[A Sip of a Book] The Crisis of the Church Lies Within the Church

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books.

One of the social changes brought about by the pandemic is the acceleration of de-Christianization. The author, the senior pastor of Daejeon Onnuri Church, points to distrust in Christianity at 70% as the biggest cause and analyzes that the real crisis lies within the church itself, beyond external distrust. The essential problem is the loss of identity as a Christian. The author points out that Christians have come to prioritize the world over faith, and the inconsistency between life inside and outside the church has led to this crisis, prompting a reconsideration of what it means to live faithfully as a Christian.

In life, we often encounter disasters beyond our capacity to bear. Such suffering can stop us in our tracks and make us look back on the path we have walked. Facing oneself in that time is very painful and brings loneliness. However, through this series of processes, suffering makes us stronger and, like refined gold, makes the soul shine. Without that time, we would have merely enjoyed and wasted a superficial life. In this sense, the following Bible verse is thought to beautify our souls. --- From "Introduction"

Only when the old self dies and we obey God's will does He come as the master of our lives. But the problem, as seen in Abraham's life, is that the old self does not die easily. How should we kill the old self? The most important attitude is to honestly acknowledge our weakness before God. Just like Abraham. Each time, God changes me within Himself.

We must never forget that God has called us not as servants but as children. Servants are evaluated by their deeds before their master, but children are evaluated by their relationship. Servants are loved only when they work well and produce results, but children are loved for their very existence regardless of work. God did not love us because of any value we had. We became valuable because God loved us just as we are. We must stand before God by grace; trying to live by the law only distances us from God.

When we come to love God, it actually does not matter much how diligently a Christian has served or how great a name they have left for God. This is because God has done everything, and everything is by God's grace. But when we stray from grace, our old self begins to stir and come alive. From then on, complaints arise in our faith life, and we start to calculate the devotion and faith we have offered to the Lord. We begin to assert our rights and ownership. We start to value appearance, conditions, human achievements, and recognition. Therefore, we must be more sensitive to our inner world than to outward life and listen carefully to that voice. This was the secret of the full-time Christian life that faith predecessors did not lose their first love. --- From "Conclusion"

Full-Time Christian | Written by Kim Sang-su | Duranno | 244 pages | 16,000 KRW