|
|
The multitude of religious organizations now prevalent
in every American city causes confusion over the actual nature
of the true church established by Jesus Christ. Once, the name
"church of Christ" was immediately associated with a
firm, Biblically grounded, doctrine. Today, however, a new generation
has arisen in our country not familiar with the churches of Christ.
Perhaps we can offer a picture to these new seekers of truth of
what the church of Christ is.
The church of Christ is the body of Christ. At
first glance it may seem strange that the church is compared to
the body of our Lord. Paul himself used the description in both
Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18. But what does it mean?
We would observe that as the human spirit animates
the human body so does Jesus Christ animate the church. The church
may properly be called the body of Christ because it is the church
that carries out the physical work of Christ upon the earth. Through
evangelism, the church carries the gospel to the lost just as
Jesus did when he sent forth his disciples with the great commission
(Matthew 28:18, 19; Mark 16:15, 16). Through encouragement and
edification, the church lifts the fallen and builds up the struggling
as Jesus did when he spoke words of comfort to his apostles hours
before his crucifixion (John 14:1-21). And through works of benevolence,
the church aids those who have fallen upon hard times just as
Jesus did when he spoke of the poor (Matthew 19:20, 21; Luke 14:12-14).
The true church acts as its head, Jesus (Ephesians 5:23), would
have it to act just as the body obeys the commands of the mind.
If we are allowed to carry the analogy a bit further
we could observe that the church that acts contrary to examples
and commands of its head is diseased, much like the fleshly body
that becomes uncontrolled by its own brain. The church of Christ
is the perfectly functioning, properly controlled body of its
head, Christ Jesus.
The church of Christ is a global community of
like-minded believers. Man needs to belong to groups and communities.
In Eden, the Creator saw that "it is not good that the man
should be alone" (Genesis 2:18). God established the family
and later would ordain government so that man could live together
in larger units. In each case, family and government, man would
enjoy relationships based upon common characteristics or interests.
Within the church, individual members are linked by a "like
precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1) which forms the heart of their
beliefs and their way of lives. What joy and comfort to travel
far and wide always knowing that one can find fellow brethren
wherever one may go. In time of disaster, brethren, otherwise
unknown to one another, rapidly come together to meet the needs
of other members of the Lord's church.
The church of Christ is a family. God is often
spoken of as "Father" (Matthew 5:45, 48; 1 Corinthians
1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2). Jesus is the "only begotten Son"
(John 3:16) and we, the members of the church, are children by
adoption (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). Therefore,
we are a family. As such, we acknowledge the primacy of God the
Father and his son Jesus Christ while also recognizing members
of the church as our brethren. As brethren, we "rejoice with
them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep" (Romans
12:15).
As with any family, there is an expectation of
an inheritance. Paul describes our inheritance in two ways. He
says we must first "suffer with him" so that we can
be "glorified together" (Romans 8:17). What a magnificent
thought to be joint-heir with our Lord Jesus Christ!
The church is the body of Christ, the church is
a community and the church is a family. But most importantly,
the church of Christ is the place of the saved. Writing of the
relationship between man and wife, Paul uses the love of Christ
for the church to describe the kind of love a man ought to have
for his wife. Paul says, "Husbands love your wives even as
Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it" (Ephesians
5:25). Jesus gave himself for those who whose beliefs drive them
to obedience (John 3:16) and only those who are obedient may expect
salvation. It was into the church that the saved were placed by
God at Pentecost (Acts 2:47). The only hope of salvation, the
only promise of eternal life is found in the church for which
Jesus died.
May we ever show thanks into God for his son and
for the gift of the church of Christ which brings blessings to
us everyday.
|
|