Day 321

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 3.

“…nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a Kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his Name.”

Scripture Lookup

Matthew 16:18

Psalm 72:17, 102:28

Revelation 12:17

Reflection

There will always be a church in this world.

She may have flaws. She may be small and scattered. She may have imposters who have stolen her identity and used it to rail against Christ. But she is still present.

At times it may seem like the church will die out. Millions flock to the nearest megachurch to hear a message all about then, while the church down the street, faithfully preaching the word, can only boast of a few in attendance. From unbelievers can come such hatred that the chances of anyone coming to Christ in such a hostile environment seem slim. Spend any amount of time in a church, and eventually you will see some you worshiped with fall away. How can the church survive against these things?

Here in the United States, we are used to bigger equaling better. If it is popular, it is successful, and what is successful must be right. When looking at the state of the church, it is tempting to despair of her continuing, and we might even wonder if the gospel is true. This is when we must climb over the wall of the here and now and look out over the stream of history. Time and again, God’s people have been preserved. God has promised it; will He not do it?

As the Providence of God doth in general reach to all Creatures, so after a most special manner it taketh care of his Church, and disposeth of all things to the good thereof. -LBCF, 5.7

…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:20

Questions to Consider

• Do you ever fear that the church will perish?