What and Why the Church?

"If it’s not about Jesus, it’s not about anything".

(Motto of the Fountain of Life)

 

SPS:   

1) To identify and examine three purposes of the Church.   

2) To briefly discuss the threefold division of the Church.   

3) Offer encouragement to worship together.

A large snow storm came to Fayette, Greene and Washington counties in Pennsylvania,  a few weeks ago.  Pastor Todd Crouch cancelled Grace Communion’s services at the Fountain of Life in Washington.  The Masontown Presbyterian Church decided to hold Sunday services.  Therefore, living only ½ mile from the Presbyterian fellowship, I decided to worship with them.   

Having grown up in Masontown and knowing many of the congregation made me feel at home in a denomination different from my own.  One of the congregation engaged me in conversation.  I learned that she was not a member there, but liked to attend various churches in the area, because she explained to me, “We are all members of only one body.”  She was content with what seemed to be a nomadic church existence.   

Friends, we wonder is forgoing a “home congregation” wise?  But her approach to the body of Christ is not isolated or rare.  Further we find that in post-modern American the mantra is “no truth, no reason, no relevance”.   With that in mind, why bother about church at all?  Brethren, to begin our discussion, let’s first ask, what is the Church?     

We’ll look to Grace Communion International’s (GCI) booklet “Statement of Beliefs”.  In 2009 GCI modified its definition of “The Church.”  Let’s review that modification.

2001:  The church, the Body of Christ, consists of all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit abides.

2009:  The Church, the Body of Christ, consists of all who trust in Jesus Christ.

Slight change:  The relational aspect of trust in Jesus is presented here while faith in Jesus and the abiding of the Holy Spirit are assumed. 

2001:  The church is commissioned to preach the gospel, to teach all that Christ commanded, to baptize, and to nurture the flock.

2009:  The church is commissioned to make disciples of Jesus by reaching out in love to all people, nurturing and baptizing those who believe, and teaching believers to obey all that Christ commanded. 

Slight change:  The relational aspects of love and nurturing are recognized first, while preaching is assumed.

2001:  In fulfilling its mission, the church is directed by the Holy Scriptures, led by the Holy Spirit, and looks continually to Jesus Christ, its living Head.

2009:  In fulfilling this mission, the church is directed by the Holy Scriptures, led by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and looks continually to Jesus Christ, its living Head.

Slight change:  The relational, personal aspect of Holy Spirit’s indwelling is showcased over the somewhat formal, impersonal description of being led.      

Both definitions are scripturally correct yet, the newer one has a subtly deeper sense of relationship and inclusion than the older one.  Let’s continue with the three purposes:  Worship, teaching and ministry.

Worship:

2 Cor. 4:4:  “In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”   

In this verse who are those who do not believe?  Listen to our culture; to conversation in real life, in the movies.  Talk in the workplace is filled with Jesus this, Jesus that, damn this or damn that.  Vulgarity and violence rules.  For example take Emmy award winning TV shows as The Sopranos and Breaking Bad.  We root for their heroes.  But at heart the heroes of these highly honored highly esteemed shows were brutal violent murders.  If art imitates life we are in trouble.  The people who live in these Godless worlds, real or fictional, want good and honorable things for themselves and their families, they just don’t want God, let alone Jesus.  There is not much call to worship from these people.

2 Cor. 11:13-14:     

 There was a song about 25 years ago with these words:  “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”  The Christian inspired song  “You Light up My Life” sung by Debbie Boone had these words, “How can it be wrong when it feels so right?”  The lesson is trust your heart.  If it feels good do it!  But there is always the caveat:  “if it doesn’t hurt anyone else”.  Do it and feel good about it because it isn’t anybody else’s business but yours and it’s not hurting anyone else!  This could be anything from solitary heavy drinking to drug use or to gambling.  And if there is mutual consent to an act this open many doors.  This places heavy emphasis on emotions and feelings, which allow the heart to triumph over reason.  

 Retired Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson taught that the bible teaching about true love trumps the biblical directives against same sex relations.  Therefore, he and his lover argue that their stable love is superior to divorce and broken homes, therefore approved by God.  His Denominational leader, Bishop Katherine Jeffords-Shori agreed.   

