Week 10 of 2025

Because of God’s work through His disciples, a great transition took place in the first couple of centuries of Christianity. As the church was growing, the attitude of the believers, or “Followers of The Way,” was that they were to see beyond their circumstances and focus on the seriousness of the grace given them concerning their eternal lives. Their strength from the Spirit led them to accept the way of martyrdom, and furthermore, it assured victory over demonic powers. The church of the first half of the first century knew and remembered the oppression and emptiness because of their separation from the Living God before Jesus. They knew many of the Pharisees were corrupt and placed them under a heavy burden. The sin overwhelmed them with the sense of hopelessness, leaving them unable to be in God’s presence. They also believed that their books from Moses, the historical books and writings from the prophets, foretold of a Messiah who would come one day to free them from the oppression, but they had become very weary of waiting for that day to come, and callous from waiting for so long.

What is it going to take for us to realize the state we are in, as Christians, to help us know the seriousness of the grace given us concerning our eternal lives?