The Church, Part 4

This process of preparing the church for her eternal state will require much purging. This is a “must be” because His bride will be holy and without blemish before Him (Ephesians 5:27). Jesus purchased her with His own blood (Acts 20:28) in order for her to be like Him. Sadly, the world seems to have too strong a hold on many believers.

Scripture defines “world” as a system of beliefs and practices that opposes God and righteousness (1 John 2:15–17; James 4:4).  Many professed Christians want Jesus and the world too. However, Scripture plainly commands believers: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to the elemental spirits of the world and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8). Elemental spirits are demonic entities that rule the world under Satanic authority. These spirits use deceit to further their agenda.

The goal of demonic deceit is to convince people that the world is spiritually neutral. The lie goes something like this: “True, there is evil in the world, but the world is not evil. One can follow Christ and still enjoy much in the world.” Paul countered this notion: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above . . . not on things that are on earth” (Colossian 3:1, 2). This admonition rests on the fact that “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations” (Colossians 2:20).

What is even more significant is that Paul was defining the deceitful spirits’ efforts against the Colossian believers as Jewish regulations (Colossians 2:16, 17). Paul uses the term philosophy in a specialized sense—Jewish ascetics, corrupted by Babylonian mysticism, promoted doctrines relating to angels (v. 18). These doctrines required observing Jewish practices, which Paul acknowledged but demonstrated to be but shadows of the real substance, Christ. So, how did these Jewish practices become so corrupted? 

In Ezekiel 8, the prophet was taken by an angel to the temple to see something that “provokes to jealously,” “great abominations” committed to drive Yahweh from His sanctuary (vv. 3, 5, 6). Ezekiel saw “the vile abominations that they are committing” (v. 8), every form of idolatrous practice, worshipping the sun, and weeping for Tammuz. Yahweh declared, “Therefore I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare” (v. 18).

The judgment of the captivity did wean Israel from idols; however, the false doctrines of the pagan worship were incorporated into Judaism through demonic influence. These doctrines were prevalent in Jewish practices when Jesus arrived on the scene. His ministry often confronted and rebuked these false practices, such as Sabbath regulations (Matthew 12:1–7).

Will the Lord begin to deal with His professed church in the same manner? In Ezekiel 9, the angel summons the executioners. Before these acted, however, a man with a writing case was commanded to pass through the city and mark all who groaned in lament over these abominations (see Revelation 7:1–4). These were spared His wrath. This purging will be repeated in the church age before Jesus returns.

The Church, Part 3

Revelation 19:7 informs us that Christ’s intention is to present His bride to Himself “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle . . . holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). Such work can only be accomplished by the Holy Spirit, but what does that work look like?

Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (Colossians 1:24–26).

Observe three powerful truths in this statement: (1) Paul was Christ’s instrument for the sake of His body. This service involved suffering, which one can easily determine about Paul from reading Acts and his letters. Nevertheless, Paul rejoiced in his hardships because he recognized that his service was Christ’s means to advance His goals for the church.

(2) Advancing these goals was seen as “filling up” what was “lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body.” This must not be regarded as an insufficiency in Christ’s cross work; there was nothing lacking in His substitutionary suffering for His own. This lacking refers to what believers understood of their participation—what they would endure until Christ’s return. This was how the church’s claims would be fully vindicated. They would suffer, not to contribute anything to their redemption, but because of it. This transformational process (becoming holy and without blemish) requires this. Sufferings complete what is lacking in the sense that Christ’s body shares His suffering (2 Corinthians 1:5; note also 4:10).

(3) Paul saw himself as a minister (diaconos, a royal servant, an errand boy) with a stewardship to be fulfilled in behalf of the King. To be effective, Paul gave up everything he previously valued (Philippians 3:8–9) so that “I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10, 11). Again, Paul was not worried about his spot in the resurrection. Rather, he understood that suffering like Christ now in His service was the spiritual evidence that he would be raised like Christ at His coming.

Paul informed the church that his suffering and service was God’s means to benefit them. They would understand the glorious mystery of the ages, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). In this way, understanding and evidencing this truth, the church would be presented mature in Christ. That is goal of Christ’s suffering, as noted above. For this goal, Paul states “I toil [laboring to exhaustion] with all his energy that he powerfully works with me” (v. 29). Again, it was not Paul but the Spirit working through him. He did not tell them his experience to brag, but to illustrate what they also would experience, if they truly belonged to Christ.

The Church, Part 2

     We are looking at how the New Testament defines what a church is and comparing that with what we find in our church and other churches that exist in our generation. In Part One we focused on Paul’s descriptive in Colossians 1:21–23, which emphasizes the Lord’s purpose to “reconcile to himself all things” (v. 20). God, through Christ, has reconciled a host of alienated sinners into His body, the church (see v. 18) in order to present them holy and blameless before Him. That is what a church is supposed to look like—a body of redeemed rebels, blood-bought, Spirit-filled, and spiritually growing people being sanctified to look like their head and Savior, Jesus Christ, whom they devotedly follow (Romans 8:29, 30).

