Is Your Church Irrelevant?

When churches take their eyes off the horizon, the inevitable result is what can be called a “survival mentality.” Rather than accomplishing the plans of God to redeem and transform His creation, they forget their reason for being, which begins a long, agonizing slide into irrelevance. Irrelevant churches fret over inconsequential matters, nitpick their leadership, criticize one another, experiment with worldly strategies for growth, and chase vain philosophies. Meanwhile their surrounding communities hear little of Christ, and what they do hear is unattractive.

Insights on Romans; Charles R. Swindoll; ppg 17

Newness of Life

As most of you are aware, I am currently teaching expositionally the Book of Romans each mid-week at GSJ. I must admit, this is my first time teaching this great book in my almost 11 years of pastoral ministry. Needless to say, it’s always good to explore, expound and engage in the fundamental truths of the Christian Faith. We are in the 6th chapter where Paul continues to write on the subject of justification by faith while explaining in specific details its application to daily living. In the previous chapters, much was said about man’s sin and God’s provision of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. Now Paul seeks to explain our obligation to live a sanctified life in light of our new position in Christ.

Notice what Paul says in the opening verses:

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6:1-4 (ESV)

With the aforementioned thought in mind, allow me to share an excerpt of Warren Wiersbe’s treatment of the 4th verse in particular. This I believe will best explain in a nutshell our study of this marvelous passage.

“Historians agree that the mode of baptism in the early church was immersion. The believer was "buried" in the water and brought up again as a picture of death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism by immersion (which is the illustration Paul is using in Romans 6) pictures the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is an outward symbol of an inward experience. Paul is not saying that their immersion in water put them "into Jesus Christ," for that was accomplished by the Spirit when they believed. Their immersion was a picture of what the Spirit did: the Holy Spirit identified them with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. This means that the believer has a new relationship to sin. He is "dead to sin." If a drunk dies, he can no longer be tempted by alcohol because his body is dead to all physical senses. He cannot see the alcohol, smell it, taste it, or desire it. In Jesus Christ we have died to sin so that we no longer want to "continue in sin." But we are not only dead to sin; we are also alive in Christ. We have been raised from the dead and now walk in the power of His resurrection. We walk in "newness of life" because we share His life. "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).” - Pause for Power

The Doctrine of Total Depravity

Currently, we are studying Paul's letter to the church at Rome during our midweek Bible Study, which feature both a noon and night session each week. The church has and is being revived, refreshed and renewed, as we appreciate God's unmerited favor towards us regardless of ethnic, religious or social standing.

Our lesson today finds us in Romans 3, where Paul has already emphatically and eloquently presented God's prior indictment against all mankind, not to exclude Heathens 1:18-32; Hypocrites 2:1-16; or Hebrews 2:17-3:8. He concludes that all are under sin and our in need of saving. There is none righteous, no, not one; no one understands, seek for God and all have turned aside; 3:10-12a.

In my prayerful preparation to teach this lesson, I was reading James Montgomery Boice's treatment of this passage and it blessed me immeasurably. He says:

"The doctrine of total depravity is hard for the human race to accept, of course, for one of the results of our being sinners is that we tend to treat sin lightly. Most people are willing to admit that they are not perfect. It takes an extraordinary supply of arrogance for any mere human being to pretend that he or she has no flaws. Generally we do not do that. But this is far different from admitting that we are utterly depraved so far as our having any natural ability to please God is concerned. We are willing to admit that we are not perfect, but not that we are not righteous. We are willing to admit that there are things not known to us, but not that we are devoid of all spiritual understanding. We are willing to admit that we wander off the true path at times, but not that we are not even on the right path. Instead of admitting that we are running away from God, we pretend that we are seeking Him." James Montgomery Boice, Romans ; page 289

I could not have said it better. Thank God for His amazing grace. Keep us in your prayers.