SAN ANTONIO—Christians should seek unity because of their desire for and delight in God, Pastor Earl Grant of Covenant Community Church in San Antonio told the opening session of the Texas Baptist Family Gathering.
“Diversity is a given because diversity is the inherent mix,” Grant said. “It is the inclusion or intentional integration that makes the mix work well.
“You need to know you are saved, and because of your salvation, you can handle it. You have been called and cleansed by God. You have been washed in the blood.”
Texas Baptists “come to a common ground at the cross of Christ on Calvary,” he said, adding Christians are called to work together to advance the kingdom of God.
‘Royal priesthood’
Christians should recognize their privilege and embrace their place as a royal priesthood of believers, he said.
“In Christ, you are a chosen generation, selected by God,” Grant said. “You have been picked out to be picked on. You have been divinely and sovereignly chosen to create a new character in Christ and reflect Christ.”
With this privilege comes a great responsibility to live a life worthy of the calling and proclaim God’s glory, he added.
“He did not make such a special possession of his own to be silent,” Grant said. “He called us to give him glory. Let us exalt his name together, because this is my purpose—that I must magnify the name of Christ.”
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Life of dedication
A Christian’s position involves a life of dedication to God, who provided salvation from sin and depravity that Christians might know his mercy, grace and love, he said, quoting 1 Peter 2:10, “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
Christians should share the mercy they receive from their heavenly Father with everyone around them, he said.
“He is a light to the world, and because he is a light, I have a little light, and I’m going to let my light shine,” Grant said.
“I used to not have mercy, but now I have mercy. Because of his goodness, his mercy is sufficient. It gave me life. Mercy held back justice so grace could be extended. I found it on a hill called Calvary. Mercy died for my sins and your sins. Early Sunday morning, mercy got up, and now my position is clear—I have light, love and life.”
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