The Church in God’s Redemptive Mission
This week’s devotional from Getting the Church Inside You: Balancing Faith and Action
I am deeply grateful for these generous words from Dr. Jonathan L. Smith, Director of Church Health and Growth for Texas Baptists: “Steven Parker offers a faithful and pastorally sensitive reading of Ephesians, balancing exegetical depth with practical application. Getting the Church Inside You: Balancing Faith and Action is an accessible contribution to the ongoing conversation about the role of the church in God’s redemptive mission.”
Jonathan’s ministry through Texas Baptists and his leadership in PAVE have helped many churches, including ours, rethink what it means to live on mission in our own communities. His encouragement resonates with something Paul makes unmistakably clear in Ephesians: the church is not an afterthought in God’s plan. The church is central to it.
Paul writes, “Through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 3:10)
That is breathtaking language. God’s redemptive mission is not merely about individual salvation, as glorious as that is. It is about forming a redeemed people whose shared life displays His wisdom to a watching world.
Notice the movement in Paul’s vision. God reconciles us to Himself through Christ. Then He reconciles us to one another. Then He sends us as a visible testimony of His reconciling grace.
The church becomes a living announcement that what was divided can be made one in Christ.
This is where balance matters. Doctrine without mission becomes private religion. Mission without doctrine becomes activism untethered from truth. Paul refuses to separate the two. The gospel we believe forms the people we become. The people we become reveal the wisdom of God.
Jonathan’s work with churches across Texas through PAVE reminds us that rediscovering our mission is not about chasing trends. It is about returning to our calling. The church exists to embody and proclaim the reconciling work of Jesus in real communities with real people.
The question is not simply, “Do we attend church?” It is, “Is the church living through us in ways that make God’s wisdom visible?”
Prayer
Lord, shape us into a people who reflect Your reconciling grace. Keep our doctrine deep and our mission clear. Through Your church, make Your wisdom known in our community and beyond.
Reflection Question
In what practical way can your church more clearly display God’s reconciling wisdom in your city this year?
You can learn more about Dr. Jonathan Smith’s fruitful ministry with Texas Baptists and Pave through these links:
https://www.texasbaptists.org/ministries/church-health-and-growth
https://www.facebook.com/PastorJLSmith