Is love a good argument?  After all how can the virtue of love be wrong?  Let me answer this way.  How can the virtue of equality be wrong?  When equality is elevated as the chief and controlling virtue over the others, then we have license to overlook lesser virtues such as justice or patience in order to ensure equality for all.  We can thereby justify ourselves for taking from the rich and giving to the poor so that all may share equally in the resources.   I believe Marx and Lenin advocated this.  On the other side we can justify the isolation or elimination of segments of the population in order that all those remaining in the community may more equally share the wealth.  In various forms this was practiced many years ago in the former nations of Rhodesia and Stalinist Russia.  Whenever we elevate anything over Jesus, even love, we create an idol.  And as we serve it, it becomes a demon.  Mature Christocentric teaching guards against that type of error by its focus on Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Ministry

1 Pet. 5:8:  your adversary, the Devil, walks about as a roaring lion, seeking all whom he may devour.  If nothing else, there is strength and safety in numbers.  Peter seems to be saying, “Beloved get in out of the rain.  Get in the building.  Allow the Church to minister.”  Heb. 10:25…Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  The message again is “Don’t try to go it alone.  Allow the Church to minister.”

Dr. Mike Morrison of GCI wrote, “A local congregation can give us a sense of belonging, of being involved with other believers.  It can give us some spiritual safety, so that we are not blown around by strange ideas.”  The local church provides friendship and encouragement.  It can provide a stage for us to display works of mercy, to put our gifts to use.

The Greek word ekklesia is translated as Church 115 times in the New Testament. Strong’s Concordance word #1577 lists it literally as “a calling out” or “called out ones.”  Some define it as “an assembly.”  That includes members on earth, saints in heaven or both together.

The Church has a threefold division

1.      The Universal Church:  Everyone who accepts Jesus and Lord and savior. 

2.    The denominations:  Group with shared history and beliefs working together.

3. The individual congregation:  People who regularly meet together.  They may include family members who attend but don’t believe, or members who consider themselves Christians but are not.

The Church is the body of Christ.  It consists of all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit abides.  1 Cor. 12:13:  “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.” 

 Colossians 1:18:  “And Jesus is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

The Holy Spirit abides in the Church and in its members.

Rom. 8:9:  “But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The church is commissioned to preach the gospel, baptize and nurture the flock.

Matt. 28: 19-20:  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

The Church directed by the Holy Scriptures and led by the Holy Spirit looks continually to Jesus.  Ephesians 1:22:  “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.”

The New Testament does not require any particular church structure or governance.  With this liberty the Christian world has utilized the episcopal, the congregational and the Presbyterian forms.  These forms generally reflect either hierarchy, democracy or representation.     

Three Purposes Revisited

Earlier we presented the three purposes, worship, teaching and ministry with negative examples.  Let us now revisit them and see what the scripture says.

1.  Worship.    John 4:23:  the woman at the well.  Jesus said we worship in spirit and truth.  The Father seeks such to worship him.  We are called to continually offer sacrifice to God (Heb. 13:15); to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (of worship) (Eph. 5:19).

2.  Teaching:   Matt:  28:19-20.  “Teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.”

We are also called to teach each other (Col 3:16).

3.  Ministry:  Gal. 6:10.  “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. Especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  The world is filled with needs.  None is greater than the need for the gospel.  Every one of us is called to minister.  Some plant, some water, some provide shade, some keep the rabbits out, some shoo crows away, some harvest as we all minister together.

Why we need the church?  Let’s not try to answer this important question using reason, logic, experience, statics or questionnaires.   Let’s go to the Bible.  Can we see this advice coming from the wisest being in the universe?  Can we detect a theme?  Key on the phrase “one another.”

Heb. 10:25 - Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as is the custom of some.  But exhort one another as you see the day approaching.

Rom, 12:10 – be kindly affectionate to one another in honor giving preference to one another. 

Rom. 15:7 – receive one another, just as Christ received us.  To the Glory of God.

1 Cor. 12:25 - That there should be no schism in the body, that the members care for one another

Gal. 5:13 – Through love, serve one another.    

Eph. 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God in Christ forgave you.  

Col. 3:13 - and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. 

The scriptures seem to indicate that we primarily develop as Christians with and around one another and not as isolated spiritual units.  It is fair to ask:  is it better and perhaps wiser to develop around the relational aspect one another in a church congregation?  Or is it wiser to develop at home alone on Sunday morning watching Joel Osteen or others on TV? 

Where is the Church?

