COMMUNITY RELATIONAL SOUL CARE

INTRODUCTION The foundation for this book is based on Jesus’ life and ministry for believers to live in spiritual vitality, which incorporates God’s mission for all people to know Him personally. The focus of community relational soul care is to equip, encourage, strengthen, and love one another in the Body of Christ so that believers will be healthy disciples for their journey of life. Relational soul caregivers gather together as ministers of God, sharing a collective focus on Jesus Christ, who fellowship and nurture one another to spiritual vitality individually and in community (Acts 2:42). They are disciples of Jesus Christ who minister to one another. They are not counselors, but they can be. God created His family: they are called the children of God‒the saints. They do His work all for the glory of the Triune community. Relational soul caregivers (CRSC) are believers in community who have a relationship with God and one another. Relationships are vital in a believer’s journey to grow to spiritual vitality. It is important to grow together and help one another to be like Jesus. Believers are part of the Body of Christ as “members one of another” (Eph 4:25). Paul says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful” (Col 3:15). Community relational soul caregivers, as spiritual-aid fellowship, can help one another stay in the peace of Christ and grow in maturity. They bring God’s love, grace, and mercy to others while they help shepherd one another to spiritual vitality. The purpose of community relational soul caregivers has been God’s plan from the beginning. God wants His children to be strong image-bearers for their journey, so He provides the Body of Christ with helpers. As it says in Proverbs 12:26, the “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor.” These relational soul caregivers help each other grow in maturity through experiencing God’s presence in their everyday lives. They share God’s wisdom so they can discern the issues of life to make good decisions on how to live righteously. Relational soul caregivers know that their focus is to seek out where God is working and participate in His mission. Our mission is God’s mission. As Jesus was sent out to fulfill God’s mission, so are His children sent to His people (Jn 20:21). The main ingredient for experiencing God’s presence is an intimate love relationship with Jesus. Just as Jesus was obedient to the Father, so we are also to be obedient by knowing His Word, nurturing love relationships with His people, and making disciples for God’s kingdom. This relationship will reveal the love of Jesus Christ so people can be transformed to have a new heart and love Him. Relational soul caregivers are called servants of the Triune God, and they must live out, no other gospel, other than the gospel of grace with power of the Holy Spirit, shining Jesus’s love on all people (Gal 1:6; 1 Thess. 1:5). A transformed life of spiritual truth is all about Jesus, Jesus, and Jesus. Through His life, the Incarnational Jesus revealed His wisdom to His twelve disciples, believers, and others by using Scripture, parables, and stories. He used examples from everyday life and personal experience for moral lessons and biblical truths. Jesus brought these truths and lessons to light for all His people to experience Him, even today. Overall, the spiritual truths illuminate Jesus’s love, mercy, grace, and wisdom for believers to develop spiritual vitality for their journey. The Lord Jesus Christ is our teacher, guide, and helper, and we are to learn from Him and follow His example. His parable of the lost son could be paralleled to man’s personal relationship with God, which reflects the Great Commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” These words from Jesus’s mouth are also lifted off the page from Scripture in Deuteronomy 6:5. Another parable of Jesus, labeled the Good Samaritan, deals with man’s relationship with others and could be paralleled to the Second Commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lk 10:27; Matt 22:39; Lev 19:18). Moreover, 1 John 4:21 says, “whoever loves God must also love his brother.” If you say you love God but not your bother, you do not “practice righteousness,” as God is love and is righteous (1 Jn 3:10-11). Practicing righteousness can only be lived by a believer who has a transformed heart and a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Abraham received the promise of being God’s heir, not by the law, but “through the righteousness [right relationship] of faith” (Rom 4:13). The law is righteous, but it cannot make you righteous. Relational soul caregivers are children of promise (Gal 3:29). Their heart is filled with God’s love (1 Jn 4:16); they live by faith (Rom 1:17; Gal 2:16, 3:11; Heb 10:38; Hb 2:4); hear His voice (Jn 10:27); see His light (Jn 8:12; 1 Jn 1:5, 7); and are accounted righteous because of the righteous one who is Jesus (Jn 10:14). They have a right relationship with God, experiencing His love and putting His Word into practice (a process) to have spiritual wisdom for their journey. Also, they are agents of God’s grace to share Jesus’ love with others (Matt 7:24, 26; Lk 6:49; Jas 1:22).