In the Nave

Romans 3:20-25 “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith.”

I heard an interesting thing the other day. A “Nave” is defined as “the main part of the interior of a church; especially: the long narrow central hall in a (Cross-shaped) cruciform church” (see diagram attached).

It is from “Nave” that we get our English word “Navy”. Because Noah’s Ark (a ship) was a foreshadowing representation of “Salvation in Christ” as the Ark was the instrument God used to save His people from the Genesis Flood (Genesis 6-10), so His church is the instrument God uses to save His people, even today. The church’s job is to know Christ and make Him known because to be safe from destruction, you have to be inside the Ark (in Christ), in the nave. Not just know of Him, but know Him. Not as something we do, but as “who we are” in the Lord. Not just bringing the message of the Gospel, but being the message lived out. It’s not about accommodating the pagan culture that has no fear of God and His wrath to come. God’s grace is finite.

2 Peter 2:4-9 “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked — then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

Yes, there is a hell and there is a day of judgment. Let’s send out God’s Navy (His church) to reach a lost & dying world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the world and bring them safe into the “Nave” for refuge and salvation. The church, with the gospel message of repentance of sin, forgiveness in Christ’s atoning blood, and salvation from hell to eternal life in heaven, is never irrelevant or unnecessary in any age. May the truth be told. Rejected or not, God’s plan of salvation is found only in Jesus Christ – Acts 4:11-12 “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Bottomline: Sin must be paid for. Know the truth and make the choice.

John 14:1-6 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

For those who trust in Jesus, He is preparing a place in heaven and He will come back for you, who believe, so that we will be with Him forever. Christ is the way. Jesus is the “nave”. Get in!

1 Corinthians 1:29-30 “No flesh should glory in His (God’s) presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption’.”

In Christ, Brian