIOLOGICAL P RINCIPLES AND I NSIGHTS • 127

5. Light has shined upon the Gentiles , who now are fellow heirs of the eternal splendor to come, Col. 1.27; Rom. 16.25-27; Eph. 3.3-5.

6. The Spirit of the living God indwells us ( arrabon ): God lives here and walks among us here, 2 Cor. 1.20.

7. We taste the powers of the Age to Come : Satan is bound in our midst, the Curse has been broken here, deliverance is experienced in Jesus’ name, Gal. 3.10-14. 8. We experience the shalom of God’s eternal kingdom : the freedom, wholeness, and justice of the new order are present among us, and visibly displayed to the world through our good works, Matt. 5.14-16; Rom. 5.1; Eph. 2.13-22. 9. We herald the Good News of God’s reign ( evanggelion ): we invite all to join us as we journey to the full manifestation of the Age to Come, Mark 1.14-15.

10. Here we cry Maranatha !: our lives are structured by the living hope of God’s future and the consummation, Rev. 22.17-21.

II. Implications of Christus Victor Theology for Our Life and Witness

God’s Kingdom means the divine conquest over His enemies, a conquest which is to be accomplished in three stages; and the first victory has already occurred. The power of the Kingdom of God has invaded the realm of Satan – the present evil Age. The activity of this power to deliver men from satanic rule was evidenced in the exorcism of demons. Thereby, Satan was bound; he was cast down from his position of power; his power was “destroyed.” The blessings of the Messianic Age are now available to those who embrace the Kingdom of God. We may already enjoy the blessings resulting from this initial defeat of Satan. Yes, the Kingdom of God has come near, it is already present. This does not mean that we now enjoy the fulness of God’s blessings, or that all that is meant by the Kingdom of God has come to us. . . . [T]he Second Coming of Christ is absolutely essential for the fulfil ment and consummation of God’s redemptive work. Yet God has already accomplished the first great stage in His work of redemption. Satan is the god of This Age, yet the power of Satan has been broken that men may know the rule of God in their lives. The evil