rules. True righteousness is through faith in Christ. Though rules are important for worship and fellowship, they can never produce genuine godliness, since they are powerless in dealing with the weakness of the flesh. Therefore, we seek to encourage students to keep their focus on Christ not on themselves nor on other people (Heb.12:1-2) and to rejoice in Him, not in their own accomplishments.
B . LOV E DR I V EN BE CAU S E WE TEND TO NEGL E CT OTHER S .
Matthew 22:36-40; Ephesians 5:1-5; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Peter 1:22, 4:8-10 One of the characteristics of an authentic Christian community is love for others that is the result of having experienced God’s grace and love personally (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:19). Humility, a teachable heart, and a desire to seek the best interests of others are hallmarks of sincere love. This often involves setting aside personal preferences in order to serve others or to help those who may be struggling in some area of life. In cases where a brother or a sister is struggling with sin, loving them enough to walk with them through the process of repentance and restoration provides a radically different motivation for dealing with the issue. No longer is the goal to simply ignore the problem, maintain appearances, or to ensure that offenders somehow pay for their sin in order to balance the scales. Instead, the intended goal is restored fellowship and joy. Therefore, it is our desire to model genuine peace-making and burden-bearing and to pursue forgiveness and restoration whenever sin has been uncovered in someone’s life by the Holy Spirit.
C . GOD GLOR I F Y I NG BE CAU S E WE TEND TO L I V E FOR S E L F .
Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; 10:31; Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 4:10-13
The end goal of all spiritual growth is to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, reflecting Him to the world rather than pursuing our selfish desires and drawing attention to ourselves (Romans 13:14). Therefore, we encourage students to view every dimension of life as
18 / Word of Life Bible Institute
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