Thanking God for You

Brothers and sisters, this is my last editorial as Editor of the Christadelphian Tidings...

The Apostle Paul began his letter to the Philippians by thanking God for the community of believers in Philippi. Paul was confident that Christ would continue to do a good work in them. They had been a joy to Paul in fellowship “from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:5). This was his regular practice when he wrote to brothers and sisters. He expressed thanks that the faith in Rome was spoken of throughout the world. (Romans 1:8). He thanked God for the grace that had been given to believers in Corinth. (1 Corinthians 1:4). He was so grateful to the Ephesian and Thessalonian ecclesias that he made mention of them regularly in his prayers (Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11). Paul may have been incarcerated in Rome. Still, he was filled with joy when he looked at the community of believers that was growing in faith and size.

Brothers and sisters, this is my last editorial as Editor of the Christadelphian Tidings. I am handing over this wonderful magazine to Bro. Jason Hensley, who will become the new Editor, beginning in January, Lord Willing. I have a high level of confidence in Bro. Jason and he will further develop the magazine’s work. I’ve thought quite a while about what to write as a last editorial. Over the past few years, we have addressed many topics. I only hope that these articles have helped stimulate your thinking on these matters and, in some cases, lifted up and edified you.

But for the last editorial, I want to join the Apostle Paul in saying “Thanks!” It is a great privilege to be part of the Christadelphian community. We certainly are not perfect, and there’s a handful of warnings that we would be well served to address. I’ll briefly address a few of them here. However, in the end, this is a community that chooses to serve God rather than the world, loves Jesus Christ, and fundamentally embraces the teachings of Scripture. We’ve been a witness in the world for over 170 years now! We are a blessed community, and, like Paul, “I thank God upon every remembrance of you.”

Membership

When I look back at my life, I see countless people who have cycled through my circles. Some were from school, some were neighbors, and others were work associates. They came and went. There may have been bonds that drew us together for a time. However, when life changes occurred, these people usually became disconnected. There are only a few exceptions to this in my personal experience.

But life in the Truth offers an eternal bond unlike any other human relationship. The reason is that this bond is not based on us, but on our Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. His leadership aligns our priorities, behaviors, values, and how we spend our time. His words cut through cultural differences. His grace brings us together with people we may not have naturally been drawn to, and we learn the value of their presence through the constant interactions in the community. In short, the relationships in the Truth allow us to have a glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see it in the triumphs as well as the failures of one another. Christ is working in all of us. What a joy it is to embrace his active presence in our community. We can only begin to imagine the glory of the Kingdom when we can serve God with sinless, immortal bodies.

Not a Club

However, being a member of the Christadelphians is not like being in a “club.” Ecclesias are places where the poisonous miasma of the world is expelled, but also where the doors are wide open to anyone who is seeking purpose and righteousness in their life. We have yet to fully realize the power of active witness from the full membership of our community. Over the decades, we have established committees, organizations, websites, and numerous preaching groups to share the Word with others. These activities are, in themselves, excellent, and some individuals have been brought to an understanding of the gospel through the diligent work of these brothers and sisters. But we should never see such efforts as anything other than supplementary. At the core of who we are as believers is that every one of us is to be a light to the world. As Jesus taught, we are to be lights on a hill, or on a candlestick. Concealing our light does not glorify God.

At the core of who we are as believers is that every one of us is to be a light to the world. As Jesus taught, we are to be lights on a hill, or on a candlestick. Concealing our light does not glorify God.

In the geographies around the world where the Truth is on fire, the gospel primarily spreads from one person to another. These are often simple invitations to attend a class or share a spiritual insight. This method has always been the intended design for proclaiming the gospel. We need to find a way to shift our perspective on this issue. If your ecclesia has fifty members and twenty young people, you have seventy opportunities to reach your neighborhoods, workplaces, markets, and soccer fields. Today, we have some of the best “formal” preaching I’ve seen. We have websites that consistently produce outstanding content globally. We have electronic systems that can locate and connect individuals seeking the Truth. However, many of us don’t share our faith across the garden hedge or at the corporate water cooler. At the core of this is our faith. When we don’t share with others, we limit what the Lord Jesus Christ can do in our lives. We fear rejection or ridicule. Our speakers and expositors of the Truth are faithful servants. But my “heroes” are those who are rarely recognized. They are the ones who faithfully speak to anyone they can, who radiate light in a world of darkness. They are the ones I wish to emulate.

Peter tells us that when we are “reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.” (1 Peter 4:14). Jesus will accomplish his purpose with the person we could have spoken with. Still, we rob ourselves of the joy that is possible when we do take the opportunity to witness. There are few things in life more gratifying than assisting someone to the Truth. Our Lord elevated us to be his “workmanship.” He has prepared us in advance to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Personal witness is a significant yet underutilized power for our community. I fear that we are not using it as we should. Every ecclesia, regardless of size, needs to make this a key teaching point.

Protecting the Truth

The character of our God is merciful, gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth (Exodus 34:6). He is also a God of justice. He is not a God of mercy at one point, then a God of justice at another. He is always a God of mercy and justice. There is no time when He was only one or the other.

We have a clear charter to ensure that our ecclesias are filled with truth, and that error, particularly in matters of first principles, is never permitted. Christadelphians are generally good at this. Because we all read the Bible and have learned the value of spiritual discernment, we appropriately test what we teach. That’s the operational side of justice. We judge what is said and how the Word is applied.

