Gospel-Centered Relationships
Tim Melton
Matthew 22:35-36
Imagine a child who has grown up in the streets all his life. He knows how to steal, how to fight and how to rummage for food, just to survive. Then one day he is found and adopted by a loving, wealthy family. Together they go to the adoption office, sign the papers, and become a family.
The boy is overjoyed that, after all these years, he now belongs to a real family. Now imagine that as they are exiting the adoption office the boy then gives his new family a hug, expresses his gratitude, and says goodbye, and then returns to his homeless life where he rummages once again for food to eat and a place to sleep. Imagine that he stands at night warming himself around a fire burning in an old barrel, and brags to the other homeless children that he has been adopted and that they should do the same, but then he still lives with them like an orphan, street child. To us that would not make sense, that an adopted child would not be living in his new identity and taking advantage of all the resources that his new father has prepared for him. It sounds ridiculous, but are we not guilty of many times doing the same?
The gospel is the greatest of news, but many times it has been reduced down to ''the way that we are forgiven of sin and saved from hell'', end of story. While that is true, that is looking at only a part of the gospel. Many mistakenly see the gospel as two one-time events. The first event is that of Jesus' death and resurrection. The second event is when we believed in Jesus and were saved. For many that is the full impact of the cross and the end of the salvation story, when in reality it is only the beginning.
We consider it ''only the beginning'' because once we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit of Christ comes to live within us, forever. Scripture is very clear about our being in Christ and us being in Him. Just like signing the adoption papers was only the beginn ...
Tim Melton
Matthew 22:35-36
Imagine a child who has grown up in the streets all his life. He knows how to steal, how to fight and how to rummage for food, just to survive. Then one day he is found and adopted by a loving, wealthy family. Together they go to the adoption office, sign the papers, and become a family.
The boy is overjoyed that, after all these years, he now belongs to a real family. Now imagine that as they are exiting the adoption office the boy then gives his new family a hug, expresses his gratitude, and says goodbye, and then returns to his homeless life where he rummages once again for food to eat and a place to sleep. Imagine that he stands at night warming himself around a fire burning in an old barrel, and brags to the other homeless children that he has been adopted and that they should do the same, but then he still lives with them like an orphan, street child. To us that would not make sense, that an adopted child would not be living in his new identity and taking advantage of all the resources that his new father has prepared for him. It sounds ridiculous, but are we not guilty of many times doing the same?
The gospel is the greatest of news, but many times it has been reduced down to ''the way that we are forgiven of sin and saved from hell'', end of story. While that is true, that is looking at only a part of the gospel. Many mistakenly see the gospel as two one-time events. The first event is that of Jesus' death and resurrection. The second event is when we believed in Jesus and were saved. For many that is the full impact of the cross and the end of the salvation story, when in reality it is only the beginning.
We consider it ''only the beginning'' because once we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Spirit of Christ comes to live within us, forever. Scripture is very clear about our being in Christ and us being in Him. Just like signing the adoption papers was only the beginn ...
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