Many people seek first for perfect doctrine, then seek a church to validate their perfect understanding.  Others seek first for a sign of spiritual manifestations to validate any Church and seek congregations which fill their deep spiritual longings.  And here brethren is the great danger.  If there is perfect understanding of the Bible but there is no love in the congregation, then they are as nothing.  The Holy Spirit is not there.  If there are tongues and miracles with coldness and indifference to one another, they become as sounding brass or tinkling symbols.  The Spirit is not living in that Church.  Perhaps the Spirit may occasionally descend and touch individual members for a moment, just as when the Spirit came mightily upon King Saul enabling him to speak among the prophets – for a time before departing.  However, we desire the Spirit to be in us as Paul teaches, not just upon us as with King Saul. 

That is why is it important that visitors to our congregations sense first that Jesus is there; that they sense care and forgiveness there; that they sense the Holy Spirit living in and through the members.  Peace, unity and respect among congregation members are important identifying signs of love.  When Jesus is the alpha and the omega, love allows members of the same congregation to peacefully hold different ideas about the rapture, or evolution, or water baptisms or Holy Spirit Baptism, or tongues, or miracles, or prophecy.  Psalm 133:1 reads, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.”  In light of that scripture peace, unity and respect among orthodox believers would be greater manifestations of the Spirit than miracles, tongues or prophecy.   The Spirit led congregation focus upon Jesus as the Captain of their salvation, they do not focus upon a doctrine, a theory or an emotion.

And if there grows a desire to share or preach Jesus, then there will be manifestations in that congregation, suitable to that congregation, and they will bring honor to the Father through the Son in that congregation’s unique way.  As people are different, and gifts are different, congregations are different. 

Brethren, we are called out ones because of grace.  Romans 10:5-6 says “there remains a remnant according to the election of grace.”  Even a small remnant does not consist of one alone but is made of one another.

CLOSING:  Brethren, Jesus is the beginning and the end.  We began this discussion with the motto of the Fountain of Life.  Let’s also close with it.  If it is not about Jesus, it is not about anything.’

Friends, may the grace, peace and love of our Father and His Son, our Lord Jesus be with you all.

 Editors Note: We at the Fountain of Life Church, believe very strongly that all Christians should be a part of a local congregation.  If you do not have a church home please find one. We invite you to worship with us here at the Fountain of Life Church in Washington Pennsylvania, or if you are interested in Grace Communion , of which the Fountain of life is apart of . You can go to our Communion's web page and find the nearest Grace Communion congregation near you. at http://www.gci.org/participate/find

Rev. George Relic, Assistant Pastor,

Fountain of Life Church

2021 Old National Pike, Washington, Pa 15301

A congregation of Grace Communion International

In Our Darkest Hour

“Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”Gen: 15: 4-5

Abraham who, was, and is called the father of the faithful, which are all believers, including each of us today, and believers throughout the ages. He was called out of Ur of the Chaldeans by the great God still bearing the name of his birth, Abram.

He responds to the calling that God had upon his life and in so doing was given great and exceeding promises by the Lord, which God had assured him, would become realty.

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”Gen: 12:1-3

Begins to Wonder

Like all of us, Abram wanted to know and understand the timing and nature of the promises made to him by the Lord God and he approaches God and inquires regarding all that was promised.

After a time in Egypt, Abram returns to the land of Canaan and there Abram approaches God and begins to ask about these great promises. The promises of God were great and containing lands and wealth, yet the aspect of the promises which was most dear to Abram was that of an heir.

Abram begins to look at the physical conditions that he faced and began to focus on and be concerned by his own mortality. To this the Great God sends Abram a word of encouragement to assure him that God would fulfill His word to Abram.

God responds and blesses Abram letting him know that the Lord would act for him and gives him encouragement and not to fear that he will we receive all that has been promised him

 “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. ”

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Gen: 15:1-3

“Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”(4-5)

God reinforces that Abram should not fear and that what is coming in the promise are great things, He bids Abram to look up to heaven and see the stars as evidence of the multitude of the descendants that Abram would have and how great the fulfillment of the promises would be.

He also said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”(7)

Stars Are a Sign

In Abraham’s case God gives him the sign of the stars to confirm the realty that He will bring it to pass.  In a real sense God is telling Abram to look up to Heaven, to God to trust God, to know that the times and seasons of his, and our,   life are in God’s hands. All Abram need do was to look up and each night as the stars emerged out of the descending darkness he could know that God would be faithful.

 Word of God speaks that stars are signs and for seasons. That each time the Patriarch looked up, the very stars themselves spoke of the faithfulness of God as a sign to him that God will bring to pass His promises to Abram.

“Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;”

Gen: 1:14

What God is telling Abram, is that God, is in control of the timing and the seasons of Abram’s, and all of our lives, lives. He will fulfill his word.

And as years latter David would assert that he knew he could trust God for each season of his life were in the hands of God.

“I will trust in God for ALL my seasons are in your hands” -Ps: 31:14-15

At the Alter

Abram even after conformation is assured by God, he still asks as to how he will receive theses great and exceeding blessings which the Lord has spoken to him.

“But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” Gen: 15:8

In answer to Abrams inquiry the Lord God then instructs Abram to bring a sacrifice and worship.

Abram comes to God’s Alter, with his sacrifice as he was told by God.

“So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds”. (9-10)

Now as Abram lays his sacrifice and worships at the rough hewed altar that looks ahead to the craggy slops of Calvary , birds of prey attempt to carry off his sacrifice. Abram is forced to drive them away.

“The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.”(11)

The Darkness

As the sun sets upon him and darkness surrounds him, Abram falls into a deep sleep. In this darkness shrouded sleep, a fear comes upon him.

“ Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him”(12)

It was this very darkness that conjured his fear. This darkness was what inspired Abram’s fear as it closed in around him, for even the very stars were obscured from view by it.  

 The very sign that God had given to Abram that God’s word would be fulfilled and all that God had for him would come to pass were in a moment hid from his view.

Abram becomes afraid, there he was in the darkness, he can no longer see the stars which were appoint to be an ongoing encouragement to him and the sign of the faithfulness of God toward him was now obscured.  In this, the darkest hour Abram, loses sight of the fact that it is God who has appointed the seasons of his life, and the timing of God’s Word.

Yet in the darkness God’s voice is heard, letting him know that God is with him and is faithful to the great promise already given, and again reinforces that God is directing the course of Abram’s and his decedents lives. That God has a purpose which is unfolding.

“God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions. “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age. “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”(13-16)

God shows Abram an additional vision to reassure him that God will bring to pass all that he has promised.

“It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.” (17)

In the culture that time, when an agreement or covenant was made between persons and was accompanied by a sacrifice, those who made the covenant would pass between that which was offered to ratify the agreement. This was done to state that they would be as the sacrificed animals, if they did not fulfill their word. God was telling Abram, though the vision of the furnace and the burning torch, that he will do as he said he would. Abram could trust the Lord God.

“On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (18)

Abram is a Type of Christian

When Abram was called out of Ur by God, he was asked to leave his old life behind; and he was looking for the fulfillment of the Word that God gave to him. When We all when we hear the call of God through the Gospel message about our Lord Jesus Christ,   and when we come out of the Ur of our past lives and are led forth by God we are then recipients of great promises of God.

The Scriptures’   tells us, all who forsake their past lives, will receive many blessings in the end, and to this God is faithful to his people. The same was true for Abram, and the same is true for Christians. Even when we may find ourselves wondering by what means or how God will bring these thing to pass in our lives. Whatever we have left behind the Ur of our past we will be blessed by God above what we have left behind.

“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”Matt: 19:29-30

 Even when we Christians,  maybe in a time descending darkness in or lives , even as we worship at his alter and the birds of prey of this world attempt  to steal our sacrifice  away , even when we offer our selves a living sacrifices,  we,   like Abram can begin to doubt that our God will be faithful.  God’s saying He will keep His word to us.

You see when we enter that life of worship and service to God.  Satan at times comes along with his birds of prey, that is the distractions of the world and we find that some things will enter our lives, attempting to take that sacrifice, which is our worship, to distract us from worshiping God.

You see Abram drove them, away  and entered into warfare,  there will be things and circumstances and even people which will try to draw us away from the alter , that is worship. We needed to be armed with the Word of God.   We need to cling to the promises of God and His Word. God rules the times and seasons, even the stars are hid from our view as they were from Abram.    

Our  Darkest Hour

We can in the midst of times of darkness loss sight of what God has promised us, we can become distracted. There are times when God’s promises seem far off and we cannot navigate easily, when Heaven seems silent as to why we are facing what we are facing and the seasons that we are passing through.  

These dark times can breed discouragement and terror in hearts; we can doubt that God is there, that His Word for us won’t be fulfilled. God has not given us the Spirit of fear but a sound mind. Abram was gripped, momentarily with the Spirit of Fear and God’ calming voice gave him comfort, he will do the same for us even when we  face these dark times  which can breed discouragement and terror in hearts; when t here are  doubt that God is there, and  that His Word for us won’t be fulfilled for us.

