UNITED IN CHRIST TOGETHER!
In his book ‘Deeper,’ Dane Ortlund writes ‘Draw strength from your oneness with Jesus. You are no longer alone. No longer isolated. When you sin, don’t give up. Let Him pick you up and put you on your feet again with fresh dignity. He lifts your chin, looks you in the eye, and defines your existence: ‘you in Me, and I in you’ (John 14:20)
Knowing who we are in Christ, and that we are a part of His worldwide Body is a wonderful encouragement. I love the fact that Jesus taught us to pray in the plural; Our Father… Give us … Forgive us … Lead us … rather using the singular I, me, myself. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your part in CARE’s ministry through praying, giving, and getting involved where you can. CARE’s vision statement is to see ‘Politics Renewed, Lives Transformed.’ We seek to engage the Church, equip politicians and empower future leaders.
During the General Election campaign, we were so encouraged that tens of thousands of Christians accessed our website to find information, inspiration for prayer and practical guidance. We already work alongside many outstanding Christian parliamentarians. Please pray for us in the coming months as we seek to connect with new MPs who are Christians; to support, encourage, equip and pray for them.
In His grace,
Rev Lyndon Bowring CO-FOUNDER OF CARE
WHO WE ARE… WHOSE WE ARE
I first visited the late John Stott 50 years ago. He was at the time the Rector of All Souls, Langham Place in London and in 1983 graciously agreed to become a patron of CARE. I vividly remember his opening words; ‘Lyndon, Tell me about yourself.’ They’ve stuck in my mind ever since and are the first words I say to each of the male graduates on our Leadership Programme who I’m privileged to get to know, mentor and pray for each year.
There’s much discussion these days about human identity, which the dictionary defines as ‘who we are.’ As human beings made in the image of God we seek significance, security and self-worth – usually in the context of our education, family, relationships, ministry and career, which is natural and good. But beyond that, from a Christian standpoint, I think the most important response to the invitation, ‘Tell me about yourself’ is to begin by saying confidently first and foremost ‘I am in Christ.’ In his writings the Apostle Paul speaks about being ‘in Christ’ over 150 times – he’s often referred to as the ‘In Christ Theologian!’
I believe we have an inbuilt need to be loved right from early childhood. We want to come to know ourselves and be accepted by those whose opinion matters to us. The older I get the more I realise how important it is to keep in touch with those who’ve impacted our lives, reminding them in their advancing years how much they are still treasured!
Today many individuals are intent on finding and affirming what they feel is their true sexual and gender identity. CARE shares a growing concern about the wide implications of this thinking, particularly with increasing numbers of young people considering a transition from their birth gender to something else. The website sexualdiversity.org lists 107 gender identities – a number they say is ‘subject to change at any time.’ According to the Bible this is pursuing a tragically false identity. Last year, CARE launched a new hub on our website, providing a clear biblical perspective on transgenderism where you can find stories, biblical content and ways to pray about this vital topic.
Common sense, I believe, may thankfully be winning through. The excellent Cass Report found that ‘gender medicine is built on shaky foundations,’ in May of this year, the NHS no longer prescribes puberty-suppressing hormones to under 18’s. Previously, thousands, including 382 children under six, had been referred for possible treatment. Ideas around ‘gender theory’ – that what matters is who a person feels they are rather than the biological fact of them being male or female, has been openly encouraged in some schools with pupils and their parents who disagreed being labeled as ‘bigoted’ or worse. CARE continues to monitor this issue which has such potential for confusion and harm – especially among young people.
FINDING OURSELVES IN HIM
Jesus, who has known us in love from the beginning, longs for us to find our true identity –not just in terms of sexuality and gender but through every aspect of ourselves. Psalm 139:16 says ‘You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.’ Made in God’s likeness, we have the opportunity to find ourselves ‘in Him’ and out of this identity flows a sense of vocation – ‘working out our salvation with fear and trembling’ as God works in us. (Philippians 2:12,13)
‘God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.’
Ephesians 2:4-6 (NLT)
This truth of our union with Christ has been described as the umbrella above every wonderful facet of our salvation that spills out onto the pages of the New Testament and into our lives. Being ‘in Christ’ means we have been forgiven, justified, reconciled, washed, ransomed and born again for eternity. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Having been adopted by the Father and made co-heirs with Jesus, our destiny is bound up with His. In cosmic terms, we are united with Christ ‘seated with Him in the heavenly realms.’ Where He has gone, we follow. The Bible says that when Jesus died for our sins and rose in victory we died and rose as well.
The wonderful gospel news is that we are no longer condemned, defiled, orphaned, estranged, dirty, enslaved, in debt, imprisoned, dead because Jesus, the One who flung stars into place has swept us up into His own life and set us free for eternity! Then there’s the personal experience of union with Christ – like a branch of a vine, a part of a body, the spouse in a marriage – finding His living, loving presence deep in our hearts. This is a lifelong journey, impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ is what enables a disciple to become his or her true, God-shaped self. In Him we find our true identity – our significance, security and self-worth and can then follow His plans for our lives: to know Him more deeply and love our neighbours as ourselves.
‘YOU ARE WHAT YOU WORSHIP’
Thankfully, compared with the 365 million of our brothers and sisters Open Doors estimates are living under ‘high levels of persecution’, we in the UK are free to worship and live out our faith. However, the liberty to share our Christian convictions about, say; marriage, the uniqueness of the gospel, gender theory, and the sanctity of human life is increasingly under fire.
In his challenging book ‘Covenant,’ Danny Kruger, Conservative MP for Devizes at the time of writing, writes about the continuing advance of secular liberal thinking in British politics and society in what he sees as our post-Christian age. He begins, ‘You are what you worship. Your identity is a reflection of your god, the thing you venerate, which gives life meaning and explains good and evil…’ The great God-given gift of individual uniqueness can be severely distorted, with us ending up thinking “I am whatever I want to be…”
Such ideas began life during the Age of Enlightenment which in the 18th century began to set science and reason against the authority of the Christian faith, trusting in the rightness of human thinking rather than the revealed truth of the God of the Bible. Enlightenment thinking suggested that Christianity was no longer needed because humans could be all-knowing, figuring everything out themselves.
The 18th century philosopher Descartes, famously declared, ‘I think, therefore I am’ sadly putting humanity at the centre, in place of the Christian world view based on ‘God created me, therefore I am’. Other writers of that time recognised the importance of emotion, particularly in the judging of moral matters. Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in pure human goodness and moral autonomy, ‘Whatever I feel to be right, is right. Whatever I feel to be wrong, is wrong.’ Such ideas are echoed today by those who want to discover their self-identity without reference to a God of absolute truth, judgement and forgiving mercy.
By contrast, we are called to be God’s light and salt and one day it will be revealed what a difference the Church has made throughout history. As we serve our generation may God help us to surrender to Him and reach out to our world with His grace and truth.