Jerusalem: GAFCON III: God’s Church
An address given by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Virtueonline:
We have heard already, in song and in speech, so much of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Primate of Nigeria (Archbishop Nicholas Okoh) was telling us yesterday, how by grace through faith we are justified by Christ’s Person and his Work. This morning we heard about His atoning work and how we are accounted right before God and reconciled with Him.
That’s true, of course. But we are not saved on our own. As we become God’s children we are incorporated into the Family of God — and that is The Church.
So the Gospel of God is not just about our own salvation but also for the forms of belonging … of fellowship … of worship … of Sacrament … of ministry … and of oversight. These are not just incidentals that human beings have invented at some time or other for their own convenience. The Gospel has resulted in the forms of our fellowship of the Church. So God’s Church follows God’s Gospel. And that is how it should be.
But it is not just that the Gospel forms the Church, but also maintains the Church in holiness and in truth in the form of the Apostolic Teaching which is passed on from generation to generation; from culture to culture — that is partly what mission is about.
This passing on and receiving, of course, has a great deal for us that is common amongst us: in essentials — unity; in nonessentials — liberty; in all things — charity. I wish we could remember that.
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