"To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father." (Colossians 1:2)
This is a verse that is often skipped over, but one which holds a huge truth. Every christian is a saint and a member of the family of God. When we meet together as Christians, it’s a time to celebrate this fact. In doing so, we celebrate something that the reformer Martin Luther called The Great Exchange:
“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)
If you have ever set foot inside a church, you will have encountered people who are undecided about the role of music in the worship life of the family of God. To avoid silly arguments, it is best to look at the bible rather than people's personal taste. The bible does not give us specific guidelines about songs and genres of music. What it does give us, however, are principles regarding the holiness of God, and the nature of worship, and if we believe that the bible is the inspired word of God, we are to cling to those principles.
Before we set off down the road of what God says about the interactions between men and women in His word, a few things need to be made very clear. The church has often placed a great deal of value and emphasis on people who are not single, often because it is slow to understand the culture that surrounds it. Focussing on being a “family friendly church” often leads to those who are single feeling less welcome.
(I will preface this by saying that as a man, I do not experience or understand all the ins and outs of what it means to be a biblical woman. I am writing this specifically to males, and to be helpful to those who interact with and are the parents of males. I hope it will be helpful in understanding what God, as a loving heavenly father, expects of His sons)
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)This is probably the most misused verse to do with Jesus presence in the whole bible. Lets look at it in context first, so we know what it means:
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Part of personal discipline is being aware of and dealing with the spiritual realm and the works and effects of Satan.
“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.
Ultimately the gospel is what matters. We all just need to quit trying to say this is right and that is wrong and be at peace with each other. People keep drawing too many lines in the sand… Forget the peripheral and concentrate on what really matters: the gospel.Is this right? I’ve also been told the following: “Stop telling us what to do and how to live,” They say.
People will give you many different answers when asked what the church is. One church leader I know defined his church as a place that didn’t have all the negatives the church he grew up in carried. It is important to begin with the idea that we do not base a church on what we don’t want, but rather we base it on the word of God. However, let’s begin with a parable:
