Month: October 2018

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We Cannot Save the Church by Glen Elliott

There is but one Savior of the church. I am not the savior But neither are you. The church is not saved by ideas and inventions which arise out of human ingenuity. Neither is the church saved by carefully-planned classes or programs designed to meet the felt-needs of its members. Jesus is the Savior of His church (Eph. 5:23). While He is.potentially, the Savior of the world; He is, at this moment, the Savior of His body, the church (Jn. 4:42; Eph. 1:22.23)

Well-intentioned people will, at times, step in to “save” the church. To save it from itself. To save it from its lethargy. To save it from its leadership. Often these self-appointed saviors take on the form of preachers. But not always. We have seen it many times. Those who think they have the answers-that they can save the church, if only the church will follow their counsel. What often begins with good and honest motives can develop into a savior complex where attention is drawn to the one who has become, at least in their own mind, the indispensable rescuer of the church Instead, our constant focus must be on becoming a Christ-centered church. For He is Savior of the church and to Him belong all praise and glory (Eph. 3:21).

There is much to be done to advance the cause of Christ. But, we do not save the church. Christ is our Savior. God adds the saved to His church (Acts 2:47). We work together with God in our own salvation as well as in the salvation of others (Acts 2:40; 2 Cor. 6:1-2). We ‘encourage one another” (1 Th. 5:11). We “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hb. 10:24). There are many things we must do for the sake of the body. But, regardless of how much we do, we cannot save the church. We are no more important than anyone else in the body of Christ. Jesus alone holds His place of “honor and glory and dominion forever and ever” and we are but unworthy slaves who have been granted the blessing of serving in His kingdom (Rev. 5:13; Lk.17:10).

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Christ Is the Only Way by Gregory Alan Tidwell

We tend to be serious and exclusive when dealing with serious matters. When you go to a physician for treatment, the doctor doesn’t outline four or five arbitrary therapies, asking you to choose the one which “floats your boat.” Rather, a physician seeks the greatest precision in addressing the patient’s situation.

In the same way, but even more profoundly, Jesus claims to address the central elements of life, putting Himself forward to be the answer to our most profound needs. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,” Jesus invites, “and I will give you rest.” This loving call invites us into a new way of life filled with blessings and with responsibilities. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,” is the Savior’s commandment and promise, “for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30) The power of the gospel is transformational. It moves us from the way of the world into the way of salvation in Christ. Receiving the blessings of Jesus as your Savior entails entering into a relationship with Jesus as your Lord.

In contrast to the transforming power of the gospel, much of today’s popular religion is accommodating rather than confrontational. Worldly religions reinforce rather than challenge worldly behavior. In contrast to the world’s message of indulgence, the church must continually reinforce the Lord’s call to
repentance.

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The Greatest Need in America

We’ve been thinking much about the state of our country. Economic woes, fear of enemies, health concerns, natural disasters, spiritual decline, and confused morality call for our attention; and we continually ask what God’s will is for this country.

We are perplexed but not surprised that the fastest growing religious group in America is the group that identifies themselves as having “no religion.” According to the American Religious ldentification Survey taken in 2001, adults who do not subscribe to any religious identification has more than doubled from 14.3 million in 1990 to 29.4 million in 2001; their proportion has grown from just eight percent of the total in 1990 to over fourteen percent in 2001. Only 77 percent of Americans now claim to be Christians.

Many of those who claim to be Christians have convictions far different from the teaching of the New Testament. For instance, the Pew Forum recently released a survey saying that 65 percent of American Christians say that many religions can lead to eternal life, a fact that contradicts Jesus’ plain statement in John 14:6 (see also Acts 4:12; Ephesians 4:4-6)

What America needs most is the gospel, the old story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. That divine story will lead them to change their hearts and lives repentance and to unite with Christ in baptism. The gospel will open their hearts to faith, hope, and love.

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The Priesthood of All Believers by Phil Sanders

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5 NASB). serve as priests.

Under the old covenant, only the Levites could Priests had two functions: (1) they offered up sacrifices in worship, and (2) they were to “to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses (Lev. 10:11)

Under the new covenant, however, every Christian shares in the priesthood. Every Christian has the responsibility to worship and to teach others the unsearchable riches of Christ. “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9-10 ESV).

There are souls all around your neighborhood that needs the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God has asked every Christian to be involved in proclaiming the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.