Have you heard the phrase “the body of Christ” and wondered what it meant? The Church consists of its members who are the living body of Christ. In many ways, God’s work is accomplished through this body of Christ. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. God designed each person in the church to use their God-given gifts to advance God’s kingdom.

You Have A Purpose

I believe that most people become Christians to secure eternal salvation with our Lord. That’s a great start! However, God is so gracious, kind, merciful and he loves us so much that He has given us a very important purpose. He has given us the job to bring others to Christ and to give them hope.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

We were created by God in His own image to bring other people to Him so that they may also be saved. God wants His whole creation to be with Him in relationship here and eternally. I desire for Christians to understand that God gives us love, mercy and grace with forgiveness of all our sins, past, present, and future. And we are called to love and forgive others in the same way.

Love The Lord, Your Neighbor And Your Enemy

We are called to break the cycle of sin, so love goes much further with this next scripture from Matthew 5:43-45.

“You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

I would also like to add that Jesus showed us how to love our enemies through His example which you can read about in the Gospels (The books Matthew, Mark, Luke & John in the Bible). Loving your enemy is a very tall order and takes a lot of work not to conform to the patterns of this world. It’s easy to get distracted and lose sight of God when we get angry, sad, depressed, or fall back into our sinful nature. This is why it’s so important to be plugged into the Church in community, scripture, worship, lifegroups, and serving.

Another example Jesus gave us is “The Lord’s Prayer”. I hope you will read it out loud and pay close attention to the meaning of this prayer.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:9-13

There Is Freedom In Forgiveness

We are called to forgiveness; it’s not an option for Christians! Forgiveness frees our minds to focus on our Lord and the work He has for us without distraction. Forgive, move on and experience the joy of pursuing, serving, and being in close relationship with our Lord. The goal is to experience a heart filled with the love of God and to share it with the world.