The Bible says that God loved us even while we were yet sinners. So that means God loves us just the way we are. We can’t earn God’s love because God already loves us. It is because of His love for us that He was willing to come as Jesus Christ and suffer the horrible death of crucifixion to take the penalty of our sins upon Himself. We are then told that if we will accept and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior that we will be saved. Salvation takes us out of darkness and into the light of God’s plan and purpose. By the Spirit of God our lives are changed, our minds are renewed. This is God loving us enough not to leave us in our sins but giving us a new life in Christ.
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The prayer of Jesus in John 17 concerning all believers was that “they also may be one in Us that the world may believe that You sent Me.” The Lord never intended for there to be division within the church. Over time different groups of believers emphasized different teachings and traditions which lead to different churches. Most Christian churches agree on the majority of the major teachings of the Bible. Evangelical churches seem to hold more strictly to using the Bible exclusively as their source of doctrine and practice. Liberal churches will allow other sources other than the Bible and will often adapt their practices based on the current culture and desire of the people. Evangelical churches teach that salvation comes only through accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. Liberal churches often allow each person to find their own path to God. There are two uses of the word church in the New Testament. One is what we call the universal church which is made up of born again believers all across the world. Once a person accepts Christ as Lord they become a part of the universal church. The most common usage of the word church in the N.T. is in regards to a local body of believers, a local church. There are several commands that we are given such as pray for one another, encourage one another, having fellowship, coming under the teaching and preaching of God’s word that happens when a body of believers come together as a church. We are encouraged as a church, as members of the body of Christ, to come together so that we can become strong and mature in our faith. |
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