All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
The Church That Does Not Look Like the World - Part III
(Part III of IV)
The Church That Does Not Look Like the World – Part III
In the previous two articles, we saw the following. There is a path (righteousness vs. wickedness). There is a certain look (light vs. darkness). There are two leaders (Jesus vs. Satan). There are two people groups (believers and unbelievers). There are two types of houses of worship (one dedicated to God, the other to idols or demons).
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
Today we will look at the “Marks of a godly church.”
7. Marks of a godly church.
A. The church is to come out from the world and to be separate from them.
The call for the church to come out is not a call to rules and regulations. It is not an application of a law to be adhered to. The church is to come out and be different because of its relationship with Jesus. We are the light of Jesus to the world (Mat. 5:14; Eph. 5:8). This light shines brightest when the church looks most like Jesus. The church once tried to administer rules of segregation. This will not work. The desire to be different must come from within. The power to be different comes through the Holy Spirit living in each believer.
This is where we need to differentiate between the church institution and the church, known as the body of Christ. The institution is a meeting place that will, or should, include many unbelievers. Some of these will be seekers and some are the very people that attend week after who that think they’re saved, but are not. The true church is made up of the believers living around the world. Rules and regulations applied to people who have not been regenerated will only leave them frustrated, for without the power of the Holy Spirit living in them they cannot succeed. The true church lives for the glory of God out of love for Him and not by fear of Him.
This is a hard to understand teaching. How do you hold true to the Word of God if you do not enforce the Word of God? The key is that it is the Holy Spirit Who brings conviction, not the church that brings judgment that makes a difference. When truth is presented and lived out before people, they will begin to see the difference and understand their personal need for salvation and then sanctification. These truths are revealed by the presented Word of God and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Ro. 10:17; John 16:8-11). The church does not condone sin, but she is also not the judge of it. There is a proper application of church discipline that I will address someday, but even that is not judgment, but rather an attempt to restore the one caught in sin.
B. The church is the temple of the living God.
Keeping with the understanding that the true church is the body of believers and not the compilation of people that gather on Sunday morning, we recognize the church is the temple of God. The True believer is truly the temple of God. His Holy Spirit indwells us after our conversion. The body must be treated as the temple for the benefit to the body and the glory of God. If we were to study some of the practices and principles related to the Old Testament temple, we would have a better understanding regarding the acceptable practices of the body of the believer, which is the temple of God.
The church gathering is also a place where God is present in a special way. This gathering needs to be focused on Christ. There are things that should and should not take place in the church gathering. A good rule of thumb is to put God and His ways first. The church is about Him, not our preferences. The church gathering is not meant to be altered in such away that the church begins to resemble the world. God will never look like the world and the world will never look like God. He wants people to be attracted to Him and to love Him. It is sin to change from the likeness and ways of God to the appearance and ways of the world even to reach the world.
C. The church is to purify itself from everything that contaminates the body.
The church is to be separate from the world and live as the temple of God. When the first two are in place the church can then seek to purify itself from everything that contaminates the body. We again have a dual application, the individual believer and the church body.
The individual can now seek to live for Jesus out of love for Him. It is a life long battle, but one that is winnable through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The church body can also establish what is acceptable for the church to engage in or allow. There are defining lines that should not be crossed. Remember that it is the world who needs to cross the line from lost to saved, not the church from saved to lost, if that were possible. This is not double talk. Let me explain. There is a difference between the expectations of the church placed upon an individual and the acceptable practices that go on within the church. For example, alcoholics need to be saved and I am not his judge. At the same time, I will not serve alcohol at a church function or allow it there to appease him and others. He is welcome and the alcohol is not.
Many churches and denominations have crossed the line. They are becoming irrelevant. What I mean by irrelevant is different from what the world would call irrelevant. These organizations are embracing sin, or at least ignoring it. Often the church speaks against homosexuality and abortion, which it should. Many are now embracing these and even ordaining homosexuals for pastoral ministry. Other churches ignore sins such as adultery, sex outside of marriage, and other sins. The church cannot condone or ignore sin. It can love the lost and teach truth, this in part is what makes it different. Each sin embraced by the church draws the church closer to the world and contaminates the body.
Somehow, we are losing our sense of mission. We are not supposed to be trying to draw people to us. We are to be drawing them to Jesus. If we look like Jesus and they reject us, they have rejected Jesus. If we look like the world and draw them to us and they embrace us what have we gained? What have they gained if they do not find the true Jesus along the way?
