“Today is the most important day for our salvation”
Do you believe, or do you still demand answers? “Ifs”, “buts”, and “maybes” can hold us back from hearing the call of God and acting in accordance with it. To counter this, the Chief Apostle has a recipe that is actually very simple.
When is the “day of salvation” of which Apostle Paul speaks? This was the question that was put to some 1,300 participants in the divine service in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on 3 November 2016. Chief Apostle Jean-Luc Schneider’s sermon revolved around the Bible text recorded in 2 Corinthians 6: 2: “For He says [Isaiah 49: 8]: ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’”
In a special time
Here Paul explains his task as an Apostle. And the Apostles of today have the task of proclaiming the same thing, namely: “God wants to save you. You are living in a very special time. You have the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God, to be part of the bride of Christ, to share the glory of God.”
“All of us have been called to be baptised with water and the Spirit.” This call of God may have resounded in some extremely different ways, explained the Chief Apostle. While one may have been born into a believing family, another may have been added to the fold through an invitation or as a result of special circumstances. “But the important thing is to respond to this call.” And very simply, this means doing the will of God.
Between yesterday and tomorrow
There are many answers we could give in response to this call. For example, we could wait. After all, it is also possible to be redeemed in the kingdom of peace and to simply enjoy earthly life until then. “But anyone who loves Jesus will want to be with Him as soon as possible,” stressed the Church president. And it is precisely this kind of love that is the prerequisite for entering the kingdom of God. After all, “Today is the day of salvation!”
Another response might be: “In the past, the Chief Apostle and the Apostles told us one thing, and now they are telling us the opposite.” However, “We believe that the Holy Spirit works today through the Apostle ministry of today.” Those who desire to follow Jesus will do what He expects of them now.
The right moment in time: now
An increasingly popular response: “It is no longer possible to live in accordance with the gospel in our time, in our circumstances, or in our country.” And yet, the gospel cannot be changed, stated Chief Apostle Schneider very clearly. “It is our belief that the gospel also applies to us in our situation today. The right time to act in accordance with it is now.”
And there are a great many responses that try to set conditions for following: “First of all, explain to me why this happened to me.” Or, “First you must give me justice.” Or: “First the ministers will have to do better.” But in principle, the answer of Jesus is always, “No. That is not how it works. You must follow Me unconditionally. Just follow Me!”
“We follow Him now because we also know that Jesus could still come today,” concluded the Chief Apostle. “No one knows when He will come again. The time of grace is limited. That is why it is so important to act right now. — Today is the most important day for our salvation.”
Article info
Author:
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Andreas Rother
29.03.2017
Zimbabwe,
Chief Apostle,
Divine service
