Now, we have two priests, Sons of Aaron (Nadab and Abihu), running up to the altar with what the passage calls ?strange fire?. The Lord consumes them immediately and we are left to examine the nature of their sin (Leviticus 10:1-3).
Now don’t get me wrong?I am not saying that church has nothing to do with relationships. The epistles from the previous posts illustrated the point that the local gathering (when functioning correctly) does in turn affect relationships. It is putting things in their proper order that creates the right results in relationships. Using an Old Testament type, let us look at the Altar to shed light on the following statement:
He also said something like, if the church’s doctrine is sound then the method of worship and other stuff like that is really secondary.
reynaldo reynoso (admin)
Refering to IreneQ’s post once more::
?church is all about relationships (something my previous pastor has always said) and that in cell groups you get to build those relationships — and it’s those relationships which will keep you in the church and help you to feel a part of it.
I am forced to examine this idea of basing the local gathering completely on relationships. It is something that many Christians have been falling into as of late, both the churched and the unchurched.
The following overviews reflect the writings of Paul to local gatherings, or churches if you will.
reynaldo reynoso (admin)
In her post titled ?Trying it out for size?, IreneQ made a comment that piqued my interest. Her post has very little to do with the topic at hand, but her mentioning of the following thought is something I’ve seen across the Christian culture, that being:
?church is all about relationships (something my previous pastor has always said) and that in cell groups you get to build those relationships — and it’s those relationships which will keep you in the church and help you to feel a part of it.
He also said something like, if the church’s doctrine is sound then the method of worship and other stuff like that is really secondary. If you go to a church with sound teaching and you cannot worship there then perhaps there is something wrong with YOU and not with that church.
Now, mind you, this is out of the context of her reconciling herself to attend her church with fellow believers?something that I greatly applaud. To be reconciled with each other and continue a walk in love is fulfilling the essence of the law: ?Love your neighbor as yourself?.
Continuing
our topic at hand we will see three things in particular today: 1)
Edifying each other in the church; 2) What does it mean to not be
ashamed of the gospel of God; and 3) What does it mean when Paul writes
that "The just shall live by faith"?
Still in Paul’s introduction, we start to see the basis for his
letter and yet also the great care he takes in executing the letter to
the Roman believers. We’ll see this great care repeated in the final
chapter, but for now we see the amount of praise and love he has for
the Roman brethren in that their faith is being proclaimed (1:8)
throughout the whole world. Indeed, the fire of the gospel, which was
sparked in Jerusalem , burned outward at such a tremendous rate that
the entire world was set ablaze with the message of good news from God.
Elsewhere Paul mentions that the report of the Roman obedience to the
gospel has reached all ears and this is where he finds great rejoicing
over these brethren?and yet he wrote to them so that they would be wise
in what is good and innocent in what is evil (16:19).