D. The church is to seek the perfecting of holiness.
The church is to be separate from the world, live as the temple of God and remove all that contaminates the body. Then she can begin to seek conditional holiness. We again see that the teaching in these verses build upon each other.
Positional holiness is what we have in Jesus. When we are saved, we are completely regenerated in the spirit. The blood of Christ cleanses us and the Spirit of God indwells us. The Father sees us from that time on as completely holy in Christ, yet we still live in the sinful flesh. Conditional holiness relates to us subduing the sinful flesh and forcing it to live a righteous life. This victory is won in the war of the mind. Conditional holiness is a life long journey.
E. The church is to revere God.
The church is to be separate from the world, live as the temple of God, remove all that contaminates the body and seek conditional holiness. When the church is seeking these things, it is ready and capable of truly revering God and worshipping Him.
Now there is one aspect that needs to be mentioned here. These things, separate, the temple, remove contamination, and seek holiness are life long journeys. We will revere God and worship Him to the level of maturity we have achieved. Yes, it all begins and ends with love for Him, but there is a maturity level that enhances His and our experience in worship.
Challenge: Let’s take a minute and look at our lives. Let’s examine where we stand.
Are you attempting to separate yourself from the world? Yes you live in it, but are you still of it? (Php. 3:20; 1 John 2:15-17; 1 John 4:4-6)
Are you treating your body as the temple of God? (Col. 1:27)
Are you removing yourself from things that contaminate the body? (Rom. 6:12-14; Rom. 12:1-2)
Are you seeking conditional holiness in your life? (1 Pe. 1:15-16)
Do you revere God? (Heb. 12:28-29)
These are some of our goals as Christians. If you think you did well on the test, praise God and continue striving to grow and to glorify Him. If you feel you did poorly, do not despair, for we all are on a journey. Some are further than others are, but none has arrived in this life as we continue to battle the flesh until our passing or His appearing. Continue fighting the good fight.
Lord Bless,
Rev. Leonard R. Traina
Principles for Life
The Church That Does Not Look Like the World – Part III
In the previous two articles, we saw the following. There is a path (righteousness vs. wickedness). There is a certain look (light vs. darkness). There are two leaders (Jesus vs. Satan). There are two people groups (believers and unbelievers). There are two types of houses of worship (one dedicated to God, the other to idols or demons).
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1)
Today we will look at the “Marks of a godly church.”
7. Marks of a godly church.
A. The church is to come out from the world and to be separate from them.
The call for the church to come out is not a call to rules and regulations. It is not an application of a law to be adhered to. The church is to come out and be different because of its relationship with Jesus. We are the light of Jesus to the world (Mat. 5:14; Eph. 5:8). This light shines brightest when the church looks most like Jesus. The church once tried to administer rules of segregation. This will not work. The desire to be different must come from within. The power to be different comes through the Holy Spirit living in each believer.
This is where we need to differentiate between the church institution and the church, known as the body of Christ. The institution is a meeting place that will, or should, include many unbelievers. Some of these will be seekers and some are the very people that attend week after who that think they’re saved, but are not. The true church is made up of the believers living around the world. Rules and regulations applied to people who have not been regenerated will only leave them frustrated, for without the power of the Holy Spirit living in them they cannot succeed. The true church lives for the glory of God out of love for Him and not by fear of Him.
This is a hard to understand teaching. How do you hold true to the Word of God if you do not enforce the Word of God? The key is that it is the Holy Spirit Who brings conviction, not the church that brings judgment that makes a difference. When truth is presented and lived out before people, they will begin to see the difference and understand their personal need for salvation and then sanctification. These truths are revealed by the presented Word of God and through the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Ro. 10:17; John 16:8-11). The church does not condone sin, but she is also not the judge of it. There is a proper application of church discipline that I will address someday, but even that is not judgment, but rather an attempt to restore the one caught in sin.
B. The church is the temple of the living God.
Keeping with the understanding that the true church is the body of believers and not the compilation of people that gather on Sunday morning, we recognize the church is the temple of God. The True believer is truly the temple of God. His Holy Spirit indwells us after our conversion. The body must be treated as the temple for the benefit to the body and the glory of God. If we were to study some of the practices and principles related to the Old Testament temple, we would have a better understanding regarding the acceptable practices of the body of the believer, which is the temple of God.
