Just, Righteous, Grace

 

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Back in June, 2008, I was writing on this very blog about "Righteousness." Fortunately, I've learned a number of things since then and have a better understanding. Oh, I didn't find anything I would really change - those verses are just as they were fifteen years ago, 500 years ago, or 2000 years ago, or more!

Funny to me is when God brings three or more different people/events/material/"things" together that focuses us on one train of thought for more than one person. You see, Sunday morning our Sunday School class was supposed to be learning more about Romans' chapter 8, but our regular teacher was out and our substitute went for 1 John 5. That was followed by our worship service where pastor began with Titus 2:11+, and delved into II Peter 3:8+. At the same time, a question was posted on that "Righteousness" blog page. I was thinking about Sunday's messages, but that one Comment turned into this blog page.

A verse I used back in 2008: As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10 KJV) is just as true today as it was when Paul wrote his epistle, and David wrote in Psalms 14. We are all sinners at some time or other, even after we accept Jesus as our savior. The difference for a Christian is that we are saved through God's grace:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)

See that welcome sign on the graphic above? We do not become sin free when we accept God's gift. We still have a nature compatible with the world we live in, and may I assure you - this is a sinful world, but it is not sin filled. There were just and righteous men long before God removed the consequences of our sin as it relates to our eternal life:

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:22-23 KJV)

There are no Bible verses that promise us freedom from the consequences of our sin. If we've hurt people, they will still be hurt after we are saved. If we hurt people after we've been saved, they will hurt. There are consequences to our actions for sin whether before or after salvation.

When we come to God with belief and faith, we come just as we are. As the hymn "Just As I Am" lists, there are several descriptions for us to select that apply to each of us. So - how then do we know a Christian? Look at II Peter 1:3 and the following verses that pretty much show the path of Christian growth:  FAITH, VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, TEMPERANCE, PATIENCE, GODLINESS, BROTHERLY KINDNESS,  and my favorite word from I Corinthians 13: CHARITY.

Righteousness isn't there. Righteousness comes with our faith in God. For good lessons in faith, read Hebrews chapter 11. Look up each one of the people listed and find out what faith in God did to change their lives. One not listed there is Lot. His uncle Abraham is listed, but Lot lost his family, his wife, his home, even the town he lived in, because he was considered a "just" man who had cast his tents toward Sodom. Here's what Peter wrote about that:

And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2 Peter 2:6-8 KJV)

Please note two specific words that describe Lot in those verses:  "just" and "righteous." By God's grace, Lot was considered just and righteous, even though sinful people: vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds

Our faith in God should mean that we work to learn how to avoid temptation. We learn from the Bible what sin is. We avoid it because it has consequences. God provides us ways to avoid it:

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (2 Peter 2:9 KJV)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13 KJV)

Mountains Ahead

 

Photo by Ernest Malimon on Unsplash

Scenario: A new Christian, looking at the future with many pitfalls and new commands that still aren't clear. Each of those high points are the goals, the rifts hold shadows and unknowns. How is this landscape transited without injury? Especially with so many differing beliefs dividing Christianity.

The best answer is to check the Bible for a reality check, especially God's promises. One of my favorites is the 23rd Psalm. The Pulpit Commentary says:

"THIS little psalm is an idyll of great beauty, describing the peace and calm delight which dwell with one whose trust is wholly in God. David's authorship, asserted in the title, is highly probable; but we cannot fix the poem to any special period in his lifetime; we can only say that he is beyond the days of boyhood ... His thoughts are happy thoughts—he lacks nothing; he has no fear; God's mercy and goodness are with him; and he feels assured that they will continue with him all the days of his life."

King David ruled Israel after their first king, Saul, about 1010–970 BCE. Luke wrote of David:

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. (Acts 13:22 KJV)

Luke was quoting from the Old Testament, when Samuel told Saul he was to be replaced, and why:

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. (1 Samuel 13:13-14 KJV)

From the Bible we learn that David failed God, too, and pled his case to God in prayer:

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. (Psalms 51:2-4 KJV)

The Bible not only contains what we are supposed to do - there are innumerable examples of people going against God's will, along with the consequences of their action. For example, multiple wives created multiple family problems. In the beginning God created a man and a woman to be his helpmate. Soon men took multiple wives and were unfaithful. Women were, too. Jesus confirmed God's original plan:

