challenge
Spent a good deal of time yesterday at Barnes and Noble, drinking coffee and perusing a book. Decided to buy the book. “A God Centered Church” by Blackaby. Anything by Blackaby is challenging but in the first chapter here’s a couple of statements that challenge me: “Salvation is always granted on God’s terms, and it reflects the nature of God Himself. The most identifiable characteristic of salvation is the quality of our love, first toward God and then toward His people. Without a love relationship on both levels, vertically and horizontally, we have not experienced God’s salvation.”
That is a pretty strong statement and one that many in the church would have trouble living up to. If we don’t love God’s people we haven’t experienced salvation! WOW! Can we really say we love God’s people. I know several folks I have a little struggle with, unnamed of course. But Blackaby makes a point that this is God’s plan for reaching the world, love God and love others. (my paraphrase). How can we say we love God when we don’t love His people? Challenge.
Why do we need the church? “There are things God does in, for, and through His family that He does no where else.” Here is a few: through God’s family we receive strength, encouragement, and much needed fellowship, we grow in wisdom and maturity as we relate to those who have walked with God for years, we find security in the family’s watchcare, comfort, accountability, God manifests Himself when we are together, He speaks to the family, He gives gifts to the family, He gives direction to the family, He gives power to the family, “apart from God’s family a Christian will never be pleasing to the Father.”
Ouch! So much for those people who are “spiritual” but don’t need the church. Bottom line, we need each other. I know the vast majority of you that read this are part of a church, but if you read this and you’re not part of a church you need to be. And on this Easter weekend, if you’re part of the family and you have friends that aren’t part of the family, I bet if you ask them they’ll join the “family reunion” at least for this Sunday. Love someone this week and invite them to be part of your family. That is salvation – Love God-Love Others.
