As we are coming near the end of our journey through the foundations of our faith, I want to encourage you to read through these final statements - not just with the goal to learn more information - but with the motivation to put these things into practice in your life...
12. Church Relationship. We believe that it
is our sacred duty to identify ourselves with a congregation of believers with
whom we can worship God, observe the ordinances of Christ, exhort and support
one another, labor for the salvation of others, and work together to advance
the Lord’s Kingdom (Acts 16:5; Hebrews 10:24).
There has been an unfortunate movement that has taken place today where
people say, “I believe in Jesus, but I don’t feel I have to go to church.”
However, you cannot reconcile those two statements together! If you are a
Christian, then that means you have been adopted into the family of God, and as
a part of God’s family, we have a responsibility to gather together with other
believers. There is no biblical precedent for someone becoming a believer and
not getting involved in a local church. In fact, the Scripture clearly
admonishes us to be faithful in attendance to a local church: “Think of ways to
encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not
neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each
other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.”
(Hebrews 10:24-25). Christianity is about two things: Loving God and loving people, but how can we love people if we refuse to meet together with them? God’s desire is for us to get connected in deep and meaningful relationships with other Christians where we love each other, care for each other, pray for each other, and challenge each other to go deeper in our relationship with the Lord. If you haven’t made a solid commitment in your heart to prioritize church attendance, I want to challenge you to do so today!
13. Civil Government. We believe that civil
government is by divine appointment and that civil laws should be upheld at all
times except in things opposed to the will of God (Acts 4:18-20; Romans
13:1-5).
It grieves my heart when I hear Christians complaining about the
government or disrespecting any kind of authority – whether it is civil
(government leaders), domestic (parents), social (employers, teachers or
coaches) or church leaders. The Bible clearly tells us: “Obey the government,
for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power
by God. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey
God, and punishment will follow.” (Romans 13:1-2). There is only ever one time
where we have the right to disobey authorities, and that is when they ask us to
do something that violates a clear command of Scripture. For example, if they
passed a law in Canada that said we couldn’t read the Bible or pray anymore, we
would submit to the higher laws of God’s Kingdom which encourage us to do such
things. Christians have been given the God-given right and responsibility to pray for our leaders, and as we are faithful to do that, God has promised to bless us. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). So the next time you feel like complaining about a leader, choose instead to pray for them, and watch God do a mighty work in their lives!
Pastor Chris Jordan
www.beausejourchurch.ca
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