Day 322

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 4.

“The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, in whom, by the appointment of the Father, all power for the calling, institution, order, or Government of the church, is invested in a supreme and sovereign manner,…”

Scripture Lookup

Colossians 1:18

Matthew 28:18-20

Ephesians 4:11,12

Reflection

How much thought do we give to church government?

When chatting about spiritual matters, how the church is structured doesn’t tend to come up. Why is this? Perhaps we’ve just come to accept how our churches are set up because it is what we grew up with, or we’ve accepted that those who arranged it knew what they were doing. But why do we have the offices we have? How many levels of hierarchy should there be? These questions ought to be examined, as it affects who has authority in our local church, and how much authority they have.

In learning how to order the church, to whom do we look for guidance? If we were to learn how to build a new gadget, it would make sense to look to the company that created that gadget for instructions. Just as we look to the creator of a machine to tell us how to assemble it, we look to the Creator of the church to learn how to set it up.

Jesus is the creator of the church. He is the One who through His mediatorial work enabled all those who are justified to be counted as children of God. He is also the head of the church. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). He rules His church supremely, and is the ultimate voice in how His church is to be governed. No one else can claim the authority that is Christ’s alone.

Questions to Consider

• Can you explain why your church government is structured the way it is?

 

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?

 

Day 320

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 3.

“… and some have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ, but Synagogues of Satan;…”

Scripture Lookup

Revelation 18:2

2 Thessalonians 2:11,12

Reflection

There are no perfect churches.

There is a mixture of believers and unbelievers, as well as error, in every church. However, that does not mean that any group that calls itself a church is truly a church. There are assemblies who claim Christ for their own but represent Him falsely. Such churches promote heresy, and as such are the enemies of Christ.

Heresy is a strong word, though. How do we know whether a church promotes heresy, or just is in error? Benjamin Keach in The Glory of a True Church defines heresy this way:

Heresy is commonly restrained to signify any perverse Opinion or Error in a fundamental Point of Religion, as to deny the Being of God, or the Deity of Christ, or his Satisfaction, and Jus­tification alone by his Righteous­ness, or to deny the Resurrection of the Body, or eternal Judgment, or the like.

With such a definition, it is easier to see the difference between a false church and a misguided one. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for example, deny several of the points Keach lists. They would be a false church. A church that agreed with all the points above, but practices errors such as continuationism or dispensationalism, would be a true albeit misguided church.

This is why it is important to know the Gospel. Otherwise, you may be persuaded to call those who preach against Christ your brethren, and you may become hardened towards those who are in reality your brothers in Christ. Take heed that the essentials of the faith remain your essentials. Contend earnestly for the truth in secondary matters, but remember that they are secondary.

Questions to Consider

• Can you name some other examples of false churches? What about churches that are merely in error?

 

Day 319

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 3.

“The purest Churches under heaven are subject to mixture, and error;…”

Scripture Lookup

1 Corinthians 5

Revelation 2,3

Reflection

There is no perfect church.

We all know that, but how often do we let our hearts get infatuated with other churches out there? Watching an online service, we think, “Their service/preaching/music is so awesome, I would LOVE to be a part of their church!” Or we see people fall away in our congregation, get discouraged, and look at another church where everyone is so friendly and nice, they must all be Christians. The grass is always greener in the church we don’t belong to!

Some churches themselves, in their efforts to promote themselves, encourage the misnomer that a perfect church is out there. Appealing to our consumer tendencies, they showcase all the pretty people with no problems as representative of their congregation, with the implication that you, too, can be pretty with no problems if you attend. Or they go to the other extreme – touting themselves as relevant and authentic, so much so that their doctrine is lacking because, hey, how can broken people be certain about anything?

Often we turn to the New Testament church as the ultimate “dream church”. That’s what we want to be a part of: having one mind, growing in number, sharing in common, and praising God daily. What many of us fail to remember is that even the early church was subject to mixture and error. Simon the sorcerer? Ananias and Sapphira? To circumcise or not to circumcise? Gnosticism? There were false converts and error creeping into the church back then as well.

It is good to long for our churches to be pure and holy, and we should strive to make them so. The membership should consist of Christians striving for holiness, and the church should align with what God has revealed and commanded in His word. But while the church can be a respite from the things of this world, it is not paradise on earth. There are times when deceivers will infiltrate a church. A church can be in error in its doctrine and practice. Only in glory will we know fully and be perfect.

Questions to Consider

• What expectations ought you to have for your church? Are your current expectations realistic?

 

Day 318

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 2.

“…and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.”

Scripture Lookup

Romans 1:7

Ephesians 1:20-22

Reflection

Do you profess Christ? Aren’t promoting heresy? Not living in flagrant sin? Then you may be called a visible saint. It is those qualifications that we use to determine who is regarded as a Christian. As finite human beings, we cannot look inside our fellow man for proof of the Holy Spirit’s work. Only God knows for sure those who are His. Yet by their own profession, and evidence of good works, we can take those who say they hold to the gospel at their word.

These visible saints are to gather together in local assemblies. It makes sense that a church whose purpose is to glorify God should be made up of those who say they have been redeemed by Him and live for Him. Why would you accept someone as a member who had no interest in God? Why would you let someone join who led an unrepentant sinful life?

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. -John 1:12,13

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. -1 John 1:6,7

Unfortunately, there are many institutions that are more than willing to claim such clearly unregenerate people as part of the church. For example, little Susie is a child of believing parents. She has never made a profession of faith, yet is considered part of the church. She does not claim to be a Christian, so why should she considered one? How about another example: Mark made a profession of faith years ago, then dropped out of the church and lives a worldly lifestyle. He has no interest in spiritual things, and only shows up with his family at Christmastime. However, he is still listed as a member of the church he joined all those years ago. Why should he be considered a visible saint when his life shows a disregard for Christ?

Churches ought to be composed of fellow elect believers. Membership of a church, therefore, should consist of those who affirm the gospel and walk in obedience to God’s commands. This way the church can most effectively glorify God.

Questions to Consider

• How qualifications does your church have for membership?

 

Day 316

Of the Church.

Chapter 26, Paragraph 1.

“The Catholick or universal Church, which (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit, and truth of grace) may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the Elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”

Scripture Lookup

Hebrews 12:23

Colossians 1:18

Ephesians 1:10,22,23, 5:23,27,32

Reflection

They are out there. You may pass them on the street, never knowing they belong. There is no outward mark that signifies who they are. Yet members of the invisible church walk among us. If you are a Christian, you are among that number.

The work of the Holy Spirit in regenerating a person is not a solitary, one-time event that only occurs to one person in the whole of history. God has chosen a people, from all walks of life, from all epochs, to be His elect and receive eternal life. This group of elect people make up the catholic, or universal, church.  A Christian is not alone in her salvation, but is one among many.

Being part of the universal, invisible church is more than being part of a club. As one of the elect, you are a vital part of the body of Christ, and you also make up His bride. You have been called, as numerous others have been and will be, to glorify Him on earth by doing the good works He has prepared beforehand for you. (Ephesians 2:10). Through sanctification, your remaining corruption is killed off, and you are strengthened to practice holiness. As the bride of Christ, the universal church will one day be fully spotless, and we will rejoice with all the saints at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).

There may be times, Christian, when it appears you are alone in your love for Christ. Remember that is not so! Those that are His may be scattered across time and space, but they are joined together in Him.

Questions to Consider

• What comfort can you take from knowing the church is universal?