Whose Church is It?
What is a church? It is a body of baptized believers who are committed to look to the Bible and make whatever decisions are necessary for God to fulfill His purposes through them. A priority for a local church is settling the issue of whose church it is.
If it is “our church”, then Satan will be allowed to have enormous freedom to bring dissension and division in it. God promised that “the gates of Hades shall not prevail against” His church (Matthew 16:18) The Bible, in that same verse, clearly quotes God as stating, “I will build My church.” Nowhere in Scripture does God tell us to build His church for Him. He sends us out to proclaim the gospel, to make disciples, to edify other believers, and to do good to all people. As we are fulfilling our calling as His servants, God blesses our labor and draws lost people to Himself. The testimony of the early church is a powerful witness to God’s plan. The first believers were zealous to serve Him, and “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47) The apostle Paul affirmed the process in his letter to the Corinthians. He explained that one plants, another waters, and God gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) Also, the view we have on the church will affect how we minister to one another. If God builds His church in response to how we behave as believers, then we must be careful to heed the admonition to “do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10) The attitude believers have toward each other will be witnessed by the people outside the church: “”By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Make a commitment to establish the church as the place where we meet as believers to put our own lives, families, and homes in order before God, each other, and the watching world.
Sin cera, Erik
Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.