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19:4-6 KJV)

These are only two examples of what you find in the way of threads running through all the scriptures. Christians are followers of a Jew, accepting Him as the Messiah that Judaism does not accept. Jesus fulfilled the messianic prophecies - according to Jesus' followers. While some Jews accept that, the majority continue to wait and watch. In many ways, Judaism is as divided as Christianity, but there is one promise I've found God has kept:

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:12-13 KJV)

For a Christian, Jesus laid it out simply to Nicodemus - a very educated religious leader who didn't understand at first:

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:14-18 KJV)

That is the gospel - the good news for everyone on earth when it was spoken, and just as true today. How can we tell? It has to be by believing, having faith:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 KJV)

Works are not necessary to be saved, but good works are a result of our faith and are an indication that we have accepted God's gift of salvation. Works without faith cannot save, however works are the outward sign of our faith. The works are the result of following the two commandments Jesus confirmed:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Imagine, keeping God's law simply by loving God, and all mankind. Yes - that last is the hard one. I know you can come up with an example of someone you cannot possibly love. Yes - you may not love what they do, but we must love the fact they, too, have an immortal soul that needs God. We are all called to share that love. That's the mountain top. God will protect us in the valley's shadows as we learn:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)

Third Day

 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Matthew wrote:

But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40 KJV)

Mark wrote:

For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:31-32 KJV)

There were verses relating that Jesus could rebuild the Temple in three days, but still John wrote:

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9 KJV)

To us today, it's obvious. Jesus died on a cross, buried in a borrowed tomb, and on the third day:

In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. (Matthew 28:1-6 KJV)

'Was crucified," past tense; "is risen," present tense. He remains the risen Lord, Savior  of mankind according to God's plan.

That's a good Christian greeting - excellent on Resurrection morning, still valid today: He is risen, He is risen indeed.

It's important to Christians to truly believe this, as Paul explains:

And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:14-17 KJV)

It is essential, as stated plainly in John 3:16-18, belief in Jesus is necessary for a relationship with God. Belief in Jesus requires accepting what He says about himself:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (John 14:6-11 KJV)

Desolation's Defeat Is Hope

 

Detail of Romanesque crucifixion group at Seckau Basilica, Styria, Austria

After the crucifixion came the Sabbath. There is no mention of what Jesus' disciples did. The last action was taken by Nicodemus and Joseph: 

And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. (John 19:38-40 KJV)

The last we heard of Peter, he had denied Jesus three times in the courtyard, ended up weeping. John, a bit earlier, had been given charge to take care of Mary. I like to think he took that charge seriously and was seeing after her. The others remained in Jerusalem, we know that from John 20. But where they were on that last day of the week, we have no scriptures.

Left to my own imagination, I think they were empty, barren, with a future that was bleak and dismal. All the definitions of desolate. They had seen their hopes, their faith, their future die on a cross at the hands of both Jews and Romans. The fishermen could go back to their boats - what would Matthew do? Would he be accepted back as a tax collector? We cannot know what their conversations were, what plans were discussed, but most of us know how impossible it is to think realistically after a devastating loss.

Some of us may have been among those whose faith was so tested that it seemed non-existent. Others have consoled or counseled with love dear friends/relatives who have been there. Many seem left in that desolation. We should be able to tell them about what happened to change the outlook when we hear the continuation of the story:

And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. (Matthew 28:2-4 KJV)

Roman soldiers were the first to face the Resurrection. They were shaken in fear, but they were the last to be afraid. The next group were women:

It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass. (Luke 24:10-12 KJV)

According to John, they still did not understand they had seen prophecy fulfilled:

For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. (John 20:9 KJV)

That same day, in the evening, ten of the disciples gathered and met with the risen Lord:

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (John 20:19-22 KJV)

The most important part of this story is what we do with what we've been told. There is no historical proof that Jesus did/didn't die on the cross except what happened in that first century following His resurrection. I hope you have no doubt that I believe He died on the cross and the Resurrection took place the first day of the following week. For the next century such an open belief meant death. Here in the 21st century it often means derision. For two thousand years in between, many died for this belief. Sadly, some claiming this belief killed others because they didn't. For the greater portion, the majority shared this belief with love for their neighbor.

