Friday Morning Prayer:)… June 21, 2018

I serve with brothers and sisters in Christ who are committed to a mission.   Every non-profit organization develops a mission statement that speaks to their purpose for pursuing goals, engaging people, and doing activities.  We are motivated to fulfill our mission.  As I reviewed our mission statement, I recognized how consistent it is with every Christian’s call to live totally devoted to Jesus.  How necessary for every truly regenerate heart “to preach and expound the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the Holy Scriptures, to educate and lead people in the way of salvation, goodness, righteousness, morality, and character as taught in the Bible.”[2]

The Lord Jesus taught us, “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.”[3]  To follow Jesus is a supernatural call from our merciful and gracious God.  Jesus went to the cross to pardon my sin.  His sacrificial and substitutionary death for us allows you and me to follow him in death, resurrection, and glory!  “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”[4]  The gospel calls us to die to our sinful nature, that inherent selfishness and self-centered way of being.   In fact, our new nature in Christ hates the old natural way of life in this world.  In Christ, the regenerate heart takes up the cross daily and puts Christ and others above oneself.  This is a choice filled with struggle and internal conflict.  Beloved, fight the good fight of faith, resist the flesh, love intentionally through the power of our indwelling God.  “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”[5]

The way of salvation is by grace alone, faith alone, and scripture alone.  We are saved by grace through faith and this is not from us, it is the gift of God.  We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do.[6]   We are not in competition, nor should I envy the work of others in Christ.  In fact, humble before the throne we consider others more significant and rejoice in every life sold out for Jesus!  In community, diverse churches, holding non-essential distinctive ways of worship, eschatology, spiritual gifts, or whatever, yet together we are treasuring, valuing, and cherishing Jesus with other regenerate hearts in various contexts.  We hold fast to the gospel and proclaim Jesus as the way and the truth and the life.[7]  God honors those who serve Jesus through the narrow way of the cross.  In fact, “Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”[8]

Our constant pursuit in the power of the Holy Spirit is to reflect goodness, righteousness, morality, and character.   This is a daily struggle to varying degrees for each of us in Christ.  Be encouraged by the gospel!  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”[9]   Moreover, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”[10]  Being in relationship with other devoted believers helps us to continually pursue growth, holiness, and maturity in our shared faith.  I pray you are encouraged through supernatural love and are compelled to spur one another on toward ever-increasing love and good deeds to the glory of God.  The body of Christ represented through gospel teaching churches is a refuge and a necessary source of strength for every hungry soul.  Moreover, brothers and sisters meeting to encourage one another through prayer, and Bible study groups, our joy indeed!  A brother reminded me this week that we have to work through our interpersonal conflicts, especially in the body of Christ, for we will be together forever.  I also read recently, “Treasuring Christ together is our final and ultimate destination.  That is what we will be doing forever.”[11]

 

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