Sin
Many modern churches don’t want to hear about sin.
“They tell the seers, ‘Stop seeing visions!’ They tell the prophets, ‘Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies.’” (Isaiah 30:10 NLT)
Paul preached against sin unapologetically.
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” (Romans 6:12 ESV)
I dream of a church that eagerly hears the hard sayings of the Bible as much as the easy ones.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 KJV)
Mercy
Granted some pastors have committed adultery and worse, but most are sincerely trying to follow God. Paul, a minister of high rank, freely admitted his fallibility.
“For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” (Romans 7:18-19 NASB)
I dream of a church that will not tolerate gross sin in its leadership but is merciful towards the common human foibles that affect us all.
The Law
Some Christians believe the law is bad.
“... the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12 NIV)
What then is the problem? We are the problem.
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4 NKJV)
I dream of a church that walks according to the Spirit.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” (Romans 8:38 NLT)
Simplicity
We have so complicated Christianity, when it is so simple that a child could understand.
“Because if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and in your heart you have faith that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 CEB)
I dream of a church that makes the simple message of the Bible plain for the simplest, and challenging enough for the most intelligent.
