Christian Living
I beg you, brothers and sisters in Christ, do not take the church lightly. Do not make the divinely-instituted, blood-bought church accountable for the questionable actions of her flawed human membership. Christ established the church, invested her with His grace and made her impervious even to the gates of hell. Part of her membership is in heaven and part on earth. Her earthly components are still being transformed into the likeness of our Lord--some further along than others--but none so far along that they can be held responsible for, or represent, the validity of the church. The whole of the church is much more than the sum of her visible parts, and she is not an apt subject for human judgment as to her efficacy. So when someone becomes disillusioned with our poor, inept, flawed human performance, and blames the church and leaves her fellowship, he is dangerously off the mark. The church corporate is not on trial except before her Lord from whom she draws her reason to be. We are an imperfect people; but we belong to a perfect Lord whose grace He has promised will cover our human frailities.
We desperately need to be part of the church, God's family. If it is hard to live in the world without being part of a human family, it is infinitely harder to live in the world without a spiritual family. God knows we work better and more effectively together than by ourselves--His Book says so. Please do not desert your floundering brothers and sisters because we can't live up to standards you have set. Remember love covers a multitude of sins. And if you walk away from the church, you will inevitably choose another body of human beings to fellowship; and you will have exchanged one set of faults for another. Perfection in humanity is not to be found on the earth. But the rewards are rich if you can love and forgive, bear and forbear, if you can laugh together and cry together, live and die together in God's precious family. O how we need each other as we wait to go home, the perfect spotless bride of Christ--and what a privilege to be among that glorious, heaven-bound band! By God's design, the church is home away from home for His children. Please do not dismiss the church lightly: it cost the dear Savior His life's blood.
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"as we wait to go home, the perfect spotless bride of Christ--and what a privilege to be among that glorious, heaven-bound band!" Therein lies the problem today, Aline. We are not saved to wait for heaven, but to do something about those surrounding us who are perishing. Mark 16:15.
"And if you walk away from the church, you will inevitably choose another body of human beings to fellowship; and you will have exchanged one set of faults for another."--- Wow! Aline, you have really let God use you in writing this one. There is a saying about not tugging on Superman's cape. Well, criticing God's church is a very serious thing God will not take lightly. Three ingredients, I have always said, make up a healthy Christian life: (1)Prayer (2)Bible Study (3)Church attendance. Thanks for this, and you know I will use it. Thomas
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