The Next step



We have all been taught that Christ died for us. We know for sure that he died for our sins. So now, we are saved by grace. We have got salvation and all good things that we are promised. So, what next?

No, the next step is not laying back and enjoying the virtues of being a Christian. Rather, the next step is to participate in God’s mission. In other words, the next step is to participate in helping to fulfill Christ’s purpose of coming to earth.

And what is that purpose? Sure, Christ came to set us free, to abolish the old ways and the law and to establish the new covenant. But the real reason to do all that is to establish the kingdom of God through THE CHURCH.

The reason I am writing this down here is because so many Christians are neglecting this part today. The individualistic attitude of the people today leads them to think, why should I go to church? What will I gain by this? They refuse to attend church regularly because, they “watch YouTube videos” instead of going to church. They don’t want to be a part of a community anymore because they aren’t willing to commit.

No man can be a lone Christian. If he tries, then he will find himself falling when the devil attacks him because he has got no one to protect his back. Being a Christian is all about being a part of community, a family. That is building up the church. That is Christ’s purpose.

It is heartbreaking when people try to compromise Sunday sermons by watching videos or online broadcast instead of going to the church. Those are for emergencies, not for your luxury. The point of going to church is for you to fellowship, be strengthened and encourage other believers. Christ never talked about being great individuals. Paul did not go around just converting people. He was planting churches. And when I say churches, I mean godly communities, not buildings.

In Ephesians 5:25, Paul tells that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. The church is his bride. It is his body (Eph. 1:22). The church is not an afterthought in the mind of god. Nor it is a side observation. It is the centerpiece of God’s plan. God’s intent is that his wisdom shall be made known to all through the church.

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”~ Ephesians 3:10
 We see that the bible states that Jesus is the cornerstone. To what? The church!
“… but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” ~ Ephesians 2: 19, 20

Therefore you see, if you love Christ, you must also love his body and his purpose, The church. The western culture has given us an ‘I’ attitude. I come first, and my needs and gains are important. Even the church is a victim to this and we no longer see church as a family but more like an organization selling a model, the gospel. We go to church to see if we could gain blessings and tell tales of how rich God has made us. The church is more than all that. It is the heart of Christ’s plan and as followers of Christ, we are entitled to be a part of it and carry the burdens of being a Christian. Yes, I just said “burdens of being a Christian” because, truth is that Christian life is not easy and we will be persecuted and hurt. And by being in a community, we find healing through their support, love and prayers. That is what called as living a Christian life. That is the next step.

~Lilac Blossom

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