Scripture text: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, 'Salvation through faith and faithfulness to God's plan'
The gospel is the good news of mankind's liberation from slavery to sin and reconciliation with God and each other in and through the Christ of Faith [Son of God]. God sent the historical Jesus [Son of Man] into the world, to proclaim repentance, show all people how to follow God ways, and model righteousness and kingdom living here on earth [John 3:14-17]. The central focus of Jesus’ work is called the Paschal Mystery. Embracing and steadfastly imitating Jesus' mission, vision and actions facilitate repentance, brings salvation and re-establish kingdom living here on earth, as it is in heaven [Matthew 6:10, Mark 1:14-15, John 14:6].
The bible assures us that God’s universal plan of redemption has been fully revealed in the life and ministry of the historical Jesus. Both the historical Jesus and the apostle Paul in today's epistle affirm that salvation came through faith and faithfulness to God's universal plan of redemption [John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 1:4-9]. They both declared that kingdom living is re-established and maintained here on earth, by following the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery [Mark 8:31-34, Colossians 1:26-29].
The Bible also declares that the Christ of Faith, the Word as Logos, is the universal presence and the image and likeness of God, in all mankind [Genesis 1:26-27, John 1:1-5]. Holy Scripture reveals that the Christ of Faith [Son of God] forever exists as Spirit, long before the Christ of Faith, through proper alignment and incarnation, in the power of the Holy Spirit, came down from heaven and became fully incarnate and fully manifested in the historical Jesus [Son of Man] [John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 17:20-21].
Are you committed to correctly responding to God's universal call to follow the historical Jesus in living the Paschal Mystery? Have you chosen to embrace and follow the Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based faith and faithfulness of the historical Jesus and the apostle Paul? Is your faith and faithfulness centered in the second coming and reign of the universal Christ of Faith, in your life and in the lives of all persons?
God's ultimate and changeless plan of repentance, salvation and reconciliation must be universal. It must be applicable to all people, in and through all the worlds diverse religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups. God's universal liberation, salvation and reconciliation with God as Trinity, and with one another as sons of men, must come to all through faith in and faithfulness to the incarnation of the universal Christ of Faith, through the spiritual body of all person [Genesis 1:26-31].
Aren’t members of the emerging, universal body of Christ literal, metaphorical, metaphysical and mystical believers in the incarnation of the indwelling Christ of Faith, certainly found in all the world religions, cultures, ethnic and secular groups? Don’t these inclusive witnessing communities base their vitality in Christ-centered, Holy Spirit-based relationships, transformation, righteousness and spirituality? Shouldn’t all members of the universal body of Christ seek the practical manifestation of the kingdom of God here on earth as social justice, feeding the poor, visiting the sick and prisoners, stopping contemporary slavery, respect for all persons, and working for environmental causes?
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