Pastor Th. Mangthianlal

In Celebration of Gospel Centenary

6. In Relation to Christian Unity and Cooperation

In John 17: 11 we see Jesus Christ high priestly prayer. He prayed that we may be one as the Trinity is one. The supreme and perfect example of unity and cooperation for Christians in Southern Manipur is seen in the Trinity. What a cooperation and submission to the Father when the Son prayed that ‘not my will but yours.’ What a unity of mission when the Holy Spirit continues the works of the Father and Son! Paul called upon the Ephesians and us to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3). One of the outcomes of Christian maturity is that we will learn to consistently and unwaveringly unite and cooperate with the common cause in God’s Kingdom through the ages.




7. In Relation to Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Restoration

True Christians and mature disciples will definitely forgive and always strive to reconcile with others. Forgiving others and striving to reconcile with others is not an option but a command even when we are in the right. Jesus made this clear in Matt. 18 by giving a parable about the unforgiving servant. The lesson about this parable is that we ought to forgive one another, as God in Christ has forgiven us (Eph. 4:32). The forgiveness we gave to others is nothing compared to that which we received from God in Christ Jesus. And this leads us to reconciliation and restoration. Until and unless broken lives and relationship leads to reconciliation and restoration the forgiveness process is not complete. Are we mature enough to forgive all those who sins against us? Are we growing in our walk with Christ that our broken relationships were reconciled and restored? Forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration are signs of true Christianity.


8. In Relation to Being a Kinsmen Redeemer

In our land we make so much noise about nationalism and loving our people and land. One hallmark of loving our people and land is found in Isa. 53. We see God taking upon himself the sufferings and sins of his own people. He lost his image and dignity. Even as we look and gaze at him, his face can be hardly recognized. He was wounded for our transgression and he had no form or majesty that we should desire him. he was despised and rejected by others. He was held of no account and carried all our diseases. We see the supreme example of loving our kinsmen and the evidence of working that out here. By losing even his beauty and majesty, God became a Kinsmen Redeemer here. In our efforts to redeem our kinsmen and kinswomen, and in our mission to serve our fellow brethren how far have we gone? Have we reached to the point where all our dignity and image are gone? How many tears have we set and bruises are upon our face that even when the world looks at us they despise us? Have we reached to the point that we become nothing so that others may become something in Christ? God, in Christ, become nothing so that others, in Christ, may become somebody in eternity! Our maturity can be also seen in our effort to redeem our kinsmen as we lay aside our image and identity. In Godís name as we lose our image and identity for others, they regain their image and identity in Christ Jesus. This is a spiritual law of incarnation.


9. In Relation to Exercising Power

“Nothing distinguishes the Kingdoms of man from the Kingdom of God more than their diametrically opposed

views of the exercise of power. One seeks to control people, the other serve people; one promotes self, the other prostrates self; one seeks prestige and position, the other lifts up the lowly and despised” wrote Charles Colson in his book Kingdoms in Conflict. Jesus Christ made this point clear when his disciples disputed about greatness in Luke 22: 24-30. In verses 25 and 26 he said, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.”


10. In Relation to Involvement in the Society-World:

John Stott wrote in Authentic Christianity, It is one of the great paradoxes of Christian living that the whole church is called (and every member of it) as much to involvement in the world as to separation from it, as much to ‘worldliness’ as to ‘holiness’. Not to worldliness which is unholy, nor to a holiness which is

unworldly, but to “holy worldliness”, a true separation to God which is lived out in the world ñ the world which he made and sent his son to redeem. There is so much in the above statement. May this generation

usher in where the Church and Christian groups and individuals give importance to our responsibility and

involvement in the society-world. We are called out from the world and separated. But we must re-enter into world to serve, witness and minister. Church mission is nothing but involvement in the society-world and have an eternal impact (including impact on temporal things)!


Concluding Remarks

May this message be an invitation and a call that as we celebrate 100 years of Christianity in relation to the Gospel arrival in our homeland, that in our Christian character, faith, mind and in those areas which were touched above reflect truly a maturity. In our own strength we may not be able to grow and rise up. But with Holy Spirit’s help and guide we can grow from maturity to maturity. May our Gospel Centenary celebration bring us maturity in all walks of our Christian life. May the Lord direct our hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ (2 Thes.3:5) once again and more in this blessed year!