Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - Why the church?

     A friend of mine has a question for God after she gets settled in heaven. "Lord, why did You choose to use the church to represent You?" It's a good question when many of us spend more time expressing opinions and judgments instead of looking out for each other and the lost people around us. Jesus Christ set His disciples apart with His Words, His Commission and the Holy Spirit to "go tell" but many of us stay and yell. Jesus' death bought my eternal life and His Spirit empowers me to teach the Good News of salvation to people who don't know He wants them by His side in both this life and the next. Jesus' life teaches me to love, pray and sacrifice for people I don't agree with (friends, Romans, countrymen) and who don't agree with me, not to sacrifice their convictions or run over them with my ideas of what is proper.  

"For  none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone." 

Romans 14:7

     The family who lives together can find a thousand things a day about which to disagree and so can a church family. Romans 14 sums up how members of the Body of Christ should handle differing opinions on disputable matters (Romans 14:1). Surprisingly, Paul didn't tell people to change their opinions but allowed for individual consciences and convictions, a concept which is hard for many of us who want one "right" way to accept. Specifically, Paul addressed how the Roman church should handle its members' differing opinions about eating meat since much of the meat sold at market had been sacrificed to pagan idols (as if there's any other kind). Paul gave two general guidelines as the bottom line on handling disputable issues among church members:

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." Romans 14:19

If this is my goal, (and it should be), I won't bring up divisive issues at the family table but will focus on what we share in common and find ways to encourage my family members for whom I am responsible, whether I like it or not. Paul's next instruction is painfully clear: 

"So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God."

Romans 14:22

     When I saw Romans 14:7 was a key verse in today's My Utmost for His Highest entry, I read the whole chapter. Then I read it again, this time replacing "eating" and "eating meat" with a particular hot topic on my heart and mind. I found great peace in realizing the issue is only as big as we, God's people, allow it to become. In making every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification we're not to judge those whose opinions differ from ours and we're to keep our opinions on disputable matters between us and God. All Christian Romans who loved a good burger were encouraged to eat them at home with gratitude to God. All Christian Romans whose tender consciences couldn't let a burger pass their lips were to take their concerns to God whenever they passed a fellow Christian's home and smelled burgers dripping on the grill.  
   With so many issues threatening to tear at the ties that bind the church family together,  this idea of living in peace in spite of different opinions might sound impossible, but our omniscient Jesus Who called the church promised 

". . . nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

and He later led Paul to learn by experience:

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,  to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." 

Ephesians 3:20-21

     Maybe God chose the church as His witness because nothing displays His Power and Peace more dramatically and relevantly than when His children, who differ in every other way, stand shoulder to shoulder to worship Him and to work together embracing others into the family. 

Inspired by My Utmost for His Highest and Jesus Calling

Photo from VBS powerpoint presentation