GodReflection: Power Words

I belong to a group of churches generated by North America’s Second Great Awakening in the 1800s. The goal was to restore New Testament Christianity. It took the form of restoration of the New Testament church.

It seems to me that my religious ancestors got behind the wrong goal.

Over two hundred years later, there is still the dominant vocabulary of church. Our Christian crew continues to spend an exorbitant amount of time in an attempt to get church right.

I wonder where our heritage would be today had the ladder leaned against another wall and the objective stated in terms of working with God to restore our lives to the original image as reflected in Jesus?

How can I spend my time—guided by the Spirit—to get Jesus right?

It seems to me that I can search out the clues in the New Testament about the first century church—practice my concluded blueprint—and still miss the restoration of my heart and my actions into the image of Jesus.

On the other hand, I find it hard to imagine a heart—that honors God, is connected to Jesus, and guided by the Holy Spirit—that would be zapped for not measuring up to my definition of a restored church.

Here is what I think.

I read in the Old Testament Scripture of God who loves forever. It is the story of a God who wants only the best for His children. He desire only love and obedience in return.

He longs for an obedience grounded in love not fear.

The four Gospels reveal the heart of God through the actions and teachings of His son Jesus during his life on earth. They graphically paint God’s sacrifice of His son and Jesus’ willingness to be that sacrifice for my sin.

The Acts of the Apostle show the response of lost people to God’s Calvary gift. It demonstrates the power of God’s Holy Spirit indwelling within baptized believers, and chronicles the beginning of the church.

It is a perfect church. Jesus blood cleansed its birth. Only saved people are members of the church.

The church is not open to me for restoration. It is the body of Jesus. The church is perfect. It doesn’t need restoration. (I need to read those four short sentences yet again.)

What needs restoration is me. (I also need to re-read the previous sentence.)

The New Testament letters share a common theme. The theme is a question: “How do I let the Holy Spirit work within me to restore my broken life to reflect the perfect Jesus?”

The question has value if it comes from an obedient heart.

My primary task on earth is submission to God to let His Spirit mold me, and His word grow me. He wants to restore me to reflect the perfection of His son Jesus.

I wish I could fathom the joy God will feel when He gathers the church around His Celestial Throne, and see in Jesus’ face the reflection of a restored multitude that fulfills His dream for Adam.

I claim ‘restore’ as a power word to guide my walk. I am not there yet. I am on my way. However, one eternal day—in God’s timing—He will declare me as restored to a perfect reflection of Jesus.

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on Restore as a Power Word to guide my walk.

Gary@GodReflection.org