Tuesday 16 May 2017

Teach yourself into eternal life



We’re just about to start the church’s longest season of Trinity. For most of the church’s history, the church has used this long season as an opportunity to teach the fundamentals of the Christian faith. The first week is Trinity Sunday itself, when we look at the nature of God himself, and see he him as a trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
      It’s entirely appropriate to start the Trinity season with God, because everything about Christianity begins with God. The world began when God the Spirit hovered over the deep, ‘and it was made’. Similarly, the Church began when the Spirit changed and energised the first disciples at Pentecost. Individual Christians start their life of faith at baptism when again God the Spirit enters their soul.
      It goes further. If we decide what we want to do in our services of divine worship, we must ask God what he wants. Otherwise, we may find he wanted us to do things differently. We must ask him first what he wants, and then worship him accordingly. In just the same way, as we decide how to spend our money, use our time, and live our lives, we must put God first.
      The Bible says the same, and extends the idea further. We are to give God the first portion of everything we gain. For example, if God does not come first, we run the risk of running out of time and money before it’s his turn. In concept, the idea is called giving God the ‘first fruits’ (which, in turn, leads to the concept of the ‘tithe’).
      So as we grow together in faith and fellowship, we need to explore putting God first in everything. As the advert says, we make him the first and foremost in our lives, ‘because he’s worth it!’

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