Christians' faith out loves desolation. We gather in prayer to comfort those who feel there is no hope, for it has been defined for us:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

We know this because of the men who continued writing of their experiences, as had been done before:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4 KJV)

Celebrating Easter

 

The graphic is a markup from a recent Lifeway Research article. The article stated:

Two-thirds of U.S. adults (66%) say the biblical accounts of the physical resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate. They believe this event actually occurred, according to the 2022 State of Theology study. Fewer than a quarter (23%) disagree, and 11% say they’re not sure.

The article's next paragraphs breaks down which groups/ages fall into what categories. The article then moves on to show that such a belief does not mean those who accept the physical resurrection of Jesus are not moved by that belief to apply it to their lives. While I cannot disagree with their survey results our their conclusions, I do have an opinion on why it matters to me.

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. (Luke 24:1 KJV)

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19 KJV)

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. (Acts 20:7 KJV)

The Resurrection occured the first day of the week, as did the meeting of Jesus' disciples where He joined them, as did the the early Christians who listened to Paul preach to them. We do the same thing that Christians have done since the Resurrection in remembrance of that day and it's meaning.

Paul wrote of its importance:

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. (1 Corinthians 15:12-15 KJV)

Christianity would be no different from any other followers of a teacher of good if Jesus died on the cross and the story ended. However, the first day of the week, which we call Sunday, made all the difference to His message of love God and our fellow man - Jesus walked out of the tomb and met with His followers. Not everyone believed that. Apparently there were members of the church at Corinth who did not believe that. Members of the Sanhedrin did not believe, though members of the Pharisee did. Paul had been a Pharisee, and he had seen the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. There was no question in his mind that the Resurrection changed everything.

For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. (1 Corinthians 15:16-19 KJV)

May I confirm that Christians are not miseerable? Yes, we may have serious troubles in our lives, but they are handled with a hope that really is eternal. So, what are we supposed to do about it? The New Testament was written to give the full answer to that question, but I also like a specific:

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV)

What I do is gather with other believers in a variety of meetings - the first is Sunday morning in a classroom environment to learn about specific Bible verses/stories/exhortations. An hour later we come together as a church congregation to sing praises, worshipping God, and hearing a message from His word that we may apply to our own lives.

This coming Sunday I will be in that congregation celebrating the Resurrection, acknowleding our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the fulfillment of prophecies, and God's plan for mankind:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJV)

Random Thoughts About Gospel

When we die, the earth gives up an irreplaceable individual, unique even if  a monozygotic twin. What makes us unique, even with the odds being we do have a doppelgänger, are the experiences we have stored as memories. No one in the world has the total memory bank of any other individual. Even if we attend the same event, we will tell different stories in different order to any given person. That thought came with I was thinking how many themes run through the Bible, especially the gospels in the New Testament.

Matthew and John, the gospel "bookends" were disciples. Mark was the nephew of Barnabas, Luke a physcian, neither considered among the 12 that called by Jesus and who accompanied Him in His three year ministry.

Each of the four wrote of those three years in such a way that we can see a "Harmony of the Gospels." From the story of Jesus' conception and birth to the final commission to go and teach others, we see God's hand in inspiring four men to write specific events from their own perspective and still include the message God wants us to know. 

Yet - every single moment of every single moment that the sun shines upon the earth, there are hundreds of people (as I am now) taking time out of their lives to tell someone else what Jesus means to them, and encouraging another person to pick up the Bible, prayerfully asking God to provide answers. I assure you He has in the past, is right now, and will in the future.

I'm not including much in the way of scripture today, but I will leave it to you to find out why I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. I also believe that Jesus had two specific reasons we know of for living - one was to teach men how best to reach God, the other was to die. It takes both the Old and the New Testament to give the full story. 

There are a couple verses Paul wrote that I ask that you keep in mind: 

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6-9 KJV)

If the Bible doesn't match what a person tells you, please study how the other person could be wrong before you start looking for why the Bible would be. Because the four gospels vary in the order of evenets, some omitting an event, or another giving from a different view  point, detractors often deem them incorrect, copies of each other, or incorrectly translated. Try your own experiment with friends or family covering only one event that lasts one afternoon. Ask them to write it out in their own words - without talking to each other while doing it. Oh, yes. That's always interesting, isn't it - even if just talking together over photos of a picnic!

Those four books do declare the life of Christ, which is good news - but so do the Acts of the apostles and the letters to the churches and people. 

