Cherish the Church

Joel Beeke, in his conference on Calvin, reminded me of these sweet quotes regarding the necessity of a local church home:

"If we do not prefer the church to all other objects of our interest we are unworthy to be counted among its members."--John Calvin

"He cannot have God as his father who refuses to have the Church as his mother."
--Augustine

I have encountered many here in little old Ashland who would call themselves dedicated Christians, but have not linked into a church. I personally find "a Christian without a church home" to be an oxymoron. Using Paul's imagery of a body, a Christian can exist without a church as much as an appendage can exist apart from the vital organs and torso. Isolating yourself from full communion with the fellowship of believers is basically to deprive yourself of life sustaining nourishment and forsake the duty you owe to Christ's church.

Perhaps that last thought is what now irks me more than anything else about a person who doesn't see the need to join a church. A person who continually evades membership expresses the utmost selfishness. Because he does not commit to a single church body, he does not contribute his God given gifts and graces to the common good. For this reason I almost would go so far as to say that he who will not give himself to other brothers and sisters in the Lord shows that he is not of the family of God.

I do not step over that line and I do use caution because I myself used to be an unchurched Christian. In my college days I wandered from church to church. Part of my problem was that I was a transient college student without much accountability. Part of it was because I was completely ignorant of spiritual things. Part of it was due to the fact that I could not find a good church. Most of it was my sinful individualistic nature.

I look back on those days and lament the time I wasted in not joining a church. I see now that the Scripture clearly points to the necessity of church membership. Moreover, now that I have been an active member in several congregations, I have experienced the sweetness of true fellowship with Christ's people. Looking back I understand that I not only failed to honor Christ by giving my time and talents to my brothers and sisters in the Lord, but I also missed out on the gifts and graces of others. I limped along in the faith because I was a foolish cowboy riding the Christian life alone.

That's why I urge church membership now, and even am a bit finicky about it. I wish to create in others what Calvin spoke of "preferring the church above all other interests." Here is the cradle of God, the nursery of faith. In the church we experience the life giving grace of Christ. It flows from the Head down to the rest of its members.