What must the church focus...
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What must the church focus upon, if it is to be prepared for the return of Christ? If you were informed that Christ would be returning on a particular date, how would you go about preparing for his visit in your congregation?
In preparation, there would be some leaders who would focus on purging their rolls on the basis of correct theological doctrine. "The church must cleanse itself of those who hold heretical views of the scriptures, or the Trinity, or the Divinity of Christ ...," some would propose.
Still others might suggest that the church must cleanse itself by adopting the correct form of worship. "How we worship God is the most significant element in our corporate life," they would say. After all, eternity for the Christian is going to be spent worshiping God in God's heavenly Kingdom."
There would be another element that would propose, that if Christ is coming shortly, then the church better get on the stick and save the lost. "Our primary task is to evangelize the world and share the gospel. Jesus will want to find us doing what he commanded us to do in the Great Commission when he returns."
All these preparations are important, but our scripture gives us yet another direction for preparation: " 'Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it is granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure' for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." (Emphasis added)
Our most important preparation is to be found in our righteous deeds.
In preparation, there would be some leaders who would focus on purging their rolls on the basis of correct theological doctrine. "The church must cleanse itself of those who hold heretical views of the scriptures, or the Trinity, or the Divinity of Christ ...," some would propose.
Still others might suggest that the church must cleanse itself by adopting the correct form of worship. "How we worship God is the most significant element in our corporate life," they would say. After all, eternity for the Christian is going to be spent worshiping God in God's heavenly Kingdom."
There would be another element that would propose, that if Christ is coming shortly, then the church better get on the stick and save the lost. "Our primary task is to evangelize the world and share the gospel. Jesus will want to find us doing what he commanded us to do in the Great Commission when he returns."
All these preparations are important, but our scripture gives us yet another direction for preparation: " 'Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it is granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure' for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." (Emphasis added)
Our most important preparation is to be found in our righteous deeds.