     The average church in the culture looks nothing like this. Every community has several religious organizations that claim to be Christ’s church. Each asserts to represent exclusively and accurately the truth of Scripture but in his own particular denominational twist. Although, often these churches will suppress the denominational identification, opting for general nondenominational names, such as Triumphant Outreach, Agape Fellowship, Living Waters, or other similar appellations. They are, however, corporate entities (businesses) organized with officers, by-laws, and objectives and will do whatever is expedient to promote growth and revenue. These entities are, in turn, measured by humanistic standards such as attendance size, popularity of the pastoral staff and programs, and the nature and size of buildings and property. Indeed, most people identify a church with a location and building.

     The only eyes with which the church is to be occupied belong to the One described in Revelation as having eyes “like a flame of fire” in a face “like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:14, 16). He is “the first and the last, the living one” (v. 17; see Isaiah 41:4). He has the keys of Death and Hell (v. 18). It must never matter what any man thinks of a particular congregation, but only what the Sovereign One thinks.

     It is significant to notice that John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:7, 20), “fell at His feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17) when He saw His Lord in this glorious vision. Is it not ironic that most church members presume that Jesus is only lovingly tolerant and indulgent with them when it comes to their distracted and half-hearted devotion and service to Him? Such people cannot endure the truth and will hop from one congregation to another in an effort to satisfy their egos with self-gratifying entertainment posing as worship.

     Before the Lord returns for His bride, Revelation 19:7 declares that “His bride has made herself ready.” If Jesus is to present His church to Himself “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle . . . holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27), His bride needs some radical alterations.  It is time for those whom the Lord has reconciled to Himself to pursue this course of preparation through holiness and godliness by separating from the world, uniting in loving and singular devotion to Christ, obediently serving Him as a true people of God, and shining forth as His lights in the world.

The Church, Part 1

Most people identify a church with a location and building. How does the Bible identify a church? Read Colossians 1:21–23 and carefully notice who Paul is addressing: “And you” (pronoun second person plural) refers to the collective—the believers in Colossae, the church, a particular congregation (ecclesia, an assembly), not individuals and not a building. This collective is identified by the former, present, and future condition of its members. They “once were alienated [from God] and hostile in mind [toward the things of God], doing evil deeds [in disobedience to God]” (v. 21). However, through the gospel, these are “now reconciled in [Christ’s] body of flesh [the church] by his death.” (Note 1:20 where Paul states that Christ is to reconcile all things, making peace by the blood of His cross.) His goal is to present the church “holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (v. 22; Ephesians 5:26, 27). However, there is a condition: “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (v. 23). Is this a warning to individual believers? That would be a mistake, for it is a church thing. Here is where one must focus if he is to understand the current church problem.

If Christ saves a person, it is forever (John 10:27–30). He cannot fall away. Churches, however, can fall away, as evidenced in Revelation 2 and 3. Congregations can be overrun by false believers, deceived through false doctrine, and infiltrated by false teachers. This has been the problem since the church began. For example, Paul admonished the elders from Ephesus: “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:28–32).

The church is compared to a flock needing care and protection, not a corporation that uses people in order to prosper. The church is a collective of redeemed and reconciled people struggling against sin and rebellion in the slow and painful process of sanctification. The church is a body of people sharing the same burdens in their joint pursuit of holiness. The church is an army of spiritual warriors standing shoulder to shoulder against principalities and powers, striving together and persevering in prayer. The church’s condition depends on God and His grace, not human programs and means. Read again Colossians 1:21–23 and study this passage and learn to think of the church in biblical terms.

Exhortations Reveal, Not Convince

The exhortations in Scripture are often misunderstood by casual Bible readers. Yes, they are God’s means to guide His people into holiness, but they are often seen as hopeful but vain attempts to convince the reluctant to obedience. Things could be wonderful if only more people would be convinced to heed His counsel and do what He wants them to do.

There is a notion that the church either succeeds or fails as people are convinced to cooperate. However, when the culture becomes worldly, doing “church” can be difficult if not impossible. “If only Christians could be coaxed to pray for revival, then the church would thrive.” People tend to see God like themselves, wringing His hands in frustration and disappointment at the lack of interest in His program. It would appear that the church’s strategy needs some tweaking. A 2013 statistic reveals that 80% of Americans find more fulfilling ways to spend their weekends than attending church. It is probably worse in 2018.

Scripture, however, paints a totally different picture of God’s kingdom-building program for this age. God does not try anything. He is sovereign over all things. “By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance’” (Isaiah 45:23). “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose. . . . I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it’” (Isaiah 46:9–11).

Jesus affirmed that He would build His assembly (Matthew 16:18). Acts 2:47 states, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” In Ephesians 1 Paul extols “the immeasurable greatness of His power . . . [when] according to the working of His great might . . . He put all things under [Jesus’] feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (vv.19–23). In other words, His church is exactly what He wants it to be. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

God’s work in the church will progress “until all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). His will is unfolding exactly as He planned through the “grace given to each one according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7).

