Something popped into my head, which I will write about in a minute. But first, some background. God often uses broken people to accomplish his purposes. Any doubt? Look in the pages of his word. Moses. Rahab. Jacob. David. Matthew. Paul. Where these people not used by God? They were certainly far from perfect. Murderer. Prostitute. Trickster. Adulterer/murderer. Tax collector. Persecutor. Look around in different churches at people who had a lot of sin in their lives or were victims of tragedy -- God uses such people all the time to bring help and healing to both the ensnared and the hurting.
There is no doubt that God uses broken people.
Another phrase popped into my head regarding what someone said regarding their non-christian church: "The people aren't perfect, but the church is". Bunk. Bunk for that church, bunk for any local Christian church. Period.
We're in a broken world filled with broken people, and from that come a lot of broken churches. True, there is really only one church made from the body of believers in Jesus Christ. Some of the members of Christ's church attend a Lutheran church, a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a Pentecostal church, and so on. No doubt some of the members of Christ's church even attend a Catholic church, a Mormon church, a Jehovah's Witness church, etc. Yes I realize what I just said. Calm down. We don't know the hearts of all people all around the world. I said some.
My point is we're one church yet we don't seem to function that way. We've got new zealous spirit filled believers off in the weeds and they don't even know it yet. We've got solid Christ followers across many different denominations whose leaders foolishly quarrel over disputable matters. We've got new converts in parts of the world that just first heard about Jesus and don't know about all this division (how fortunate for them!).
We're one church, one body, united with one purpose, spread across a broken mess.
Yet God can use that. He's God. He's pretty good with the whole "take the mess you silly men have made and pull something good out of it" thing.
There's probably a believer in every church denomination/style/flavor/whatever that has genuinely come to Christ through God's work in them through that particular church. You can't put God in a box and say he only works through A, B, or C. Its about individuals and God, not some particular man-made group and God.
There are those who have been saved while stoned and listening to songs about giving their souls to the devil (realizing that's a bad idea and they don't really want to do that!). There are those who have been saved through the false preaching of bona fide heretics on television. There are those who have been saved through their immense efforts trying to prove Christianity false and realizing its not.
Don't tell me God isn't big enough to work through whatever mess we've made of things to draw us to him.
Grace and Peace
Monday, July 13, 2009
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1 comments:
Really, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything I said, other than a brief mention of Jehovah's Witnesses I made, who reject the deity of Christ, claim he is a created being, and claim worship should be focused exclusively on God the Father alone.
My point was that in just about any group that claims to be Christian, within sanity, you will find people who truly follow Christ and people who do not. However in groups that preach a false gospel, I imagine the odds diminish greatly, but they are not zero -- there will always be someone new coming to Christ in some group or another who deeply loves Jesus and exhibits a changed life, but doesn't yet know the difference between various Christian denominations and various cults that preach a false gospel.
Since you brought up Jehovah's Witnesses specifically, here I what I have to offer on that subject regarding the truth about Jesus Christ:
"All things came into existence through him." (John 1:3) He is the creator, not the created.
"For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us, and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
"These are the things that he says, 'the First and the Last', who became dead, and came to life [again]" (Revelation 2:8)
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To anyone thirsting I will give from the fountain of the water of life free. Anyone conquering will inherit these things, and I shall be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6-7)
Regarding the last two -- if Jehovah is the Alpha and Omega, then the first and last must refer to Jehovah. But when did Jehovah become dead? The only "first and last" who died and lived again is Jesus.
"But with reference to which one of the angels has he ever said 'Sit at my right hand, until I place your enemies as a stool for your feet'"? (Hebrews 1:13)
And so on. Those are straight from the New World Translation and indicate that Jesus is much more than a created angelic being. Rather, he is God Incarnate.
We should pray for those in any group who legitimately think they are honoring God by dishonoring Jesus and especially for new members of such groups who really don't know any better.
Glory and praise to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.
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