Jason Forbes
Disability Advocate
Originally published in the November-December 2017 Edition of The Presbyterian Pulse
Occasionally, I hear someone ask, “Can someone with an intellectual disability understand the gospel?” In my reading I’ve even come across commentary suggesting that people with intellectual disabilities can’t respond to the gospel, and that they are saved some other way.
This, I suggest, is completely false. It seems to me the question isn’t about the person with the intellectual disability. It’s more about our theological tradition. Now, I’m a big fan of the conservative theological tradition. It’s why I’m Presbyterian! It’s a very solid and helpful way of understanding our relationship with God. But in the pursuit of theological excellence, there is a danger in over-intellectualising the gospel, and turning faith into intellectual ascent. So we become confused when we come across people with intellectual disabilities.
We need to understand this faith is so much more than knowledge. James says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:19) Satan and his demons know the gospel better than we do. Satan knows enough to even present as an ‘angel of light’ (2 Corinthians 14:11), and counterfeit God’s word (Genesis 3:1, 4-5; Matthew 4:1-10). But do demons have faith? Is Satan saved? Of course not! They are not in a positive saving relationship with God.
So what does it mean to be in a positive, saving relationship with God? Think about this: When was the last time you stopped and thought, “God loves me.” I think that one simple thought can get lost in all our theological thinking. Just take a moment to stop and think what you did this week… Now realise that God loves you. It’s a profound thought, isn’t it? It’s a thought that is part of a relationship of faith in our Lord and Saviour. It seems to me that people with intellectual disabilities have some concept of a loving relationship. They know who their family is. They know who their friends are. So for these people, the gospel might be as simple as “God loves me … so I’m going to love God.” That doesn’t make the rest of our theology irrelevant. I’m not anti-intellectual. We have a sacred privilege in God revealing his Word to us, and we have a sacred duty to study and learn God’s word just as best as we can. But all that theology comes down to this one simple truth: God’s loves you, and you have an obligation to respond. This is language most people should be able to understand.
Sharing the gospel with someone with an intellectual disability really isn’t any different to anyone else. The gospel needs to be demonstrated and explained in terms they can understand. That way, by God’s grace, they will know God loves them, and respond in their own way as God enables them.
Equipping your church
Find out more about reaching out and ministering alongside people with intellectual disabilities by contacting me, Jericho Road’s Disability Advocate on jforbes.disabilityadvocate.pss@gmail.com and ask about how they can equip your church to be more inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities.