Over the past week I have seen and heard enough evidence to conclude that not only is the world a broken place, but our Church is also broken. This realisation can really shake our foundations, especially when we hae high hopes for the body of Christ.
I have grappled with Jesus' plan in leaving the succession of his ministry to the 'imperfect' disciples, who in turn passed it onto future generations of broken people. A brief glance at Church History confirms that there have been enough sinful, imperfect, immoral, unjust and incompetent church leaders - spanning the last two millenia - to conclude that Christianity is finished. Yet, we stand in the middle of 2009 and realise that God is still working in and through His broken 'Bride' and that countless people are still being drawn into the Kingdom of God. This is indeed a mystery. How can a broken vessel be used to carry the Life-changing power of the Spirit of God? It doesn't make sense to man, but to God it is perfectly rational.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:32 - "This is a profound mystery - but i am talking about Christ and the church." God has successfully been able to transmit His message of unconditional love and forgiveness down through the generations, not by using a perfect conduit, but by relying on a broken body. This is the very reason that the Church will continue until Christ's return - it is not due to the efforts of man, but rather thanks to the supernatural power of God.
Prayer: Lord, I often contribute towards the brokenness of the body of Christ - not because I am deliberately destructive, but due to my inherent sin. Use me to transmit your message, but please don't let people look at my 'life' - let them be pointed to the Cross of Jesus and his empty tomb.
Living in grace,
D3LM3
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