When Abraham was in this darkness, even the stars were hidden, they which were the ongoing reminder of God’s Word and Promises to him.  When we pass through our darkest hour and the hope of receiving God’s word seems remote it is then there is only one place to turn to, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the one who passed between each half of the sacrifice to ratify all of God’s word.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2Ptr:1:3-4

“But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2Crth:1:18-22

This tells us that due to who Jesus is God will keep all his word to us, we need not look to just stars in the heaven for confirmation that God will faithfully bring all good to pass for us, but rather we can look to Jesus, the very one who created  the stars that Abram look upon  for encouragement. Jesus is God’s affirmation and resounding “Yes!” to us all.

The Bright light

The Holy Spirit through the Epistle to the Hebrew Christians admonishes each of us to fix our eyes on Jesus during times of darkness, to look above and beyond the gathering darkness. The Glory of Jesus can overcome and dispel any season of darkens though which we may pass.

“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb: 12:2

Our Lord Jesus is that “Bright Morning Star” that Star which arise in the darkness that tells us that the night is almost spent and over, that the darkness is coming to and end. That the day will dawn that there will be clarity.  Christians , unlike Abram, do not look to the stars for conformation, but rather to "the Star" ,  Jesus Christ.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” Rev: 22:16

Jesus tells us, “I AM the Light of the World”.  It is In Jesus, by whom our darkest hour can be dispelled and illuminated to show us the way out.   When we hear the message of the Gospel which always directs to look to Jesus, for in that message is all we could ever need it speaks to us about our Lord and all that he is for us. The Gospel makes light our times of darkness as we set our hearts on Jesus.

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jhn:8:12

Jesus is the great illuminator of us all, Jesus’ glory lights our darkness.

“the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”2Crth:4:4-6

When we enter into times of darkness  and the gathering gloom hides from us all that our God offers  and fear grips us,  we can look to Jesus and know that  our Lord is faithful and will fulfill all the good he has for each and of us all. Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

So Loved the World......

There are many who consider being a part of a church, they may even on some rear occasions have gone they deep down want to know God , but when they look at their own lives they feel a sense of shame or unworthiness. They may be trapped in a pattern of behavior that is decidedly un-Christian.They tell themselves that they will need to clean themselves up before they could ever be apart of any church. Before they could be accepted.

They wrestle and struggle with the issues of life, they see themselves as being out side of the love of God, and unfortunately  if,  and when,  they have gone to a church they may have been made to feel unwanted or unloved.  They may have concluded that God will not or does not love them. But is this the truth?..It may "feel" real but is it the truth? Does God hate those who live in un-Christian life styles? Do they have to by some means earn His grace and forgiveness?

For Us

The verses that is called the the most beloved verses in the Bible,  is John:3:16, this makes it plain that God does not "hate" the world, he may not love what the world does but,  God does not hate the world.

"God so love the world that he gave his only begotten Son".(16a)

This tells much, it is explicit that God recognized the need of the world that out side of God's act of Salvation the world had nothing to look forward to only death with out God for eternity.

 "that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."(16b)

It also make clear that salvation is dependent not upon us, but upon what Jesus has done and who Jesus is. What is our part is belief this belief is not just a causal acknowledgement it is transformational. God acted out of love for and toward us and sent, that is gave,  his Son Jesus Christ, to die for each and all. Love is why God gave Jesus. That through Jesus God has saved the world so we do not need to be condemned. Jesus makes condemnation unnecessary,  yet Scripture shows that some will reject what God so freely offers.

" For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him".(17)

From the Foundation of the World

When, or at what point,  did God act on all of our part to bring this salvation for us? We tend to think of  events or actions as occupying a particular place or point in time and in our limited human vantage point this is natural for us to do so,  but  God  is not bound by our perceptions of time, he inhabits eternity everything is "now"  with God regardless of "when" we observe it 's manifestation in the history of salvation. 

So in God's" now"  of eternity,   God acted on our part in his Son to provide salvation for any who would but freely receive it by grace even before the material creation came into being.

"the Lamb who was slain from the foundation  of the world."Rev:18:8

Here the Holy Spirit inspires John to employ the language of accommodation to stress that no matter how far back we peer, even into eternity  we will see God's act of salvation in Jesus for all of us. This just does not speak to God's intention to make provision for salvation if it became necessary, but rather,  that God himself was guaranteeing that salvation would be an accomplished realty for us in Jesus. 