However, it is essential to remember that while God was a God of justice, He was also always a God of mercy and love. Even when He withdrew His protection of Judah and permitted Babylon to invade and take Jerusalem, He did so out of mercy and love for His people. He would preserve the “good figs” in captivity in Babylon, even as He corrected the wayward nation (Jeremiah 24:1-5).

There is a kind of “righteous indignation” that can emerge at times in our community when we perceive that something is amiss. It can engender a zeal that mirrors what we might see in secular society. Instead of leading to a frank, loving discussion around the Word, it can lead to biting and devouring. Such behaviors bear no reflection of the character of our God. These behaviors can manifest themselves as caustic letter-writing, creation of websites dedicated to maligning others, or burning bridges that connect, which can lead to isolation. When this happens, everybody loses. It can cause long-lasting damage and often drive well-intentioned sheep from the fold. How did such behavior ever become permitted in our community? None of this reflects the fruit of the Spirit. We have a role to correct in love those who voice doctrinal error, but also to those who act like ravening wolves toward them. As the Lord counseled the Ephesians, they had done well by avoiding doctrinal error, but in doing so, they had neglected their first love (Revelation 2:2-4).

Trust

The infant church is a case study about trust. As Christianity spread into Gentile lands, the community’s foundation was erected through trust and love. Jewish believers were stretched the most in terms of trust. They had to trust that believers in Corinth were abstaining from fornication in a city that celebrated such promiscuity. They had to trust that believers in Philippi were abstaining from pagan practices, such as drinking of blood or eating food offered to idols. I am sure that some felt it was complicated to accept that a Gentile a thousand miles away was just as reflective of the community as they were. The basis of the Acts 15 agreement was trust. If I were in Judea, I would need to believe that the ecclesia in idolatrous Ephesus was as genuine as my own ecclesia. I had to accept that Christ was the one who was leading the ecclesias. I did not need a report card on how well they are living up to the high calling. If there was a reported problem, there were loving ways to address that. But I began by trusting.

I see this as a challenge today. Will we trust that the Lord is in control? Will we take our brothers and sisters at their word? Will we trust them to do as they say they will do? Until we do this, regardless of our historical disappointments, we will lack the unity we all desire.

Young People

I have heard many lament that our young people are leaving the Truth at unprecedented levels. I understand their concern, but I question the validity of their data. When I look back fifty years, it is evident that we were losing young people back then, at least at the same rate as today. Let’s face it, not everyone sticks with the community. It has always been this way.

However, I’d like to say a few positive things about the young people today. These comments, I realize, are generalizations. They may not apply to every case.

First, what I see is a group that absolutely loves associating with one another. They drive and fly to conferences, Bible Schools, and other gatherings. They connect on Zoom and other platforms. Today’s young people are more connected than any generation before. My granddaughters have Christadelphian friends with whom they talk every week, who are located on different continents. That was unimaginable during my youth. We can learn from our young people about how to connect, share, and expand our faith networks.

As I’ve written before, today’s kids are often referred to as the “Why?” generation. It is not sufficient to be told “This is what we do,” or “what we have always been doing.” We, their parents and grandparents, taught them to ask “Why?” It is suitable to discuss the “Why?” It makes us stronger when we have practices and beliefs that can stand the test of “Why?” For those things we can’t justify, we ought to be open to change.

Praise Worship

Another significant contribution of young people to our community is the renaissance of worship music. Again, this is a considerable shift from earlier Christadelphian generations. We have a rich heritage of hymns that hold great significance for each of us. But engaging our members in praise expression and the performance of that praise music makes us a fuller and more vibrant community. It’s good to sing praise music from brothers and sisters we know. Creating praise music is an excellent way for our community to express its faith and devotion. Together with the rich heritage of the Christadelphian Hymn Book, we have expanded what one’s participation in worship looks like. I want to thank those who have led this vital work.

One Sure Sign of the Last Days

I don’t know if Christ will return before I fall asleep. I hope so, but then again, so have countless generations before me. We all want to see that great day.

We often fail to accurately assess and predict the outcomes of global events. As Bro. Ken Sommerville used to say, “That’s above my pay grade!” It is good to keep an eye on world events. Surely what we see is the revealing of God’s will. But we shouldn’t place a hefty wager on our prognostications being highly accurate. Prophecy exists so that when events occur, afterward we may understand the hand of God and believe. Until then, our primary challenge is to watch. Be ready.

There is, however, one current event that I have high confidence in, and I would like to share it as my final message as Editor. We should be absolutely elated by the spread of the gospel into so many nations. Our community has been blessed with tens of thousands of zealous brothers and sisters, often from developing countries.

There is, however, one current event that I have high confidence in, and I would like to share it as my final message as Editor. We should be absolutely elated by the spread of the gospel into so many nations. Our community has been blessed with tens of thousands of zealous brothers and sisters, often from developing countries. We know that the Lord intended to call people from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” (Revelation 5:9). When I was a young man, this could not be said. It has been a development over the past twenty-five years. Jesus Christ is going to create a people of great diversity to rule with him in the coming Kingdom. The evidence of this is right before our eyes. While we may feel the gospel isn’t very attractive to many in the Western lands we live in, He is working mightily in other parts of the world. It is incumbent on us to be witnesses locally and supporters of the work afar. It has the potential, depending on how we act, to make us so much stronger and more vibrant as a community. Oh, and don’t give up on your neighbors in the West either! He’s still calling them, too.

Thank You

Thank you for being a reader of the Tidings magazine. We are passionate about bringing to you a blend of content, all of which will be helpful for personal life application. The Word of God is deep and so exciting. I look forward to experiencing the leadership Bro. Jason Hensley will bring. May God bless you all!

Dave Jennings