20. The Transitional Church
Now that we have some inkling of where we are going, we can look at the transition from here to there. Yes, there is an in-between time for the Church, a time we will look at more in-depth in the upcoming sessions on Victory.Yet here we must get personal. There is no real knowledge of Christ apart from our commitment to one another as the body of Christ. The New Testament presents a vision of the Church as brethren walking together in all things, loving one another with a pure heart fervently. This vision we call Christian Community, in whatever form it might take.
Lesson 20.1 Our Present Limitations describes where we find ourselves today, scattered and solitary. The lesson then develops God's order for the construction of His House, that the work be done only in the quarry. When the stones come together on the building site, synonymous with our gathering together unto Christ, every stone fits perfectly into its place.
Lesson 20.2 Commitment attempts to establish the meaning of a godly commitment to one another that must precede the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is not the commitment of obligation; it is a commitment established in perfect liberty. Yet it remains the commitment of Christ who gave Himself utterly for us. The lesson confronts the reader regarding his or her own commitment.
Lesson 20.3 A Bridge to Cross presents the author's own desire to be part of a present Christian Community, using that vision as a model for the reader to consider, a call to be part of the fullness of Christ.