What the Body of Christ Needs Today
Ever been distracted? Have you ever been working on something that you needed to finish and . . . out of no where, something else comes up and your attention is drawn away from what was necessary to something else. Certainly, for this our daily dilemma.
I have found myself thinking about this lately as it relates to the church and its mission. Perhaps this is just an outgrowth of contemplations in my own devotional life, finding myself in that tension of dissatisfaction and knowing there must be more of God. As I have thought of “new” things to try to deepen or enliven my time with the Lord everyday, I have found that getting back to simple devotion, under the leading of the Holy Spirit, is the only place I find true rest. This has caused me to think of the body of Christ and how it has historically been in a place of distraction, with notable individuals as exceptions.
What the body of Christ needs today is nothing new. It is not a new philosophy of ministry, nor the latest manifestation of the Spirit. What the Church really needs is not a new method of evangelism or new programs for teaching and building up young believers. Those things all may have their place, but they are certainly not what the Called-Out Ones need the most. What the Church needs is a greater understanding of the Person of Jesus the Messiah.
We the Church need to become refocused on God the Father’s unique revelation of Himself in God the Son. We must deepen our awareness of the indwelling presence of the Christ, both corporately and as individuals. We need to develop a fuller understanding of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Since theology is the study or knowledge of God, it must be true that any theology that does not lead us to God is bad theology. True theology is study that leads us to the Living and Eternal Word. A Biblical theology, then, is theological study that brings us into a closer relationship with Almighty God.
When such an understanding is developing in the heart of the believer, a deeper knowledge of who God is and what He has finished in the work of salvation, many of the things which used to hinder will no longer be of any consequence. No longer will the latest fads and distracting teachings carry such weight when the believer knows who he is in Messiah. That theology which only generated disputes or which had no basis in experience in the life of the believer will fade and blow away like the dust it is. The local church will not have to develop a flashier program for evangelism when it knows Jesus so well that it stands out from everything else in its culture. Nor will Christians be erroneously living their lives based on the latest “prophecy” spoken over them when they have learned that the more sure word of prophecy, the Scripture, has already given them all that they need for life in godliness, being thoroughly equipped for every good work. Rather, with an deeper understanding of who God is, the gifts of the Spirit will truly come alive and be used for the purpose God intended them for.
We will never be able to avoid distractions completely on this side of glory. We can minimize their effects, however. The key is placing our attention squarely upon that which is most important. What the church needs today is a living, Biblical theology: a focus on the Person of our Lord and Messiah.
