God's New Society

Growing in Christ's Church Opening Paragraphs

When the revision of the high school Sunday School material published by Great Commission Publications was done back in 1988-89, I assisted the project with the following:

In his book, God's New Society, John Stott points out that all too often “we emphasize that Christ died for us 'to redeem us from all iniquity’ rather that 'to purify for himself a people of his own’ (Titus 2:14). We think of ourselves more as 'Christians' than as 'churchmen,' and our message is more good news of a new life than of a new society” (p. 9). Does that sound like you and your senior highs? Read on. The family of God, the Body of Christ, the fellowship of the Spirit--descriptions of the church tell us something about the believers' relationship to God and to each other. As soon individual Christians are joined with Christ, they are united with fellow Christians. Believers cannot be Lone Rangers even if they want to be. For they are “fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household.”

Stott provides such a great corrective to the individualistic way of faith and life that characterizes my walk with Christ. I need to hear over and over again the cosmic work of Jesus Christ, His work of an every-generation-people.

How I wish that quote from Stott would be branded into my evangelical hide!

O God, save me from the self-centeredness of my individualistic bent when I read and take in Your Word. Your work is for Your glory, not mine.

G. Mark Sumpter