Dear Friend,
We are presently in a teaching series on Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. As you probably know, the book of Romans has a central theme of faith, or trust in God. All God's good gifts are received by us through exercising faith in Jesus Christ.
Christianity is a community of believers in Jesus Christ. We belong to God and one another through and in Jesus Christ.
The Christian is a person who finds her salvation, deliverance and justification (being made right with God) in Jesus Christ alone. We Christians know the Word of God pronounces us guilty, even when we may not feel guilty, and God's Word pronounces us righteous, even when we do not feel that we are righteous at all. We no longer trust in our own judgment on spiritual matters, but live by the claims of God.
I've recently been reading some of Dietrich Bohnhoeffer's wonderful thoughts on Christian Community. He noted that if someone asks a Christian, "Where is your salvation, your righteousness?" he can never point to himself. He points to the Word of God in Jesus Christ which assures him salvation and righteousness. The Christian view is that help must come from outside ourselves--and it does come to us daily and in fresh ways through the Word of Jesus Christ who brings us into connection with God's precious gifts of redemption, righteousness, a renewed innocence, and a joyful inner blessedness. The Reformers referred to this righteousness as an "alien righteousness" that comes from outside us (extra nos).
The fact that we are brothers and sisters in the Christian community only through Christ is of immeasurable significance. We each belong in this blessed community solely by reason of what Christ has done for each of us. We are who we are by reason of Christ. God is teaching us to meet one another as God has met us in Christ (Romans 15:7).
Christian fellowship is not an ideal that we must reach; rather it is a beautiful reality created by our loving God in Christ where we have the privilege of participating for our own healing and growth in love.
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3 comments:
It is a curious phenomena how "alien" we Christians feel from each other when we carry different community labels... Baptist - Methodist - Unitarian, etc. Maybe the "alien" feeling was not so different with the 1st Century community ... all they had in common was Jesus, as they forged an identify as followers of Christ - Christians.
I agree Donna--we as Christ's followers today need the unity that comes from letting Christ be central in everything! Our differences need not separate us relationally or missionally. As someone noted, "Christ will return for a BRIDE not a harem!" When we recognize all we have in common is Jesus, we'll know that is enough!
Anonymous
What we have in common is Jesus. Yes, which Jesus the Gnostic one who separated from the body of the crucified man? Or maybe the one who went to the far east to learn from the Buddhas’ and bring back those teachings to people of the Middle East? Or could it be the Arch -Angle turned man? Or even … you see there is great need to define from Scripture WHO DO YOU SAY I AM a prophet a shaman or any number of variations historic and contemporary. Study and historic witness aid us in our understanding and help us from repeating heretical lines of theology. Therefore, repeating simple phrases and mindless mantras keep us from the deep things of Yahweh and aid in easier deception.
Pastor Art
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