LOVE YOUR CHURCH The trend of church going is being replaced with other activities and nominal Christianity. This nominality is not normal Christianity at all. The reasons for negating attendance at worship and growth in one’s life and for the benefit of the body of Christ are multitude; mostly selfish at the core. Every believer needs the church. The Apostle Paul lived in extremely raw circumstances once his life was converted by the Master, but he didn’t spurn his service and church attendance or his love for all saints in his many ordeals. The apostle wrote Philippians 1:19-26 from prison to a body of believers still living in freedom; suffering possibly but still free. He is ashamed at nothing and stood boldly for Christ. He also realized that his life was in the throws of death; possibly to die but still alive. In reality dying to be with Christ in his eternal home would have been an advantage of comfort. Paul would go from faithful service under physical pains into the joys of his eternal service in the bosom of Jesus. But (1:24) to remain in the flesh [was] more needful for[the Philippian Church]. He saw only God’s progress in faithful discipleship for them and himself. Suffering, in Paul’s terms, was a proof of salvation just as one’s adversary’s actions against forwarding the gospel is a proof of perdition (1:28). His conclusion for a suffering church is to found in Phil. 1:27, let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have been placed by the Holy Spirit into one body, the Body of Christ. All are the result of a Divine plan developed and developing a grander trophy of God’s Grace among the nations like never before. We need each other. Think about this, in Christ, God has graciously allowed you to be part of the greatest family in the world—EVER! Yet, no family is perfect, problems and frustrations seemingly arise out of nowhere that jeopardizes the unity secured by the life blood of Jesus Christ. The blame game surfaces and fault finding becomes the tool of the devil to quench the Spirit’s work of blazing the fires of a holy people set apart for God’s faithful service. Remember the blame game that was present in the Garden of Eden following the first accountability session of sin’s presence? Satan’s devices are no different among humankind today. He is jealous of God’s grace and God’s special agents and will do anything in his power to suppress a sinner from confessing God’s truth or following righteousness. If you don’t believe me, think about how our society is going with the continued abuses from people who reject a holy God and are pushing for an agenda of a thoroughly free society; no restraints while legalizing restraints on Christian ethics of biblical origin. Some thoughts from D. Mains, Healing the Dysfunctional Church Family, Victor Books 1992: 32-41.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 15:15:15 +0000
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