The church gathering is also a place where God is present in a special way. This gathering needs to be focused on Christ. There are things that should and should not take place in the church gathering. A good rule of thumb is to put God and His ways first. The church is about Him, not our preferences. The church gathering is not meant to be altered in such away that the church begins to resemble the world. God will never look like the world and the world will never look like God. He wants people to be attracted to Him and to love Him. It is sin to change from the likeness and ways of God to the appearance and ways of the world even to reach the world.
C. The church is to purify itself from everything that contaminates the body.
The church is to be separate from the world and live as the temple of God. When the first two are in place the church can then seek to purify itself from everything that contaminates the body. We again have a dual application, the individual believer and the church body.
The individual can now seek to live for Jesus out of love for Him. It is a life long battle, but one that is winnable through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The church body can also establish what is acceptable for the church to engage in or allow. There are defining lines that should not be crossed. Remember that it is the world who needs to cross the line from lost to saved, not the church from saved to lost, if that were possible. This is not double talk. Let me explain. There is a difference between the expectations of the church placed upon an individual and the acceptable practices that go on within the church. For example, alcoholics need to be saved and I am not his judge. At the same time, I will not serve alcohol at a church function or allow it there to appease him and others. He is welcome and the alcohol is not.
Many churches and denominations have crossed the line. They are becoming irrelevant. What I mean by irrelevant is different from what the world would call irrelevant. These organizations are embracing sin, or at least ignoring it. Often the church speaks against homosexuality and abortion, which it should. Many are now embracing these and even ordaining homosexuals for pastoral ministry. Other churches ignore sins such as adultery, sex outside of marriage, and other sins. The church cannot condone or ignore sin. It can love the lost and teach truth, this in part is what makes it different. Each sin embraced by the church draws the church closer to the world and contaminates the body.
Somehow, we are losing our sense of mission. We are not supposed to be trying to draw people to us. We are to be drawing them to Jesus. If we look like Jesus and they reject us, they have rejected Jesus. If we look like the world and draw them to us and they embrace us what have we gained? What have they gained if they do not find the true Jesus along the way?
D. The church is to seek the perfecting of holiness.
The church is to be separate from the world, live as the temple of God and remove all that contaminates the body. Then she can begin to seek conditional holiness. We again see that the teaching in these verses build upon each other.
Positional holiness is what we have in Jesus. When we are saved, we are completely regenerated in the spirit. The blood of Christ cleanses us and the Spirit of God indwells us. The Father sees us from that time on as completely holy in Christ, yet we still live in the sinful flesh. Conditional holiness relates to us subduing the sinful flesh and forcing it to live a righteous life. This victory is won in the war of the mind. Conditional holiness is a life long journey.
E. The church is to revere God.
The church is to be separate from the world, live as the temple of God, remove all that contaminates the body and seek conditional holiness. When the church is seeking these things, it is ready and capable of truly revering God and worshipping Him.
Now there is one aspect that needs to be mentioned here. These things, separate, the temple, remove contamination, and seek holiness are life long journeys. We will revere God and worship Him to the level of maturity we have achieved. Yes, it all begins and ends with love for Him, but there is a maturity level that enhances His and our experience in worship.
Challenge: Let’s take a minute and look at our lives. Let’s examine where we stand.
Are you attempting to separate yourself from the world? Yes you live in it, but are you still of it? (Php. 3:20; 1 John 2:15-17; 1 John 4:4-6)
Are you treating your body as the temple of God? (Col. 1:27)
Are you removing yourself from things that contaminate the body? (Rom. 6:12-14; Rom. 12:1-2)
Are you seeking conditional holiness in your life? (1 Pe. 1:15-16)
Do you revere God? (Heb. 12:28-29)
These are some of our goals as Christians. If you think you did well on the test, praise God and continue striving to grow and to glorify Him. If you feel you did poorly, do not despair, for we all are on a journey. Some are further than others are, but none has arrived in this life as we continue to battle the flesh until our passing or His appearing. Continue fighting the good fight.
Lord Bless,
Rev. Leonard R. Traina
Principles for Life
Tags: church
Add a Comment
4 Comments
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Comment by LT on June 22, 2009 at 4:39pm -
We have start times so that we all know when to gather :-) We have an approximated finish time, but are always open to what the Holy Spirit wants to do, some churches are rigid and some have rented space and time constraints. I have been in services where we, or most of us, have stayed for extended periods of time not wanting to leave. In those times the presence of God was strong and drawing us to him and causing us to forget all else, including time. The focus was Jesus. Then, after a period of time, we knew it was OK to go home. I can't explain that last part. It is just unique and the work of the Holy Spirit Who released us to go.