Revelation is different. There is an explanation of what we may expect in the future. Just as in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, we are not given the whole story, or the timing. It still counts as good news, for it promises more than we can comprehend for those who seek God. His promisse is that He can be found by those who seek Him and hear Him. We have to comprehend what is being offered.

I do hope to be an encouragement to someone wondering whether Christianity is for them. Everyone, anyone, whosoever, it means me and you. I believe it was available to Judas. All he had to do was believe Jesus. Perhaps he did believe that Jesus was going to die. Peter did when he denied Christ in the courtyard three times before the cock crowed. There is a huge difference between the two incidents. Learn more about them.

And I must stop rambling - but my mind keeps asking questions. One thing popped into my mind that I haven’t spent much time considering - how many people would would it take to recreate the Bible from memory? How much could you contribute from memory?

God's Plan = Perfection

 

Christus und Nicodemus, by Fritz von Uhde (1848–1911)

There are several good public domain pictures of Jesus and Nicodemus, but I selected this one bringing the discussion ahead a couple of millennia. It was a very important discussion that John recorded of two men who loved and served the same God. One had a marvelous religious education and the other was a human being created by God and carried the Spirit of God. I firmly believe Jesus was God in human form, so if that's a problem, you may not get the rest of the story if I lose you here.  Please, stick around, though.

God created perfection in this world - for reasons we have not been told. Lots of theories, but we are faced with the reality from a book that dozens of men wrote over hundreds of years and were consistent in two facts that didn't change from the beginning to the middle and shouldn't be changed now:

First is God: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 KJV)

The second is family: And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24 KJV)

God eventually shared His Law with His creation, both in the Old Testament and the New: 

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

Our current society is pretty much rejecting all of the above. The "Is God Dead" headline blared when I was a young, church-going, adult:

"Is God Dead?" was an April 8, 1966, cover story for the news magazine Time. A previous article, from October 1965, had investigated a trend among 1960s theologians to write God out of the field of theology.

Oh, there were plenty of people in the United States of America who had ignored God for centuries, but there hadn't been a movement to completely toss God out of society until this. Others had written of their disbelieve in any deity (i.e. "God is dead" was a statement made by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his 1881 book), and there were many other religions around the world who rejected this concept of Judiasm and Christianity. However, The USA as a nation and society grew up from roots of migrants who wished to worship this very God that some have declared dead.

In less than a month, it will be 57 years since that article, and society is answering that question. The Moody Church Media introduces an article with:

The ideas of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche are pervasive throughout our culture. While critics of Christianity say, “God is dead,” history tells the tale of a diminishing view of God.

Some websites offer:

7 Ways Church Leaders Must Change To Keep Members

11 Powerful Strategies to Grow Your Church

How to bring about change in your church (without getting fired)

Why Do Churches Stop Growing? - How To Drive Church Growth

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 KJV)

All that background just to tell you that Nicodemus had the same problem that exists in our society today. The Jewish religious leaders had congregations, too. Yet people were following a man who told them their leadership was wrong.  Very specifically in Matthew 23 and Luke 11, where we read "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" Or the same words in different order.

It wasn't against God that Jesus was pointing out errors and woes - it was the religious leaders who were more interested in secular activities or the compliance with mankind's traditions that were the problem. It was a societal problem, for God was diminished in their world view, too, which caused Nicodemus to come to Jesus with questions - and got questions in return:

 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (John 3:9-11 KJV)

In verses 5-31, Jesus gives Nicodemus the plan of salvation that Paul writes in his letter, that Peter speaks of in Acts, that is laid out from the beginning to the future's end in the Bible. Nicodemus led his congregation - and did not realize Micah 6:8 meant what it said for him and for every person that desires to know if God is real.

It is not the size of the church. It is not grand theological studies or theories. The King James Version of the Bible tells us what pure (καθαρός - katharos - clean (literally or figuratively): - clean, clear, pure) religion (θρησκεία - thrēskeia - ceremonial observance: - worshipping, religion) really is in James 1:27. All of the letters to the churches, and people, in the New Testament are testimonies to what Jesus Christ taught. For me, the most important lessons are about the first/greatest commandment, and the second commandment is possible when we understand:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8 KJV)

Bottom line, God is real and created mankind for a specific relationship with Him. It's up to each one of us to decide if we want that - or not. We have the option to say either way, and accept the consequences of our decision - which are very well laid out in the Bible