The Beauty of Salvation (16)
Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here…” Matthew 17.4
… Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1.27
C. S. Lewis wrote, concerning our great salvation, that we are “far too easily satisfied” with the state of our relationship with the Lord (Weight of Glory). This is true of perhaps many of us. We like our church. The preaching satisfies and encourages us. There’s always something to do and Christian friends with which to do it. And, as the opportunity presents, giving a word of testimony to a neighbor, co-worker, or schoolmate is not out of the question. Engaging daily—or most days—reading the Word and prayer. Saved. Good to go.
But our salvation does not consist merely in such outward conditions. These are good, to be sure, and can be a source of comfort, encouragement, spiritual growth, and even joy.
But they serve primarily as pointers to the more sure hope and truer intimacy which is the real and abiding essence of our salvation.
The essence of our salvation lies beyond our circumstances. David Bentley Hart explains: “The mystery of redemption is the perfection of the ‘drawing nigh’ of God’s indwelling and transforming glory, the drawing nigh of ‘all flesh’ to the tabernacle of the presence. In Christ that perfection is achieved, for here the fitful and inconstant nature of the first Adam is brought into intimate contact with the constancy of the divine nature of the last Adam.”
The greatness of our great salvation is to be known in the Presence of Jesus, God With Us, and the intimacy of peace, safety, rest, and joy we know in Him. Take away all the outward trappings and benefits of our salvation, and we will still, like Peter, be overjoyed just to be with Jesus. The hope of sharing in His glory—not just then and there but now and here in all we do—refreshes and excites our soul and energizes our bodies for daily obedience.
For it is Christ in us, the living perfection of the divine nature—our intimacy with glory—which assures us of eternal life and fills us with joy regardless of the outward circumstances of our lives.
Resources for being and making disciples
We continue our reprise of Mike McQueen’s discussions of the work of disciple-making. The Church needs to recover this facet of our calling because making disciples is what Jesus has commanded us to do. Listen in as Mike shares from more than 40 years of ministry experience his keen insights on this subject.
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision column we look at the visionary leadership of David and what we as church leaders can learn from him. Our Read Moore podcast is working through the book, The Kingdom Turn. In our Crosfigell teaching letter, we continue examining the state of pastors and churches during the period of the Celtic Revival, using contemporary witnesses. And in our Scriptorium column we are working through the sermon on the mount. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
The Ailbe Bookstore: All the books in The Ailbe Bookstore are now available at no charge. Only pay postage. New books in PDF in our store include The Disciplined Life, Let God Be True, and Pray for Your Church. Download all the PDFs in our bookstore and share them freely with your study group, leadership team, or entire congregation.
Resources for Shepherds: If you have not visited the ReThinking Church page at our website, I urge you to do so. Download the church appraisal tool and work through it, by yourself or with others. Check out the ReThinking Church resources in our bookstore and the free self-study courses at our website.
From the Celtic Revival
State of the Churches in the Time of the Celtic Revival
O you are enemies of God and not priests, veterans in evil and not bishops, traitors and not successors to the holy apostles or ministers of Christ; you have heard the sound of the words in the second reading from the apostle Paul, but you have in no way retained their warnings or virtue…You desire a bishopric greatly, because of your avarice and not on the pretext of spiritual advancement it offers, and you do not at all regard good work as suitable to it.
– Gildas, The Ruin of Britain
Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
– Philippians 3.17-19
The conditions Gildas exposed and denounced among the pastors of Britain in his day were nothing new. Paul contended with false teachers, self-serving shepherds, and assorted theological ne’er-do-wells in his own day. Wherever the Gospel goes and the Kingdom takes root, the rot of avarice, pride, jealousy, and a host of other traitorous notions will soon enough appear.
And when they do, faithful believers in all callings must recognize and expose deeds of darkness in all forms and warn the people of God against them, just as Paul and Gildas did (Eph. 5.11).
Read the entire article by clicking here.
Resources from the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD)
Reading about the saints of Ireland during this period can be challenging, enlightening, and fun. Hagiography is a blend of history and story-telling, which fits perfectly with the Irish imagination. Our book, Lives of Irish Saints, uses as its basis the important early-20th century work of Charles Plummer and presents some of the leaders of the early period of the Celtic Revival. You can download it for free by clicking here.
T. M. Moore
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
