Newsletter –August 2009

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. … In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:13, 21-22

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

      St Paul lays out for the Church in Ephesians from where they have come, to where they are going, and how they will get there.  It is the same for every member of the Church throughout time.  It therefore behooves the individual member to meditate upon this truth and consider the grace of God in calling sinners to repentance and faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

      When Paul writes that we were once far away, he is referring back to what was written earlier in this same chapter.  Paul wrote that everyone was dead in trespasses and sins.  They were literally walking dead.  Physically alive but spiritually lifeless, and unresponsive, empty shells.

      Yet, God in His abundant grace has drawn us near through the blood of Christ.  In that blood of Christ, God gave each member of the Church new life.  That new life is not given without purpose.  That new life is given so that the Church will be a living and vital temple, a life filled repository of the saving work of Jesus Christ.  That is what we are made to be by our God and gracious God and Savior.  The once dead enemies of God are now the forever living servants of God.  Servants in whom God is working that they become His dwelling place.

      God works in us through His Word, and through the encouragement of His other servants.  This month we are bringing to a close the first part of a process in which Our Saviour congregation chose to participate.  We are examining, as a congregation, our areas of strength, and our areas of needed improvement.  We have asked assistance from the District Mission Executive, Rev. Geoffrey Robinson, to work through this self-evaluation with us.  The dates for Rev. Robinson to be with us are August 21-23.

      By the grace of God, we live and move and have our being.  By the grace of God, we are strengthened to work as one body in service to our Lord.  We bear his name and mark upon our head and heart signifying that we have been reborn into God’s Kingdom.  We have been brought near to Jesus Christ to live as His holy temple.

      Living as God’s holy temple, we are to seek His will for us as individuals and as a congregation.  First, we recognize that we no longer live for ourselves but for the One who called us from death to life.  Secondly, we gather as His people to determine what He would have us do to serve the Son by whose blood we have been given new life.

      We have come from being the walking dead to be God’s Holy Temple.  Our goal is to please God with this new life by faith in Christ and so obtain eternal life in the restored heaven and earth.  How we are to live that new life is discerned only through careful study and instruction from God’s Word.  The God who called us to be his own stir up our hearts in the days to come that we would gather together to seek his will.

      Prayerfully consider this important work as we seek to live and serve the Savior who shed His blood for us.

      In Christ,

        Rev. Robert Schneider