Risen Christ
| "It cannot be too many times reiterated that the primary special and significant stress on the Church as an establishment with creeds, sacraments and "orders," blocks at least at present the way to give basi rank to the Church as an ever renewed adventure of faith, a response to God's great acts of salvation, salvation and reconciliation. The Church is not an end in itself, but a means to an end." -Hendrik Kraemer WHAT IS THE CHURCH if not a response to the "great acts of God"? The church, the means to, and the great vehicle for and of, God, stands, and has stood for two millennia, on foundational rock of Christ. Nothing has endured like it, other than say the other major world religion traditions. Yet, I am astounded to hear, read of, and witness first-hand the travesties of the humanising of the church. At a great deal of point, for a great deal of believers in Christ, there is a time when their faith goes askew from the core instructing of Christ into the 'creeds, sacraments and orders' of humane tradition -- at least the tradition of human/God tradition. The danger is when groups of humans in leadership, in the same area, commence to think in similar unbiblical ways and church becomes more than it was ever designed for. It's not that they can't found their ideas in biblical concepts. They isolate a few biblical conceptions to aid their position. The church is a means to an end. The end is God, of course. Whether we think experience with God, the tradition of exalting him, or his Word are the primary things, it is he who commands our attention and it is living toward his will for our time on world that is paramount. Church is not actually what it's about. Church merely mobilises the Christian faith, for growth, for witness, and for the integrity of the risen Christ. If we perpetually seek Christ in our experience with the church, he will show us the way. The way is of reputation forming and development: discipleship in one word. I know there is worship, fellowship, ministry and evangelism to cater for too, but what does Christ command more than anything in his main teaching, the Sermon on the Mount/Plain? It's an person calling, whether church or personal, to galore salient reputation traits. Yet, we have so-called leaders of the church today (and yesterday) who have not disciplined themselves, and do not adhere, to these traits. Does God want to be worshipped? Yes. Does God want his persons to love each other? Yes. Does God want his persons to serve him and humankind? Yes. Does he want his church grown? Yes. But, most of all God wants all people to come beneath his power and anointing by being obedient to his main calling -- to strive for reputation development, based in continual, significant penitence for wrongs as a platform for growth, praise, and thanksgiving. The church has no right asserting itself for any other role than to be a salient means to the uttermost end: God. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The LORD is one. He is the only one. Copyright © 2008, Steven John Wickham. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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Why did the Apostle Paul get a one-on-one consultation with the risen Christ, but no one else does? By golly, if Jesus struck me temporarily blind and scolded me in person for my wicked ways, *I* might become a great evangelist too! - Occulty Yeah well, it might have been more credulous Sounds like a hostile witness to me.. |
