One of the things I have tried to do constantly as a pastor is to gather the apparent opposites who do not need to be opposed. I don’t want us to be an unequal church that excels in a kind of virtue at the expense of other virtues. .
Obviously, we can’t do all things like a church, just as we can’t do everything as well as an individual. but I hope that the University Reformed Church can be marked by various excellences: grace and truth, logical precision and benevolent passion, careful reflection and a feeling of compassion, strong theology and love love, Christian freedom and spiritual discipline, care for the congregation. and committed evangelization, appreciation of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs and support for social justice, interest in local evangelization and interest in world missions, excellence without elitism, unity without uniformity, diversity without doctrinal infidelity, ambition without arrogance and contentment without complacency.
- The reason we want to be a church of many excellences is that God is a God of many excellences.
- He is sovereign.
- Powerful.
- Omniscient.
- And holy.
- And he is merciful.
- Patient.
- Wise.
- And loving.
- If we are a church of unequal virtues.
- We will not reflect the character of God who is perfect in all his ways.
You want to know why theology is important?It’s important because we become what we love. Therefore, we need to know what God is like and what Jesus is like. If we have an unequal Lord, become unequal Christians. We must know Jesus Christ as a Lion and as a Lamb.
The Lion similar to Jesus in Matthew 23 who said, “Oh unto you, hypocritical scribes and Pharisees, for they swirl the sea and the earth to do proselytism; and, once done, make him the son of hell twice as much as you!!? it is Jesus himself as a Lamb in Matthew 25 who said, “I certainly tell you that every time you have done it to one of my little brothers, you have done it to me. “
And the Lamb-like Jesus in Matthew 27 who exclaimed, “My God, my God, why have you helped me?”, It was Jesus himself like a Lion in Matthew 28 who said, “Every authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. “We must worship Jesus for all his excellences.
This means that, as believers, we must be deliberate and diligent in knowing, appreciating, imitating, and resting in all facets of Cristo. Si you are particularly attracted to the strength of Jesus, your stubborn commitment to the Word of God, and your ineffable power. , then take the time to reflect on Jesus’ mercy, his identification with strangers, and his ineffable suffering. And if you are attracted to Jesus as your best friend, confidant, and comforter, be sure to worship Him with respect as your king, Lord, and righteous. Judge.
And if you don’t already know God or are still familiar with Christ, consider the following: A God who is just a lion or just a lamb is only half of God. You’re hurt and suffering, so you need more than a king. But you also need wisdom and direction, so you need more than a loving hand to comfort you. If you sin, then you need a Lamb to carry the guilt you feel and the punishment you deserve. you need a Lion who can devour the evil that acts in you and the evil that acts against you.
What is so good about a Lion God if he does not solve the question of sin and governs only with his roar?
What good is a lamb-like God if he does not triumph over suffering and deals with the injustices of the universe?
Jesus calls. You hear your voice There is no voice like his, only in Jesus Christ will you find a God who is both a strong lion and a dead lamb, only in him will you find a God of such beauty and excellence so diverse.