The Epistle to The Americans

Chapter One: Grace, Thanksgiving, and the Gospel

            Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ as God has willed it, and Ben, his fellow servant in Christ, write to the church of God in every corner of America. To you we offer grace and peace from our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

            I am one to thank my God for the congregations where the preaching of Christ is done with fidelity, for the pastor who has no shame in opening the Scriptures, for the mother and father instructing their children in the faith, and for the believer who will not kowtow to the spirit of the times. I have been made aware of your good works: the way you have come to the aid of the weak, your defense of those in need, the missionaries you have put in the field among the nations, and your generosity when disaster strikes. And your eagerness to put the name of Christ before others is something that ought not be put out of mind.

            But let there be no confusion between being active and being faithful. A church may be busy and yet drift from Christ. It can have its music, its programs and buildings, its conferences and political sway and large audiences, and still lose its grip on the gospel which is its life. The church is not here to entertain or imitate the world or curry its favor. It is the property of Jesus Christ. You were bought with His blood, not with silver or gold, so let the gospel be at the heart of all you do.

            My prayer is that you would know Christ in person and not in theory; that your love would be informed by discernment and knowledge; that you would have an abhorrence for evil and hold fast to what is good. I pray your pastors are given courage and your families strength, that your children are discipled and your churches are home to those who want holiness more than they want to be accepted. May God give you the boldness to tell the truth in love, the humility to repent if you have strayed, and the wisdom to see error for what it is.

Chapter Two: Do Not Be Conformed to This Age

            Brothers and sisters, I make this appeal: do not let the culture set the terms for your faithfulness. The world is always at work to dull the edge of what God has said. Some of you have grown timid in speaking of sin for fear of being branded hateful or intolerant. Others talk of sin without an ounce of compassion, using truth like a bludgeon instead of the instrument God intends for the sinner’s repentance. That is not how Christ does things.

            You are well aware that idolatry, pride, deceit, hatred, drunkenness, greed, and sexual immorality are antithetical to the kingdom. Do not go along with the culture in redefining what God has called sin. But then again, you are saved by grace. Preach repentance, but do not act as though it is only for those outside the church. Judgment starts in the household of God. Look within. If there is secret sin, or bitterness, or racism, or abuse, or adultery, or pornography, put it in the light. Christ did not die for your sins so you could make your peace with them.

            And do not think a political win is the same as the advance of the kingdom. Justice is important, and Christians should care for their neighbors enough to oppose evil and seek the good. But no law justifies a sinner in God’s eyes, no election can bring new life to a dead heart, and no party can bear the cross for the church. Defend human life and call rulers to righteousness, but reserve for Christ the hope that is yours.

Chapter Three: Guard the Truth and Love One Another

            You must also be on guard over the doctrine you have been given. There is a view that doctrine is a divider and that we should simply love Jesus. But how can you love a Christ you will not trouble to know? The church needs to understand what the cross has done, how a sinner is justified, and what following Jesus entails. Put every teaching to the test of the Word. Do not be swayed by a famous teacher or by what is popular or emotional.

            Yet do not use sound doctrine as a cover for pride. If your theology makes you ready to argue but loath to forgive, you have missed the point. If you can justify your position but show no mercy, you do not really grasp the grace you are defending. And if you talk of God’s sovereignty while your own life is ruled by anger and anxiety, you are contradicting yourself. Truth is meant to yield worship and patience and love.

            So pursue unity, but not at the cost of the truth. Forgive one another and put an end to gossip. Pastors, tend to the flock and do not build your own little kingdoms. Elders, watch over character as well as doctrine. Let the older believers instruct the young. Men, lead your homes with sacrifice; women, put your gifts to good use in the body. And young people, do not dismiss wisdom on account of its age. Remember that the church is a body with Christ as its head.

Chapter Four: Remember Your Mission

            In the end, church in America, you would do well to remember your purpose in the world. You are not here to put in an appearance at services, to stockpile things, or to have a comfortable Christian existence and win a few arguments. You have been sent to make disciples. The need is great, and the harvest is there. There are men and women held in the thrall of sin, families coming undone, and those looking for hope in all the wrong places. There are neighbors who have never known Christ and children for whom the gospel is a stranger.

            Make your way to them and put forth the message of Christ, crucified and risen. There is no place for a version of Jesus who is little more than an improvement on one’s circumstances; tell them as it is. The truth is they have sinned before a holy God, and on the cross Christ has shouldered the judgment due to sinners. He has come up from the dead, and the command to all people is to believe and to repent.

            Once they do believe, do not leave them to their own devices. Baptize and instruct them, induct them into the church’s fellowship, and make clear what a life of following Christ entails.

            Let not the unpopularity that comes with being faithful give you pause. The world has never been in a position to grant the church permission to preach the gospel. One does not find confidence in a good reputation, in money or numbers, or in cultural clout. Confidence is found in the fact that Jesus Christ is at work building His church and the gates of hell will not stand against it. So be resolute. Pray without ceasing and open your doors. Put down roots by teaching your children and standing behind your pastors and missionaries. Be there for mothers and fathers in need, and for those who are unable to defend themselves. Visit the ones who are alone and put food on the table for the hungry. Do not shy away from confronting sin, but be quick to forgive and love in earnest. In all things, let the proclamation of Christ be heard.

Doxology

            Glory be to the God in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, who can accomplish His purposes in this crooked and confused age, strengthen the church, and keep His own. May the Lord Jesus Christ’s grace rest with His church in America. Let our hope be in His return, our message His gospel, our confidence in the resurrection, and our boasting in the cross. Amen.