Good advice or good news?
“… go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
Do you go to church to hear good advice or to hear good news? Many Christians view the Gospel as good news for the unconverted, which of course it is, but they fail to realise it contains very good news for believers too. Our header scripture tells us Christ wants disciples, disciples that love getting to know him, and who are life-long learners hanging on his every word.
If the only thing we as believers hear in church is good advice on how to identify and shun evil, we are missing out on a huge part of the Gospel. Good advice never helped anyone to become holy. In the book of Colossians we read: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”…‘Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom…but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.’ (Colossians 2:21, 23).
You may be inclined to remind me that the header verse also says: ‘…teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.’ We must look then at what Jesus did command his disciples. A good summary of what Jesus taught his disciples regarding a Christian walk is to be found in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Also in verse 4 Jesus says, “…No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” Our header scripture also says this: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In other words, only by partnering with Jesus can we obey him.
Good advice throws us back to a futile struggle by ourselves, while the good news is that Christ is always with us, making sure we succeed – we are never to think of ourselves apart from Christ. Any of our so-called good works are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), but partnering with Christ they are gold (1 Corinthians 3:11-13).
That is good news worth hearing.
Prayer
God, our Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thank you that Jesus is always with us through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to become holy and to lead productive lives that please you. Amen.
Study by Christina Campbell.
Christina Campbell attends the Glasgow congregation of Grace Communion International where she is a speaker and Bible Study facilitator.
Local congregation:
Gracecom Glasgow
St Stevens Presbytery
(Garnethill Room)
260 Bath Street
Glasgow
G2 4JP
Meeting time:
Sunday 11:15am
Local congregational contact:
Ian Smillie
Email: glasgow@gracecom.church
Word of Life contact:
wordoflife@gracecom.church