What we believeA young teenager studying A levels locally, the world at her feet, said to me recently that she really loved our church. Why should a modern young girl, with all her bright future ahead, say such a thing in 2008? She didn’t mean she loved St. Matthew’s building, although I expect it is a special place for her. She meant something about loving God and his people and feeling a special sense of belonging to a community of love.
God’s world is very beautiful, the product of his
Yet how wrong things have gone with the world. Lust for power and possessions has caused untold devastation down the ages. God’s beautiful people turned their backs on his love, proudly believed we could manage without him and the rest, as they s So God watched his beloved creation being soiled and spoiled by sin. We shall surely die. “The wages of sin is death,” says the Scripture.
That is so sad and such bad news. But because God loves us he didn’t leave us to die. Moved by love he has come and dealt with our deepest need. He has suffered and died to remove sin’s power over us. This is what Jesus’ death on the cross is about: 1 Peter 3. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. 1 Timothy 1. 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 John 4. 9-10 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Hence, the very good news; there is a new life, freed from sin’s grip, and filled with God’s love. We become part of God’s new creation. He fills us with his Spirit and we are described as ‘in Christ.’ The Scripture says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” There are millions who know this. Our own church in this village too has many who share the same story of how Jesus has completely changed their hearts and lives. Life makes deeper sense and death holds no prospect of being the end. What do you miss by not being ‘in Christ?’ You miss life’s deepest treasure. You miss out on knowing God and being in a lovely and loving community of people who pray for and support each other. You miss your children learning about God’s wonderful love and plan for history. You miss out on deep beauty, deep love and deep meaning. Most crucially you miss out on God’s gift of eternal love and life. You miss out on what that teenager meant when from her heart she said how she loved her church.
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loving creative
ay, is history; poverty, racism, injustice, war, rape, revenge.....you know the story.
