The church itself is not made up of natural friends. It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us
The church itself is not made up of natural friends. It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality,common accents, common jobs, or anything of the sort. Christians come together, not because they form anatural collocation, but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ & owe Him a common allegiance. In the light of this common allegiance, in light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus Himself, they commit themselves to doing what He says – & He commands them to love one another. In this light, they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.…Christian love will stand out & bear witness to Jesus because it is a display, for Jesus’ sake, of mutual love among social incompatibles. — D.A. CarsonEphesians 2 : 14 . 22For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united us into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments & regulations. He made peace between us by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, & our hostility toward each other was put to death.He brought this Good News of peace to you who were far away from Him & peace to all who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.So now you are no longer strangers & foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles & the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.#together #nolongerstrangers #loveGodloveothers #upwardinwardoutward #vineyardfullerton -- source link
#vineyard fullerton