January 12, 2000
GRACE & PEACE:
Aim for both health and
wholeness in Christ this year
___"Be perfect, therefore, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)
___In this commandment, Jesus set the highest standard for his disciples--to be godly. Jesus stated this standard in another way when he said to his disciples, "Follow me." We are to be becoming like Jesus--in all those qualities that marked his actions and words. Why? Because "God was in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:19), "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Jesus not only told us what it meant to be godly, he also showed us.
___The great missionary Apostle Paul realized this, for he urged, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Similarly, the Apostle Peter declared, "Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21).
WILLIAM M. PINSON JR. Executive Director
BGCT Executive Board
___Paul indicated that even though we may not achieve this goal, we are to keep on seeking to reach it (Philippians 3:12-14).
___Thus, we are to strive to be Jesus-kind-of-people, realizing the indwelling Christ makes this possible. As Paul wrote: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).
___The Baptist General Convention of Texas is committed to helping develop Jesus-kind-of-people. No one can live the Christ-kind-of-life apart from saving faith in the Son of God, so we make evangelism a priority. The God-given vision of Texas 2000 is to "share Jesus with every person in Texas by the end of the year 2000," and a top priority is to "share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of Texas, the nation and the world."
___An initial faith commitment to Christ as Savior must be followed by growth in him as Lord if we are to meet the standard he set for us. Worship, study of the Bible, quiet-time meditation upon God, yearning to know and to do God's will, a sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit, a deepening intimacy with the living Christ, ministry in his name, sharing the good news--all these and more contribute to becoming a Jesus-kind-of-person. The BGCT is committed to providing resources for such discipleship.
___Central to healthy discipleship in Christ is a healthy church. Being a follower of Christ is not a solo activity. Although we come to faith in Christ one-by-one in individual commitment, we grow in Christ by being a part of a fellowship of believers--a church. Spiritually healthy disciples contribute to the spiritual health of a church, and a spiritually healthy church contributes to the health of members of the body of Christ.
___The BGCT therefore majors on developing the health of both individual disciples and of churches. The Church Health Task Force of the BGCT has been at work for months and will be making recommendations soon on how to improve what the convention does in this regard. Positive, exciting days are ahead for the family of Baptists in Texas as we major on cooperating with the Holy Spirit in developing Jesus-kind-of-people and Jesus-kind-of-churches.
___Please pray for all of us to settle for no standards in our Christian life other than those set by Jesus himself. Pray for commitment to making and maturing disciples to the glory of God. And pray for us to be a Jesus-kind-of-people.
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