God Reflection:
Church is on my mind again this week. Even for the casual observer our current globe seems to be in an out-of-control spin. The truth is all the war, violence, poverty, political strife, inflation, immorality—need I go on? —isn’t new to our planet.
The names of nations, types of war machines, warzones, newsmakers, villains, and generations change but it would be difficult to make the case that evil now surpasses anything humankind has known before.
Once before when all the world’s evil and chaos was front-page news God sent Jesus as a manger baby to live among us. He then sent His Holy Spirit to be His Holy Presence with us to protect us from Satan’s evil.
We still experience His refuge and care within His Church—The Body of Jesus Christ.
Paul the apostle can hardly contain his amazement as the Holy Spirit inspires him to share these words with you, me, and all who live in a world where evil seem out of control. He describes a church that everyone needs.
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make
her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless (Ephesians 5: 25-27).
I want to attend that church. I want to belong to that church. It’s a church with a guarantee like no other. We meet as church on earth to receive cleansing and washing through the Word of God. With constant exposure to the Word, Jesus assures us He will receive us as a radiant, holy, and blameless church. He sees us as a people without stains, wrinkles, or blemishes.
By our new birth through water and Spirit we enter God’s family the church. John, one of Jesus’s first apostles, assures us when we enter His church that the One who was born of God keeps us safe, and the evil one cannot us (1 John 5:18). Can we hear that? If we are with Jesus in His church evil cannot harm us.
Two observations:
First, as a member of Jesus’ church, I must let Him cleanse me by receiving the word of God. I find I can best do that as I personally read and meditate on Scripture, when I listen to Scripture taught, and when I dialogue with others who are into the word.
Second, churches that exalt Jesus’s love for His church and make the cleansing word of God its centerpiece come closest to being relevant churches for our world. From Christ’s love for His church, and God’s cleansing word, comes the healing needed by every human being.
For me, the question is, “How can I be of assistance to create a climate where church and healing meet Jesus and the Cleansing Word.” For it is in that process that a radiant, holy, and blameless church becomes visible.
I don’t want to promote sectarianism. I see no way that comes from the
heart of Jesus. To be known solely for what I am against is not an identity that comes from Jesus’ heart. To condemn others because they don’t agree with me is not an attitude from the heart of Jesus.
The Gospel is the Gospel. It can and should make its presentation in diverse bowls, cups, saucers, and plates. A good bowl of chicken soup must contain chicken. However, its table presentation can be in blue bowls, red bowls, yellow cups, deep plates, crystal, paper, and plastic. I want to promote a diversified church. One model of church does not fit all.
Language, culture, technology, economics, neighborhoods, dress, music, presentation, communication, age, cultural values, educations, personality traits, and a gazillion other factors can block or facilitate the penetration of God’s message. When aligned with Jesus the same factors will influence my ability to relate to fellow believers.
Jesus desires His church incorporate diversity and present unity to the world. Diversity is a God given gift. Unity is a work of God’s Holy Spirit.
I want to believe diversity is God’s gift and stop my criticism when it appears. I want to believe unity is a work of God’s Holy Spirit and give the Spirit room to work in my life. Jesus is looking for a radiant, holy, and blameless church, not a boring, irrelevant, and sectarian assembly.
Yes, here we are at the close of 2023 and evil continues to be front-page news across our globe to alarm us of war, violence, poverty, political strife, inflation, and immorality. The headlines announce the fact that Satan is still at war against Holy God and all that is good.
Let us always be grateful for the Holy Presence within His Church to keep us safe through our stay on earth as we anticipate our perfect eternal home when Satan and evil will be conquered. I welcome your insights. Let’s see if we can learn to live diversity without messing with the contents inside of blue cups and red saucers.
Stay tuned.
Gary Sorrells
A God Reflection on A Church Everyone Needs.
God Reflection 