The Church's Mission
How could it be otherwise than that Christ who came to the world to make God known and to save men would as a part of his redemptive work, build his church? For salvation not only brings men into the right relations with God but the right relations with one to the other. The brotherhood of man goes right along with the Fatherhood of God. The church is the brotherhood of the redeemed and the organ of redemption. It is made up of "the saved." The saved are seeking the salvation of others. We speak of the church as all in every age who are joined to Christ in faith and love and who labor for the ends which he seeks. It is hard to say all that God has in mind for his church. But the worship of God, the edification of one another and taking the gospel to the world is certainly the foundation. The primary task of the church is to give the "goodnews to men." The church in its message must come to grips with the sin problem in human life and society. Men must not only see that they are lost but that they can be saved. Man must not only see his sin but he must see a forgiving and redeeming Christ. Men must see what God has done and is doing about sin. The "goodnews" is that in Jesus Christ, God is at work reconciling the world unto himself. The church alone is custodian of a message for our confused world which can bring fellowship, brotherhood, and world peace. When the church can go to the world as one church with the one message-then we may begin to expect one world. This is one of the most tremendous reasons for the church to help answer the prayer of Christ for it's oneness. That the world may know him.
|
|