Basic Christianity: God Remains with Us

Today’s post is part of a series to help us take what we learn on Sunday into the rest of the week. These posts summarize the main points from the week’s sermon and include questions for continued reflection and prayer. The posts in this series are written by members of our church’s Adult Christian Formation team.

 

This past Sunday our service theme was “God Remains with Us.” Pastor Ben continued our sermon series picking up in 1 John 2:18-27. He reminded us in the sermon that our faith is not based on a litmus test of beliefs but our faith is based in the person of Jesus Christ.

Christians throughout history have not always been a united front on all issues. But when it comes to the person of Jesus, Christians are those who will claim Jesus as Lord and Savior. John writes his letter to Christians who are already experiencing false teachers seeking to change and distort the person of Jesus.

In order to stand firm in the midst of confusion and division, we are given one command and one encouragement.

One Command: Stick to the Historic Christ

What we say about Jesus determines our lives and relationship with God. According to the gospels, Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One. He is the only one able to deal with human suffering, sin, and shame. Jesus never claims to be a moral teacher, a prophet, or a revolutionary. He claims to be God. The Gospel stories lay out this claim and the evidence for it.

One Encouragement: The Historic Jesus Sticks to Us

As we approach the season of Advent we are reminded that God himself took on human flesh. By humbling himself into humanity, God shows us that he is willing to go as far as possible to stick with us. Jesus is the tangible, visible image of a God who is all in for us and sticks with us even when we fail to stick with him.

Response: Do we acknowledge who Jesus says he is?

If we claim Jesus and affirm him to be the Son of God, then we must respond my orienting our entire lives around this claim. We can do this by remembering that Jesus has done everything in order to stick to us and be in relationship with us. When we remain in him then we can have assurance of the ground we stand on.

Questions for prayer and reflection:

  1. What did the Holy Spirit say to you through this Scripture and sermon?
  2. In what ways does the historic Jesus make an impact on areas of your life that aren’t typically considered religious or spiritual?
  3. What are some practical ways you could live this week as one “sticking to Jesus”?
  4. Do you know in your heart that Jesus is sticking with you? What are some ways this week that you’ve experienced God’s presence in your life?
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