Salvation means more

Regarding Ephesians 2, New Testament scholar, Ernest Best, remarks:

Salvation is more than believers receiving forgiveness of their sins, deliverance from the grip of the powers, adoption as children of God, and union with Christ in resurrection and exaltation.  Salvation means union with one another. (Best, Ephesians: A Shorter Commentary, 88-89)

Not to be served, but to serve: American Christianity

A good post related to the plight of American Christianity by Mike Stroope is here.

Here is a quote from the post:

History shows that the people of God usually do not voluntarily move
toward service.  Rather, service is forced on us via humiliation, loss,
and exile.  Quite possibly the American church is at the brink of such
loss.  The Christendom arrangement within the American context
(particularly in the South) has run its course, and Christianity
is being disestablished in school, by government, in polite society,
and within the wider popular culture.  Many Christian leaders act as
though it is still 1950 and that society still cares about what they
have to say or is looking for them to determine what is right or
wrong.  However, the year is 2009 and society is not listening, nor
does it care what we think.  At best, the wider culture only wants
to manipulate and corrupt Christianity for its ends.