By Laura Springer with Jeff Barnhart
Key Idea: The one church of the one God lives out an identity grounded in Jesus and practices an eternal unity centered on him.
When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, what do they see? How would they describe our relationships with one another? What would they list as our priorities? What would they think about Jesus? What would they think about how we treat those who are different?
The one God has given his one church an identity grounded in Jesus. He has equipped us to live out this eternal identity by revealing himself and his truth in Scripture and Creation. Through Scripture, he teaches us the eternal truth about Jesus, and through Creation, he teaches us knowledge and skills to live as his people in our communities and cultures.
Creation and the Word resource us to live as God’s one church, composed of all who trust Christ and are chosen by his sovereignty. We have been chosen to live as God’s people and Christ’s body, showing the world who Jesus is: the sovereign and holy Savior and Lord. We have been chosen to form the dwelling place of God in the world; whether gathered for worship, service, and learning or dispersed into our daily lives, we reflect and proclaim him. Everywhere we are, every moment of every day, we are the temple of God, the place where God's glory is exalted.
The one God has made his one church to live in unity. Our unity is expressed as we love God and others and live as his family. Centering our minds and practices on God's truth and dwelling in his presence work together to strengthen our unity and make the family of God increasingly important to us. Indeed, our eternal unity in Christ means that our eternal family should come before everything else on earth.
We center our shared life on truth by basking in Jesus and his Word to develop our family resemblance, sharpen our ability to perceive God's work, and deepen our affection for one another. By loving one another, we show ourselves to be God's children and the family of siblings making up his house. We commit ourselves to maintaining deep affection for God and one another, thereby proving our unity. We channel our love for the ever-present, sovereign, and holy God to our siblings and learn to live in the world as his dwelling place. We put our eternal relationships first by maintaining deep loyalty to God and one another.
When TFB's neighbors see us gathered on the church campus or dispersed into the community, they should see a unified church that considers all who trust Christ to be brothers and sisters. They should describe us as siblings of one another, different from each other yet the children of one Father, tending our hearts toward feeling at home, being responsible, and acting with compassion. They should understand that we trust the one God, the Creator and Lord of all, worship him alone and align ourselves to his standards. They should look at us and see Jesus as the ultimately trustworthy and only Savior of all those and only those who trust him. They should see him as the one head of the church and the unique Son in God's family. They should look at how we treat those different from us and see a community with a profound unity in Jesus, loving others as he does and living as a family with Christ as our center.
So, let us bask in Jesus and his Word to learn who we are and strive together to live out that identity, tending our hearts toward feeling confident, centered, and connected in him. Let us trust Jesus, understanding unity and diversity from his perspective, striving together to maintain oneness, and tending our hearts toward sibling love, purposeful motivation, and sacrificial generosity.
Who writes Academy? Laura has an MDiv in Christian Education, a ThM in Systematic Theology, and a PhD in Educational Studies. She also serves TFB as a guitarist (primarily) and singer in TFB's worship band. Jeff has a Certificate in Biblical and Theological Studies and is currently working on an MA in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care. He also serves as kitchen lead for TFB's Family Dinner and as TFB’s bookkeeper.