Nevertheless, many have attached themselves to the church who have not received the grace of salvation. As a result, they can be a problem. Paul warned Timothy of those who “will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Therefore, exhortations not only prod the saints to obedience; they reveal the disobedient.

The Last Enemy

Paul addresses a concern in the Corinthian church regarding some who taught that there is no resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12). If these people were right, then Christ must still be dead. If that is the case, Christian preaching is false and foolish; Christian faith is nonsense; Christian doctrine misrepresents God; and, worst of all, there is no salvation—no hope of eternal life (I Corinthians 15:13–19).

The deniers were the ones in error as Paul proved in the first eleven verses of chapter fifteen. Christ did indeed rise from the dead as confirmed by irrefutable testimony. On that fact Paul drills down on the hope that this truth brings to those in Christ. Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits, the beginning of the greater harvest to follow. In other words, because Christ was raised from the dead, having borne the penalty of His people’s sin, they too, must be raised from the dead because they are no longer under the curse of sin (Romans 6:23).

All for whom Christ died will be raised just as He was raised. That is Paul’s argument in verses 21 and 22. The first man, Adam, was the representative head of the human race. Because he sinned, all his posterity sinned in him. Like Adam, all in him incur sin’s penalty, death. In the same way, all in Christ will benefit from Christ’s obedience and will pass from death to life. They will, like Christ, be raised from the dead to eternal life.

So, when will this resurrection take place? In the following verses (23–28), Paul lays out a simple and profound map of the end of time. Christ, as firstfruits, was raised in the first century of the “last days” with the promise that He would return to earth again (John 14:3). Paul confirms this by showing that all who belong to Him will be raised at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:23). In four words (v. 24), Paul literally destroys most of the popular and sensational teachings about end times: “Then comes the end” (v. 24). The end is when Christ delivers the kingdom to God.

Christ defeated the devil at the cross and took back the kingdom Satan usurped from Adam. Christ rose from dead and ascended to the right hand of God where He is to reign until all God’s enemies are conquered (Psalm 110:1, 2). Paul clearly references these verses from Psalm 110 as his proof of argument (vv. 24, 25). When all the enemies are subdued, the King gives the kingdom back to God.

 Finally, the nail in the coffin is verse 26, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” Jesus will raise all the dead for judgment (John 5:28, 29; note also Daniel 12:1–4). This means that Christ’s ruling and the conquering of all his enemies must take place before His return and the resurrection of His own. This simple teaching eliminates any future “millennial” kingdom on earth in which people will die, if death has been destroyed. Neither can this kingdom end with the battle of Armageddon if the last enemy is no more.  

What Is Wrong with the Church?

I recently read an article entitled, “Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore.”* The piece debunked an article by Ed Stetzer (Christianity Today) contending that the church in America is not dying, just transitioning. Steve McSwain countered by citing the Hartford Institute of Religion Research that more than 40% of Americans “say” they go to church weekly, but less than 20% actually do. “In other words,” says author McSwain, “more than 80% of Americans are finding more fulfilling things to do on weekends.” To him, the church in America is dying and he has the evidence to prove it.

I contend biblically that the church is not dying. No, the true church is doing just fine. Indeed, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).

One might disagree and turn to Jesus’ letters to the seven churches of Asia minor recorded in Revelation (2 and 3). Ephesus lost her first love. Pergamum tolerated false teachers. Thyatira suffered a professed prophetess, Jezebel, to seduce Christ’s servants to commit terrible sins. Sardis pretended life, but her works were incomplete. Self-deceived Laodicea shut out Jesus in her supposed prosperity. Only suffering Smyrna and obedient Philadelphia escape the Lord’s the stinging rebukes.

The issue here, however, is not apostasy but sanctification. Every true church is made up of imperfect believers who are on the path of sanctification, becoming progressively more like Jesus (Romans 8:29).  Each church is admonished, “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). True believers have ears to hear, the Spirit speaks to them through His word so that they will overcome, persevere, and conquer (2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Nevertheless, Satan has infiltrated the churches with false believers, and there lies the problem.

There will be a great apostasy ending the new covenant era, involving those who refused the truth and take pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:3). These will be deceived and perish (2:9–12). On the other hand, the true but confused saints in Thessalonica were reminded that they were chosen to salvation and sanctified through the spirit for belief in the truth (2:13). These were called through the gospel to obtain the glory of the Lord (v. 14). Understanding this, they should “stand firm and hold to the traditions” taught them (v. 15).

The victorious and conquering church is not always evident because of the overwhelming number of false believers who obscure, suppress, and discourage the saints. The hope of true saints is God, for whom they are to do good (1 Timothy 6:17–19). They “put on” “as God’s chosen ones” “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” forgiving offenses, and holding to “love which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–17).

The encouragement of the true church rests in Jesus’ work to “put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). This work will appear to the uninformed observer that the church is failing. For example, in 2013, 7000 churches closed up permanently. However, that is actually good news. Let the true church shine forth!

* The Blog (www.huffingtonpost.com), updated January 23, 2014.