Read His Words Before Ours!
Ephesians 5:25-30
Romans 7:7-25
Romans 12
James 1:19-27
Acts 2:42-47 . 
The perfect triune God, eternally existing in absolute, pure beauty.
Wrapped in unity, mutual love, and community among the godhead.
Needing nothing.
Supremely happy.
Yet He chose to create.
He chose to create us.
Beautiful. Perfect. Whole.
Designing our bodies, emotions, passions, and minds to be in contented relationship with Himself and one another just as He experienced oneness as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
He looked at us and He delighted in us.
He took joy over all that we were meant to be and all we would experience by knowing Him and each other, and then gave us the freedom to choose.
The freedom to choose a relationship with Him or apart from Him.
and we chose us.
Every. Single. Time.
Like the erring child. The one who ran away.
We broke the heart of God, the One who needed nothing, was completely content in Himself, but chose to long for a mutual relationship with humanity.
and we chose us.
We ate the fruit.
We caused the rift.
We murdered and turned away to flee with bloody hands.
We spurned His safety.
We built altars to ourselves.
We became bitter.
We made our own god from our own design.
We didn’t trust.
We delighted in ourselves, chased folly, were jealous of each other, sacrificed everything we had and still found nothing to satisfy.
We ran away.
We made up religious rules, forcing others to perform to our standards.
We lied.
We cheated.
We committed adultery.
We betrayed.
We freed a murderer and condemned the author of life.
We held a roman hammer and drove nails into innocent flesh
we chose us.
and we found death.
When we ate the fruit, You provided a way of return.
Where we broke relationship, you sent one to crush the Enemy’s heel.
When we murdered, you showed mercy.
When we built altars to ourselves, Your authority pointed to only One God.
When we spurned your safety, you made all things new.
In our bitterness, You were our provider.
When we made our own god, You still allowed for restoration.
In our distrust, You proved faithful.
When we chased everything else except for You, You promised hope.
When we ran away, You pursued.
Where we forced religion, You proved You wanted a relationship.
Where we lied, You forgave and repurposed us.
Where we cheated, You miraculously made our hearts new.
When we gave away our love to another, You did not condemn, but invited us to be renewed.
When we betrayed you, You chose sacrificial love.
When we condemned, You laid down your life.
And when we took Your innocent life, You forgave us, paid our debt, and conquered death for eternity.
You chose us.
And gave us life.
Who are we?
We are the church, the beloved of God, His possession, His delight.
Our debt of sin, paid in full, by the precious spilt blood of Jesus Christ for all who surrender to Him as Lord.
And oh the riches He calls us to as He releases us from the chains of slavery!
He frees us from choosing to love only ourselves, and opens our eyes to see others.
The widow.
The orphan.
The unloved.
The broken.
The wounded.
The battered.
The imprisoned.
The sick.
The lost.
The abandoned.
The slave.
The undeserving.
The sinner.
He calls us to see them because we were them!
“Just as you were at one time disobedient to God, but now have received mercy”
He calls us to love them.
“Love on another as I have loved you.”
To BE Him to them.
“For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you.”
To show mercy.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
To point to the One true God.
“There is….one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.”
To provide.
“There was not a needy person among them.”
To let our lives display His faithfulness and restoration.
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify the Father.”
To forgive.
“Forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.”
To live in biblical community..
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship.”
To worship.
“Address one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody to the Lord in your heart.”
To pray.
“And they devoted themselves to….prayer”
To be bound in unity.
“That they may become perfectly one.”
To love sacrificially.
“Walk in love as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us as a sacrifice to God.”
To lay down our lives.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
To love as He loved us.
And. Find. Life.
A full life. An abundant life. A satisfied life.
Will you be His church?
It’s not a building. Not offering plates or music sets, kids programs, or Sunday classes.
It’s choosing to love, just as Christ loved, and gave Himself up for her.
The church isn’t you and Jesus off doing your own thing.
It’s not an entity here to serve you.
It’s a living Body, where every member is a part of the other.
That means you, Christ follower, are a part of me, a part of your pastor, a part of the person sitting next to you, and a part of the little boy who was just baptized.
We were intended to move and breath as One.
One Body, One Team. One breathtaking, beautiful Bride.
Of which you are a critical part.
Will you be His Church?
Will you encourage, disciple, minister, break bread with, give generously, love deeply, reach out, pray for others, j o i n t o g e t h e r in order to be the Church with arms outstretched and feet running towards the broken?
For three weeks we’ve studied Creed…what we believe and why. Deep, vital, solid truths, but unless we live out a life of love, all of our understanding is for nothing.
Creed isn’t for you to KNOW, my sisters, it’s for you to LIVE!
Ready for more? Dig Deeper!
Join us for every Journey Study by signing up!
Looking for yesterday’s Journey Study?
Share your thoughts from today’s Study!
Don’t miss today’s Digging Deeper! And we’d love to hear your thoughts from today’s Journey! Comment Here!
Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Creed Week Three! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Click the above image for today’s Digging Deeper!
