Turned Off By Church:

Presenting Christ Who Consistently Abides

Presenting Christ Who Consistently Abides

Chapter 3:

Ephesians 5:25-27

Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

HIS NEARNESS

John 15:14-15

You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants,for the servantdoes not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

"Christ longs to be intimate with us as a close friend." - Dr. Rod Santos

Let us stay with Jesus even when times are hard and painful, for His faithful presence is life-giving.

CHRIST'S UNION WITH BELIEVERS

Romans 6:5

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

Revelation 19:7-9
7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God.

"Disappointment has no place in this union, for the Groom shall not withhold any good thing from His bride." - Dr. Rod Santos

Our union with Christ stabilizes us in this chaotic world.

BROKENNESS SPIRITUALITY: It is the pursuit of a spiritual state where Christ is becoming more evident in us, and our egoistic self fades away.

"Jesus, Lover of My Soul" (It's All About You)

Obtaining Spiritual Power through Mortification, not Man-made Mysticism

"In people's pursuit of God, Christians and non-Christians alike look to the externals." - Dr. Rod Santos

John 15:4-5

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Romans 8:13

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

AN INVITATION FROM CHRIST

"The good news is Christ longs to have us even with all our warts, wounds, and wickedness." - Dr. Rod Santos

Questions for Reflection

1) Jesus is passionate about you, but do you tend to shy away? What hinders your intimacy with Him? Is it unhealthy guilt, a go-between party or something else? 2) Having a "date with the Lord" is one of the best ways to cultivate closeness to Christ, just like having a date with someone. How can you make this date special? How soon can you have it?

Turned Off By Church:

Presenting Christ Who Consistently Abides