United Church of God

Letter From Jim Tuck - May 18, 2019

Letter From Jim Tuck

May 18, 2019

Dear brethren,

Over the years when I have visited people for the first time, they can find it difficult to get the full picture of what God expects of them.  Please let me share the difficult task of a pastor whose job it is to convey this to someone new to the faith. 

Many times a new person God is calling tends to treat their calling in the same manner they did in the church they were a part of in the world.  Most so-called 'Christians' aren't dedicated to the beliefs of their church.  They tend to be sporadic attendees, and not that engaged in the congregation they claim.  There are certainly exceptions to this.

What frequently happens when someone is called into the truth, they often follow the same practice they did with the false church they left, they only change their church day to Saturday. There can be a tendency to change little else.

God's calling must be treated differently, or it will do no one any good. Being called to the true church means we make a 180 degree turn around, and we dedicate ourselves to a new way.  True Christianity is not a religion, but it is a way of life.  (Acts 9:2, 19:23, 24:14, 22)

When Apollos was preaching in the synagogues, Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and instructed him more perfectly in "the way." (Acts 18:26

Learning this vital calling requirement is necessary for baptism.  Otherwise, someone is merely dunked in the water, and they just get wet.  If someone comprehends that it is a way of life, and they truly desire to overcome and change then they can be baptized.  Such was the attitude of the Ethiopian eunuch in the book of Acts.

God's way of life is not a part-time endeavor, but must be a full-time, wholehearted effort, otherwise one is dead in the water before they start. Someone truly called is deeply convicted to obey what God commands. 

True Christians don't make excuses, but simply do it. Being called into the church means we are dedicated to be at church services every Sabbath unless we're sick.  It means we keep all of the Holy Days. (Lev. 23:1-3)

When Christ said, "I will build My church" the Greek word for church is ekklesia.  Ekklesia means "called-out ones" which indicates those who have been culled out of the world.  When we are called, this means we are to be separate or sanctified from the society around us.  Jesus said we are sanctified or 'set apart' by the truth, and we are to come out of the world so we are not punished with the world during the end of this age. (John 17:17-19, Rev. 18:4)

Though Jesus said we are separate, He did not mean we should cloister ourselves away in some hidden community of believers. (Jn. 17:15

Satan is the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4).  Christ's desire is for us to be kept from the influence of the devil and this world. Since we are to be separate, the Apostle Paul instructed the brethren NOT to be yoked with unbelievers through marriage, business, or certainly the religions of this world. 

Marriage is the most intimate relationship a person can have, and obviously to be yoked with someone who is not pursuing the Kingdom of God is a big mistake.  One who is not called cannot remotely understand what is required of a true Christian. 

Paul taught the Corinthians that once  they are called, if they are or become single, they have the liberty to marry, but it must be in the Lord. (I Cor. 7:39)

A member of God's church shouldn't be yoked in business with an unbeliever.  This is similar to "farming wisdom" which shows you should not harness a donkey to an ox because it simply won't work.  It will end in failure. (Deut. 22:10)

When we are called, we are called out of this world to be separate as the Body of Christ, the church.  Let's remember our calling is a complete way of life.  Our lives revolve around the Sabbath, Holy Days, and what God has commanded us to do.  The Apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians: "For you see your calling, brethren..."

Brethren, we must keep uppermost in our minds what our calling is--it is a Way of Life.     

Have a delightful Sabbath and weekend!

Your pastor and brother in Christ,                                                                                

Jim Tuck