Wednesday, March 01, 2006
The Consequence Of Salvation
Yep, it's true, finding salvation in Jesus Christ has consequences - it's not a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. Witness: The 800 COMMANDS found in the NEW Testament. (HT: Adrian Warnock) I am going to list just a few here:
I reflect on yesterday's post about the problem of sin in the church, and particularly church leadership. I am struck as I read through the list how few of these are reviewed as qualifications for leadership in the church, whether it be in the pulpit, other ordained office, or lay leadership. That's why in my sampling above I left the one for last that I did.
When I discuss the quality of Christian leaders how often have I heard, "They are sinners just like us." Agreed, but they are sinners leading sinners into sinlessness; they blaze the trail. Do I expect Christian leaders, and as an ordained elder I consider myself one, to comply always with these commandments? Of course not, but I do expect us all to know them, to endeavor to follow them, to acknowledge our failure to meet them, to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on them and power to follow them, and to do all these things demonstrably and publicly. In other words, I expect Christian leaders to be examples of living the Christian life.
Let's start with just the short list I have given here. Would you be willing to devote a year to getting better at these commands? During that year would be willing to put yourself in a position of accountability to another person or person(s) to give them permission to tell you when you are failing, to here your confessions of failure? Will you accept their encouragement?
If not, do you really think you should be a leader? Obedience is a consequence of our salvation. A lack of obedience calls that salvation into doubt. How can we lead the saved if our salvation is in doubt?
Cross-posted at How To Be A Christian And Still Go To Church
Related Tags: Christian leadership, Christianity, obedience, commands, commmandments, salvation, consequences
- Be anxious for nothing (Phil. 4:6)
- Be careful to maintain good works (Titus 3:8,14; cp. Matthew 5:16)
- Be diligent to be without spot, and blameless (2 Peter 3:14)
- Be faithful to death (Rev. 2:10)
- Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-15)
- Be not forgetful of strangers (Hebrews 13:2)
- Be not carried about with different strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:9)
- Believe not every spirit (1 John 4:1)
- Do all to God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17,23)
- Give no heed of fables and commandments of human beings (Titus 1:14)
- Let all things be done to edifying (1 Cor. 14:26)
- Let each esteem other better than himself (Phil. 2:3)
- Let us come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16; Hebrews 10:19-23)
- Take heed lest you misuse your liberty (1 Cor. 8:9; Rev. 13)
- Bring proof of your repentance (Matthew 3:8; Luke 3:8)
- Teach no other doctrine that the truth (1 Tim. 1:3)
- Hold reputation of ministers (Phil. 2:29)
I reflect on yesterday's post about the problem of sin in the church, and particularly church leadership. I am struck as I read through the list how few of these are reviewed as qualifications for leadership in the church, whether it be in the pulpit, other ordained office, or lay leadership. That's why in my sampling above I left the one for last that I did.
When I discuss the quality of Christian leaders how often have I heard, "They are sinners just like us." Agreed, but they are sinners leading sinners into sinlessness; they blaze the trail. Do I expect Christian leaders, and as an ordained elder I consider myself one, to comply always with these commandments? Of course not, but I do expect us all to know them, to endeavor to follow them, to acknowledge our failure to meet them, to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on them and power to follow them, and to do all these things demonstrably and publicly. In other words, I expect Christian leaders to be examples of living the Christian life.
Let's start with just the short list I have given here. Would you be willing to devote a year to getting better at these commands? During that year would be willing to put yourself in a position of accountability to another person or person(s) to give them permission to tell you when you are failing, to here your confessions of failure? Will you accept their encouragement?
If not, do you really think you should be a leader? Obedience is a consequence of our salvation. A lack of obedience calls that salvation into doubt. How can we lead the saved if our salvation is in doubt?
Cross-posted at How To Be A Christian And Still Go To Church
Related Tags: Christian leadership, Christianity, obedience, commands, commmandments, salvation, consequences
