God so loved the world that He GAVE His Son...
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- Published on Friday, 17 June 2011 02:00
We‘ve had three weddings in our church last month. In a short speech to the newlyweds I always began with a quote from Ed Young, pastor of a church of 30.000 members in Texas, which holds up to 142 weddings a year (!). I think that years of experience of this pastor and spiritual advisor give due authority to his words. It says, that he advises each couple that he prepares for marriage to ask each other a fundamental question: "How will it be to be in a marriage with me?" A quite sharp and well-aimed blow below your own belt.
Mostly we’re set differently in relationships; we subconsciously ask ourselves: "What I can get out of this relationship?" And maybe this is not valid only in relationships but also in life as such. Christ's example goes exactly the opposite direction. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is John 3:16 , "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life." For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son… Love always gives. We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.
When the early church cared well about the inner life of the church, they set deacons, took take care of underprivileged and taught the Word of God publicly and from house to house, The Bible says that "the number of disciples multiplied exceedingly" (Acts 6:7). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the best news we can offer to people. We do not sell a cat in a bag. We do not offer cheap goods at inflated price. We have experienced the power of the Gospel in our own life and know that it is "the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). We are like a scientist, who after a long exploration finally found a cure for an incurable disease, but before he went to the public, he tried it on himself. Likewise, we didn’t learn the gospel only in laboratory conditions, but applied it in our own lives and stated with amazement that it really "heals the brokenhearted and delivers the captives" Spiritual revival doesn’t have to be only about evangelistic events, it is about the life of each of us." You’re here to be light, bring out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you here on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:14-16, The Message). We are the light of the world and salt of the earth. Jesus said this about us. Our only responsibility is not to lose our saltiness and allow light that Jesus sparked in us to shine to all people. This is the revival and God's vision for the church of the end-time.