How God helps and saves
It was a festival with sports and music, and right in the middle of it all the timely word of God was delivered. This is how Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider’s visit to Pune in India unfolded. And at the end, the congregation created a very special divine moment.
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
-
Photo: NAC India
When the sun rose on 11 November 2023, everything was ready for an action-packed day ahead. District Apostle Helper David Devaraj opened the event with a prayer. Nearly 200 members competed in various sports. Throughout the day, authentic street food from the individual states was served on the grounds.
In the late afternoon, the highly anticipated finals of the cricket tournament took centre stage. After the game, the Chief Apostle and the guests moved to an adjacent venue for a cultural showcase. The cultural extravaganza unfolded with performances from various federal states, highlighting the theme “Unity in diversity”.
Lawgiver, Judge, and King
Around 2,100 members made their way back to the concert grounds, where the Chief Apostle addressed them. He centred his message on Isaiah 33: 22, “For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will save us.”
The Chief Apostle said that God helps His own and saves them. This Bible text shows how He does this, he explained.
- God helps us by giving His law. This is not intended to restrict our freedom, but rather to tell us how we are to behave in order to be blessed by God and become a blessing for others. This law is easy to understand. We must make our relationship with God our priority. And we should only do to our neighbour what we want others to do to us.
- God is the sole judge over salvation. People are constantly judging others, based on their performance, social status, background, or their membership in one or the other group. However, the opinion that other people have of us has no influence on our salvation. God’s judgement alone is what counts.
- God is a righteous judge. He knows everything. He sees our sins, but He also see the circumstances under which they were committed. God not only looks at our deeds, but also takes our faith and love into account. He grants grace to those who demonstrate love and faith.
- God is king. The help of God is focused on leading believers into His kingdom. He alone decides when Jesus will return. He gives us a foretaste of His kingdom in His church already today.
“In order to receive the help of God and to be saved, we do His will, seek His grace, and trust in Him,” the Chief Apostle emphasised. He summed his thoughts up as follows: “God’s law shows us how we can be blessed and become a blessing. God grants grace to those who believe and love. He is almighty and leads us into His kingdom.”
As the choir sang the last hymn, a captivating scene unfolded, with everyone illuminating the space using their phone flashlights. Arms raised, swaying in unison, and joyously singing along, the congregation created a very special, divine atmosphere.
