Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Renewal of the Church
I Corinthians 12:27
Paul says “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” (27)
As individuals, since we form part of the church, our lives play a vital role in the effectiveness and growth of the church. When we consider the body of Christ and the members of the body, there are two factors that are important that affect the effectiveness of the body of believers or the church
Relationship with God
The apostle Paul urges the believers in Ephesus “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. “ (Eph. 4:1) It may be easy to make a commitment or decision to trust Christ as our Savior, but to keep our faith in Christ in our Christian journey and, letting him be our Lord and master of our lives is challenging. This becomes more pertinent when we live in this world with competing priorities, busy schedules, balancing family and work responsibilities etc. A constant check is needed in the believer’s life to see where one stands in this walk with Christ. Have you lost that spark that was there when you made the decision to follow Christ? Do you have love you had at first? (Rev.2:4) Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.  In Romans 2:2, Paul exhorts to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. When we obey God’s word we are letting His word influence and shape our lives according to God’s standard. This will help us not to be conformed to the standards and patterns of this world.  As we let God work in us, we become mindful of things that God is interested in and strive to accomplish those. Just like any other relationship, another aspect that keeps our relationship active and fruitful is communication with the Lord through prayer. The believer gets renewed in strength and direction when he/she spends time with the Lord.
Relationship with our fellow believers
We have the greatest model to follow Jesus Christ; the one who did not consider equality with God but was humble (Phil. 2:6). He considered others better than himself and thus sacrificed himself on the cross for us, so that we might live through faith. Paul continues in his letter to the church in Ephesus “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph. 4:2). The apostle teaches us to grow in Christ, in love, keeping the unity of the spirit. In this journey we have to make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. We are commanded to love and serve others as Christ loved us.  (1 John 4:10, 11).As we grow as a body of Christ, he enables us to glorify His name and helps us to fulfill the mission and commission that God has given - the very purpose that God has intended for the church.
Prayer: O Lord, Renew your church as I submit myself in humility to serve You and others, for you set the perfect example by giving yourself to seek and save the lost. Amen
Thought for the day: Do we always remember that we are a vital part of the church?


Sajan Thomas, Carmel MTC, Boston

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