Why More Than Redemption?
Salvation, that central concern of Protestant theology, is often too narrowly defined. It is thought of as “being saved from the consequences of sin.” But God is doing much more. He is making something new out of the old sinful nature. He is, in Christ, making new creatures. “No matter what the problem is, no matter how greatly sin has abounded, the Christian…stance is struck by the far-more-abounding nature of the grace of Jesus Christ in redemption.” –Jay E. Adams, A Theology of Christian Counseling: More Than Redemption, Copyright ©️ 1979
Jay Adams went home to be with his Lord, November 14, 2020. (You can read more about his life and ministry here.) In his bio, the pastor refers to Jay Adams as one of the greatest influences in his life. And it is perhaps this philosophy, this presupposition that shapes what we believe: more than redemption. Salvation is about more than just being saved from the consequences of sin. It’s about God in Christ making new creatures. No matter how great the sin, God’s grace in Christ is greater! This is why we as a church are so committed to the concept of redemption. When Christ changes you, everything changes! We want MTRC to be a place where all people, regardless of race, color, their past or socio-economic status are loved well. Did we leave anyone out? We want to love you well also!
In Remember the Titans, one player looked at another and said, “Attitude reflects leadership.” It is our sincere prayer that God grants us the grace to lead everyone who comes by teaching and by example what it means to love others well, in the most Biblical sense of the words. Now, what that looks like may surprise or even offend some. For example, we don’t believe loving others well requires that we be a church unwilling to confront sin. We will confront sin. But we will do it in the most loving, gracious way, humbly remembering our own sin and the grace we’ve been given. We don’t believe that loving others well requires that we accept modern absurdities regarding gender, sexuality, identity, etc. We will speak truth, but we will do it with kindness and a sincere, heartfelt desire for all to come to repentance that they might be saved! Why? Because the truth of the gospel is that all of us are far worse of sinner than we will ever even try to conceive, and we are far more loved by God than we can ever imagine. At the intersection of those two truths in the heart, the gospel explodes upon the scene and lives are changed!
So, if any of this resonates with you, if you want a relationship with your pastor and other members of the church, if you want to have all of them and speed dial and know that your call at some ungodly hour won’t go unanswered because that call probably means you’re in a crisis, then come to More Than Redemption Church: the church that, we pray, trusting in His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, will love YOU well!