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The Pastor's Corner
A Note From Pastor Les...
I read somewhere recently where the author said the essence of Christianity "is love, charity, and
compassion." Are those characteristics the essence of Christianity? Dictionary.com gives one definition of
"essence" as: "the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or
features."
Given the aforementioned definition, I find the essence of Christianity not to be love, charity, and
compassion. Those are characteristics of one who is a Christian, not the essence of Christianity. I find the
essence of Christianity in the following scripture passage:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and
character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured
out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.6 For when we were still without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more
then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much
more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also
rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the
reconciliation. Romans 5:1-11
According to this scripture passage, these are the essence of Christianity:
· Justification by faith through the Lord Jesus.
· Peace with God through the Lord Jesus.
· Access to God's grace through the Lord Jesus.
· God's pouring His Spirit in our hearts who was given to us through the Lord Jesus.
· Christ died for the ungodly (you and me) while we were still ungodly.
· Saved from the wrath of God through the Lord Jesus.
· Reconciled to God through the Lord Jesus.
This is what Christianity is about. It is not about church polity, rule-keeping, who is pastor, who is not
pastor, and any number of ancillary issues one wishes to pose. Let's get back to the foundations of
Christianity.
Your Brother in Christ,
Les Puryear