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As we make the transition from April to May, slowly but surely, temperatures begin to rise, flowers come into full bloom, “pollen yellow” quickly becomes the color of everything, sneezing from allergies is heard across our congregations, and sunlight arrives earlier in the morning and remains later into the evening. Though all these things are indeed the case because of the change of seasons, one thing remains constant and that is our message to the world: “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Our message as believers has always been, must remain, and must always be the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Any other message to the world is an adventure in missing the point. As believers, we must be a people of the book, and the book’s message is plain: Christ is King, demands repentance from sin, and requires faith in him and him alone. Brothers and sisters, may this be our message to the listening world. As we do each month, we focus on a short passage of Scripture in order to set our hearts together across the Association. The size of our Association can sometimes be a bit daunting, but focusing on the same passage of Scripture together, albeit briefly, puts us on the same page and aims us in the same direction. Two years ago this month, we started looking at 1 John and have continued to do so. This month brings us to 1 John 4:12-15: “No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God - God remains in him and he in God.” 1 John 4 begins with a focus on true vs false teaching and then moves to how we can discern whether or not we, and others, are found to be in fellowship with God. The test, as 1 John 4:7 puts simply, is if we love one another. This is not romantic love or love that might be found between siblings. The love discussed by John is agape love, a selfless, all-encompassing love that is focused wholly on the one being loved and away from the one offering the love. So, in 1 John 4:12 when John tells his readers that those who love others unconditionally, with the same type of love bestowed on us by the Father, then we know God has changed us from death to life. Interestingly, John starts this verse by writing, “No one has ever seen God.” This holds significant theological and practical points. Theologically, we know from numerous scriptures that God is Spirit and so, because He is not physical, no one has seen him in physical form. Practically, as God’s formlessness is noted, John then proceeds to mention the love between believers. Though we have not seen God in physical form, humans, acting as God's vice-regent (representative on earth), can represent God in physical form to other humans, and especially so between believers. Further, as 1 John 4:13 declares, the only way this is possible is through the provision of the Holy Spirit given to us by the Father and the Son. Verse 14 is, then, our declaration to the listening world: Christ, and Christ alone, is the Savior. Verse 14 also strongly echoes 1 John 2:2: “He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, for also for those of the whole world.” Whatever you personal theology of the extent of the atonement of Christ may be, two things from Scripture are certain: the death of Christ is all that is needed to save anyone and is fully sufficient to save everyone. Finally, 1 John 4:15 discusses how the death of Christ is applied to the individual’s life and parallels Romans 10:9-10. The death of Christ is applied by confessing Christ as God’s Son. Confession is not merely *saying* Jesus is God’s Son. Biblical confession brings with it heartfelt belief and conviction. In this way, John says, God remains in the believer and the believer remains in God. Life is found only in and through Christ as Savior.
As we have been doing, please continue praying for each other (1 Thess 5:17) and for the other churches in our Association. I want to encourage you strongly to pray for each other, other pastors, and sister congregations in our area as we work together to encourage pastors and equip churches to engage lostness for the sake of fulfilling our part of the Great Commission. Lift each of these pastors and congregations to the Father, asking for His providential care for them and for His mercy and grace to work mightily through them.
Memorial Drive, Greer, Dave Aumiller
Milford, Greer, Larry Mason
Mountain Creek, Greenville, Bert Watts
Mountain Hill, Landrum, Lee Norris
Mt. Lebanon, Greer, David Walker
Mt. Pleasant, Travelers Rest, Josh Griffin
New Liberty, Travelers Rest, Kyle Turner
North Fork, Travelers Rest, Tommy Wallace
Northwest, Travelers Rest, David Allen
Northwood, Greer, Malcolm Lance My prayer for you for May is the same as always. May the Lord grant each of us opportunities to share the message of Christ with unbelievers and disciple believers in the message of Christ. As an association of churches, we partner together for the sake of encouraging and equipping each other in order to engage lostness for the sake of fulfilling our part of the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20).
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