I’ve
heard it said before and I am sure that you have too. Something to the effect
of: “I don’t need the church to be a Christian. I can just as much worship God
on my own each Sunday in the woods or watching a TV preacher. The church is not
necessary.” Now it is absolutely true that no one is saved by either attending
the church’s worship services or by joining a church. (The church as we know is
not a building or a service but a people; the redeemed people of God.) Our
salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone with nothing
that we do at all contributing to it. As you have heard me quote before, “The
only thing that we can contribute to our salvation is the sin which makes it necessary.”
However, that does not mean that the church is irrelevant to the Christian or
not needed for his or her faithful walk with the Lord and spiritual growth. In
fact, just a cursory look at how the New Testament speaks of the very nature of
the church and the Christian’s relationship with it makes this clear.
The Church is Christ’s Body for Whom He
Died. If you look at all of the
descriptions of the Church given to us in Scripture, you can’t help but notice
just how closely connected Christ is to His Church. It is portrayed to be a
flock of sheep with Jesus as the Shepherd (John 10:7-16; Hebrews 13:20), a
building of bricks with Jesus being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-21),
a body composed of different members with Jesus serving as the Head (1
Corinthians 12; Ephesians 5:23), a bride with Jesus as her groom (Ephesians 5:22-33;
Revelation 19:6-8), and a family with God as Father and Jesus as the elder
brother (Mark 3:31-35, and take note throughout the New Testament of all the
many times that believers are referred to as being “brothers and sisters”). All
of this indicates that Jesus and the Church are a package deal. You really
can’t have one without the other. To claim to have Jesus but want nothing to do
with His Church would be to attempt to actually sever His head from His body.
It would be like telling someone that you loved and cared for them but want
nothing to do with their family. I would be greatly offended if someone wanted
to spend time with me but continued to snub my wife. Yet, that is exactly what
is done with those who seek to want to be with Jesus but not the rest of His
flock. Keep in mind as well that when He confronted Saul/Paul on the road to
Damascus that He identified with the Church that the terrorist at the time was
persecuting. It was not “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting My Church?” but
“why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). In whatever way we treat the Church,
Jesus sees us as treating Him the same way!
Believers Belong to the Church. Paul
states that believers have been all
baptized into one body. The image here being that of having been immersed
into the Church. God never saves any believer without the intention of them
being a part of the church. There is no indication given that He has any desire
for anyone being what could be called a “lone ranger Christian.” In being
saved, one has been placed into Christ’s church. Hence why we understand water
baptism to serve as the front door of church membership. It is displaying the
reality that is now true of the believer. In becoming united to Christ, the
believer has also become united to Christ’s family. Should not the Christian
want to demonstrate this new reality by officially joining a local fellowship
and living out their faith among its members?
Each Believer Has Been Given Gifts
to Serve in the Church. Scripture is clear that each believer
has a gift or gifts from the Holy Spirit to use in service to others within the
Church. Paul literally devotes an entire chapter to this (1 Corinthians 12)!
And we are told that these gifts are for the common good of the body (v.7). For a believer not to be an active part of the
Church would be to neglect using the gift or gifts that God has given them. God
has given each of us a place in the body and something to do within it. What a
privilege that is! Why would we not want to utilize what He has given us for
the good of others within the church and the glory of His name?
Believers Need the Encouragement of
the Church. The temptation to become lax in our Sunday
morning attendance evidently is not a new thing as the author of Hebrews
addressed it concerning the believers that he wrote to in Hebrews 10:24-25. And
you’ll notice that in that passage that he contrasts the failure to meet
together with the need for encouraging each other. We live in dark days of a
weary world. Life is not easy. We face challenges and discouragements to our
faith at every turn. We need the encouragement of each other to keep looking to
Jesus. An encouragement that we both have and can give in the body of Christ.
The Christian Life Can Only Be Lived
Out in the Context of the Church. Finally, consider the
fact that there are 52 one-another commands in Scripture relating to things
that we are to do to and for other believers, love being one of the primary
ones. These cannot be practiced sitting at home each Sunday morning or unless
you have taken the time to get to know a distinct group of people through
living in community with them. And since the Christian with the new nature that
the Holy Spirit has given him desires to be obedient to Christ, ignoring these
commands cannot be an option for him or her.
Hopefully,
you can see why I say that the church cannot be optional for a Christian. But
even more so, I hope that it is apparent to you just how much YOU need the
church and the church needs you. Don’t neglect being a more active part of
Christ’s body at a Bible-believing and gospel preaching local congregation near you. Jesus expects such and died for such.
Love
in Christ,
Pastor
Lee
