Triple Blessing! I get excited when new books are written, even more excited when I enjoy reading them and even more, more excited when they are written by someone I know. My good friend, Dion Williams, just released his new book Our Divine Right. At the current time, it is only available through his website https://ourdivineright.com/. The book is primarily written to encourage followers of Christ to understand their divine right to have a more integral part in His church. It is filled with scripture and lots of love. An excerpt from the book is below.
How can we edify one another if we don’t even care about each other? The church nowadays can be a lonely and seemingly unloving place. Driven by various programs or external ministries that keep the church busy and mostly imparting personal development through sermons alone, it can be impersonal and distancing to never really be part of the lives of others. This does not resemble the original intent of what church was meant to be. I am not saying this simply because I have an axe to grind, but I have scripture to prove that we are deficient in what was to be ours in Christ Jesus’s body. If true, this deficiency has to be addressed biblically and corporately.
The systemization of the church’s abuse of believers’ rights is astounding. How the leaders have embarked on such an overarching rule is one thing. How the church has allowed these leaders such power is another thing all together.
Even “good churches” are tainted by this pastoral exclusivity. When the church departed from mutual edification, the pastoral ministry mentality gave way to creating a business-like atmosphere which has become foundational to the modern church structure. Pastors serve their customers in a business style transaction. The parking spots, secretaries, business cards, large buildings with overhead and even child care solidifies the faculty driven service.
This is not what Paul taught, he pictured a family mindset where elders, brothers, sisters and children were all together loving and serving one another in different capacities. Figuratively, where the immature child-like believers sat at the table and were allowed to eat with the more mature adult believers. However, they are expected to behave maturely in due time. Learning to share and not be selfish as they grow up. Sometimes dinner does not run smoothly but that is the ultimate goal; children becoming adults through trial and error. Rebukes and praises of love are given. If we first teach our family how to love each other then they will be able to reach a lost world. In principle, it all starts at home.
Peter was not educated and made many mistakes even though he had been given the royal title of an Apostle of Jesus Christ. His example is the believer’s example that God has called even the lowliest to share in the meeting. Peter would be discouraged from any participation today where a Seminary education is considered a prerequisite to be part of the ministry to the body.
To the contrary, the gospel is the reason and motivation for our obedience and taking up the privilege of responsibility toward one another! We love him because He first loved us. Jesus’s love accomplished for us what we could not do for ourselves. He forgives our sin but that doesn’t mean we should sin. Why hate somebody who loves you? Instead, His desire to love and willingness to forgive should drive us to love Him in return!
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ESV
This is enormous! Paul based our motive to share and edify one another on the work of Christ on our behalf. Our motive to speak and be vulnerable to one another is based on the fact that Jesus loved us and died for us. Despite our sins, He cared to lift us up and we are to lift up others. This is why when he completes chapter 12-14 to the church, he then concludes with chapter 15, where he tells us the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, (2) and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you-unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, (4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, ESV
Paul not only grounds the duty of each Christian to participate in the motive of love but he grounds it in the gospel example set by Christ. Why seek to edify others? Why not let the more ambitious members take my responsibility, when they seem so good at it? Because God gives each member the responsibility. If He wanted only a certain class of men to do it He would have never put in the “each of you” passages. This passing of the buck also fails in its motivation. Why? Because Christ died for you that’s why! He loved outside of His comfort realm and even died for others when he didn’t have to.
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