Church Life: Our Quest for Biblical Christianity
|
|
|
|
A Gospel for Sinners
The early believers loved Jesus Christ because they knew Him to be “a friend of sinners” (Mt. 11:19). Knowing themselves to be sinners, they had nowhere else to go - He had “the words of eternal life” (Jno. 6:68). The message of Jesus had no appeal to the professional religionists of His day. His followers were primarily the poor, the crippled, the blind, and those whose lives had been wrecked by sin. Though Jesus never condoned their sin (in fact, he called sinners to repent and turn from their sins), he preached a message of restorative grace and forgiveness. His grace transformed their lives, giving them new hope, new vision, and, literally, a new beginning. To those who know themselves to be sinners, the grace of God in Jesus Christ is their only hope. At Lexington Church, this gospel of grace, the only message for sinners, is paramount. Like our Lord, we believe that hope is rooted in repentance and repentance is predicated on God’s promise of forgiveness. To those whose eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit to see the exceeding sinfulness of their sins, the message of sovereign grace is truly “a joyful sound.” |