tirsdag 14. februar 2017

“We need to wash the foundation”

NORSK
“Throughout the new history book we use the words ‘wash the foundation’. With this we mean brushing dust off the main values ​​of the Salvation Army, with a focus on the whole person’s physical, social and spiritual needs”, I said to a journalist in connection with the release of the so far last history book about The Salvation Army in Norway.

The first person I heard speaking about the values ​​of the foundation, was Jan Størksen. It must have been about 25 years ago. The values of the foundation determine how we build and present ourselves and our mission, and for Jan and the Salvation Army in Norway, the choice was that the key words "Soup, soap, salvation" should saturate everything we did, said and published.

However, this is the foundation of the mission. In our salvation, there is also a foundation:

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
2 Timothy 2:19
Paul has written about the foundation earlier, and there it became evident ‘who’ it is:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11
Does Jesus have a "seal" with an inscription, like Paul wrote to Timothy?
Beyond doubt, the assumptions alluded to in the inscriptions are in accordance with the Bible in general and Jesus' own statements recorded by the evangelists:


1) Regarding ‘knowing his’, Jesus said:

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”
John 10:14
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
John 14:21
Paul reiterated this:
But whoever loves God is known by God
1 Corinthians 8:3
2) Regarding 'unrighteousness', Jesus said:
And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matt 7:23
Therefore, I believe it was important for Paul to stress that our righteousness is part of the foundation:
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians 1:30
‘Manna' for today:
The inscription on the foundation must be visible in my life
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(1) Rebecca Solevåg was editor of “Soup, soap, salvation” – published in 2013

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