Reflecting Jesus
Last weekend's message focused on the first part of Romans 12 and talked about what is Church. The Church is God’s people who through the power of the Holy Spirit live with Christ, respond to His love, and are blessed to be a blessing. So what exactly does that look like (or not look like)? The second half of Romans 12 will paint that picture for us this weekend, but the short version is given to us in Acts 4:13b, "They took note that these men had been with Jesus." In other words, those who profess allegiance to Christ reflect Him in their thoughts, words, and deeds.
If one is serious about reflecting Jesus, it is essential to spend quality time in the Word through personal reading and group Bible study. One of the reasons congregations have Pastors is to teach the Word and help people to understand it and apply it in life. And for us at Beautiful Savior, we are also blessed to have a staff of dedicated teachers who have been trained in and personally continue to grow in the Word so they can teach God's saving truth to our students.
The goal is not solely to make people Biblically literate, but also to put people in a position where the Holy Spirit has promised to work and increase saving faith and an active relationship with our Lord Jesus. First and foremost, Jesus is our Savior from eternal death. As John 3:16 puts it, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." But because Jesus is true God who also became true man, we see in Him the perfect example of how God designed human beings to live -- what it looks like to love God with all of one's heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself.
Beautiful Savior Lutheran School begins a new school year on August 27. Classes in school run very smoothly when all the students want to learn. The same is true for Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church. We will grow and make a positive impact in the world when we want to learn together from the Word so we can live in the joy of Jesus and reflect His love in the world around us.