Lent at VOX City Church 1
The Christian life is one that is to be marked by repentance and faith. Everywhere the Apostle Paul went, he called people to repent and turn to God (Acts 26:20). This isn’t something that we do only once, at the moment of salvation, rather it becomes the everyday flow of life. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 Paul tells the church that “godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” This means that as Christians we never move beyond the gospel. We are always in need of our saviour, Jesus Christ. The same way we start the Christian life, by repenting and turning from sin to faith in God, is the same way we continue on, being transformed into Christ-likeness. Therefore, grief that is from God doesn’t drive us to try harder and do more, rather it drives us to continue to turn from our sin and believe in Jesus as our only hope.
With this said, it makes sense for us as a church to intentionally engage in repentance. As a regular rhythm in our lives we need to both individually and corporately reflect on our sin and be renewed by the good news that Jesus saves sinners. So how do we engage in this intentional repentance? There are many ways that we can and do, for instance, every time we read scripture or gather as a corporate body and sit under God’s Word we give opportunity for the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and receive godly grief that leads us to repentance. It’s important to note that this is a grief that leads to joy. We grieve that the world, and we with it, are not what it’s suppose to be, but we rejoice that God has made a way for us to be reconciled and we look longingly to when Jesus will make all things new.
Throughout history the church universal has engaged in different traditions and seasons of corporate repentance. One of these seasons is Lent (see below). Now, it’s important as we consider engaging in Lent together that we remember that the tradition itself is not something that we must do to be right with God. The Bible says that different festivals, regulations, and asceticism are not required in worship (Colossians 2:16-23). However, engaging in times of focus and discipline together can give us helpful visual reminders of what Christ has done for us and how we are now able to live. It is with this in mind, that VOX is engaging in the season of Lent together, starting with Ash Wednesday.
fresh expressions... 