 Yet it is true that there was in a , "right time" for God to enter his own history of salvation through the incarnation and become fully one of us in the Person of Jesus Christ. The humanity of Jesus makes salvation possible for us all. Being fully one of us he could die for all of us.

 "in the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and was God" Jhn:1:1

"and the Word became flesh"(14)

 "You see, at just the right time" ,Rm:5:6a

Forgiveness was not something that God would resort to  but would be a realty even before we ever knew that we  needed it.

As We Sinned 

This tells us that God's love was for us and toward us even as we went about our lives,  maybe in indifference or in ignorance of who God is and what is there for us all, maybe before we heard the message of the Gospel about Jesus. 

"when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."(6b)

Yet ,even then , in our lives of sin before we knew God and his love for us , even as we lived in sin, even as "we were powerless" ,  he had made salvation a realty for us, if we will just freely receive it.  God did not wait for us to "get good enough" we could never be "good enough" . 

 We all alike  are in need of a Savior, we could not save our selves Jesus had to save us. This is what Paul addresses in his Epistle to the Roman Church.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (8-11)

Jesus' death and the salvation through him shows us God's love for and toward us even in the wretched state we may have been living in. It also tells us that God want us and loved us more than he loves himself. Consider that for a moment , God loves you more than he loves himself and demonstrated it by dieing for each and all. God would not be without us,  so deep is his love for us. Even while we yet were sinners.

God's love was in pursuit of us even in our lives of sinfulness we actively sought out coming to us in Jesus and dieing for us all and raising  from the dead. The resurrection of the dead confirms the power of the cross for without the resurrection the cross would be meaningless. It declares that sin has been dealt with and that an all new life is available for us.

Through One

At the onset, as we conceive time, Adam as the Father of the race chose to  know "good and evil"  and thereby all chose in him. 

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned"(12)

What Adam did we all have done,  we all followed suit with him and have sinned. Based on who we were in Adam.  Why would God apply the action of one upon the whole of humanity? Human history shows that God was just in doing so, for all have sinned.  

God acted in the greatest kindness imaginable by placing all of us under Adams choice. But how can this be true?  By placing all under the actions of one ,Adam, condemnation came on all by one, so that in the same way  because of  the One, Jesus and his perfect sinless obedience we all can experiences the righteousness that is Jesus' because of who we are in Christ. 

The power of the Second Adam, which is Christ,  is greater than that of the first. Therefore salvation becomes dependent of the action of just one, Jesus,  for us all. He acted for us as one of us even as we lived out of  ignorance of this truth.We could not save ourselves.It is a free gift offered to any and all.

"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."(15-19)

How We Live

When we hear the Gospel about the Lord Jesus Christ and we see the power of  life and death and resurrection we are than given the opportunity to experience what Jesus has made true for us all, if we will just freely receive it. Though he saved us when we were yet sinners  if we have truly taken hold of what he offers then  we can remain no longer there in. He calls us forth into a new life of grace.

There has been  a tension in the church for two thousand years over this very issue. Paul address this very thing after concluding that salvation is given not earned and  that it all comes from and by Jesus, that we of ourselves only share in and are credited for Jesus' perfect righteousness in that we are incalculable of  living perfectly. Some , therefore wrongly,  believed that how we live after coming to believe in Jesus did not matter.

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Rm:6:1-2

Paul is clear that we are to live out of our relationship with our Lord and that relationship should transform us , that as we are forgiven we should live forgiven, that is we live what is now true for us in Jesus. 

Forgiveness of God  has the power to transform us, we can set aside those things which in the past beset us, because Jesus lives.

"For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin"(5-7)

Do Not Forget You Are Forgiven

As we look to Jesus and trust in his resurrected life, and know that in him we are already counted as rightous

our lives will change. Some may find that their old ways , may at times  still hold their grip. When we find that our progress is slowed it maybe that we are too focused upon the power of the sin rather than upon the power of God's forgiveness. The Apostle Peter speaks to this in his  second epistles , admonishing and reminding all,  that Christians not forget the truth of that they are forgiven, and that in forgetting this,  they have found themselves hindered in their maturity.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been forgiven  from their past sins." 2Ptr:1:5-9

So great is the power of God's forgiveness that it is life changing and liberating....So great is God's  love for each and all , that He calls out to us and  invites us to know him and know that he loves us and has through Jesus made for us all  life everlasting. God so love the world...Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor 

 

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion
2101 Old National Pike.

Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org

The Fountain of Life is heard  on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com