08-22-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 22, 2020
Scripture: 1st Thessalonians 2:8
So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Thought for the Day: An individual can communicate certain ideas adequately without any personal involvement in the actual idea. I can explain a basic math problem or how to turn on a vacuum without having any deep emotional connection to it. In fact, it is probably good that I do not have a strong emotional connection to the vacuum. The sharing of the Gospel is different. It requires the sharing of ourselves. The Gospel is an empty concept if it is not joined to a person who knows firsthand the Good News of God’s abundant love. You can, of course, explain Martin Luther’s understanding of grace quite adequately from a historic perspective without any emotional connection, but a neighbor aching with grief isn’t interested in a generic history lesson. Paul made it clear that the world needs the Gospel, and the Gospel comes alive as it is connected to you and your life story.

Prayer: Lord, let the Gospel break loose from the confines of a theoretical concept as it takes on flesh through my life and my witness. Amen.

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