As we have talked before, I do not believe in church hopping, but there can come a time when a change is right for various reasons. This too, we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Comment by Bev on June 22, 2009 at 4:22pm -
I can relate to this having grown up in the Baptist church. It is regimented and routine (the ones I have attended). No detours, no deviations. I have tolerated it because it is what I am used to but in these later years I have come to realize I am missing something. I have not made the change as yet but am leaning toward doing so. I am not satisfied with what I see so is time to take ur advice and try something different. I have hesitated ( I know you will find this hard to believe as you know me better than most) because of what I am familiar with but God is working here and I will follow His lead.
I have often wondered why churches have times. If there is one who wants to remain should it not be so? Is it not where 2 or more are gathered? That said have you ever stayed indefinitely becuase there were those who desired that church not end?
Me
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Comment by LT on June 22, 2009 at 12:58pm
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Hey James,
Thanks for the comments and input.
Just a couple of thoughts in respnse (all good). It is a shame that those who love Jesus allow unimportant things divide them. The tradirionalist and pentecostal love the same Jesus, and such a division surely confuses the world.
I shuffle our service quite frequently and periodically put the sermon before the singing and allow our singing to be a response to what the Holy Spirit has done in us during the message. It is sad that many think of the service as segments, when all of it is really the worship service, from beginning to end and all important.
Regarding the questions, I don't think any one could pass with a perfect score, but there are two things we can do in relation to them. 1) Aspire for the higher life, or as we call it the "Deeper Life." 2) Evaluate where you are in comparison to where you have been. Are you growing?
I will be looking forward to your blog.
Lord Bless,
LT
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Comment by James Lindquist on June 22, 2009 at 11:39am -
Very interesting LT. Many good points. Just a few comments.
I agree, we are to give the truth. I have learned though that we are called to give the truth and not argue the truth as many do. You are right, it is the The Holy Spirit that convicts. Good word.
By just living our lives as a righteous person will be all the Bible a person should be able to see. I like to apply an old writing adage. As a writer yourself, I am sure you have heard of it -- show and not tell. Actions speak louder than words.
I belong to a worshiping church - the Vineyard of Albany, Oregon USA. The pastor there gives the message first and then we worship God. Having attended many churches, I see that this is not the standard way of doing things. Most worship and sing to God for thirty minutes or so and then the pastor gives a message. (Which is okay - no problem) But I love the Vineyard's format.
We get a teaching from God and then we can worship the one who saved us for as long as we want. His message starts at 10:30 and is normally done by 11:30 or so. When the Holy Spirit gets a hold of him big time, he can go longer. (As far as time goes, we don't put God in a box or clock watch. So the times are average is all.)
Our worship starts somewhere around 11:30 and goes on the average until 1:30 to 2:00 or so. I love it. That's what I go to church for, to be with God and as long as He shows up, that's good for me.
Most churches have different mantels on them and is why, in my travels, I have heard many believers talk about other places of worship. If a person has a prayer spirit on them, then they should seek a church with a prayer and intercessory mantel. If someone loves to worship God, then he/she should attend a worshiping church and etc. Is one better than the other? Not at all, because the body consists of many parts. Can a hand say to the foot, I don't need you?
I have found that if I just love God and worship Him He takes care of everything else. (Thank you Jesus.) I read something on a poster once that hung in a church that I used to attend (until I moved), that read: A traditionalist looks at the Pentecostal and says, "that's surely not of God." The Pentecostal looks at the traditionalist and says, "Look how bound up they are." The world looks at them both and says, "Look how divided they are."
You had some good test questions there Reverend. I wonder if any of us can pass it? When I don't, God is faithful and just to forgive me my sins. As long as I seek Him, I'll be alright. When I fall, I see one set of footprints.
I plan on posting a blog that I have written recently called, "What's Important." It is a concern of mine as well about things in the body. So I think we're on the same wave length - or should I say, "Spirit length?" LOL
Very good blog LT. It is a sign of a good writer when they can spark something out of the reader. You did that just fine. It's funny how a word, a phrase, or comment can trigger the senses sometimes. None of my comments have anything to do with your blog per se and are just observations I've had in my travels as triggered by your thoughts. I stand in agreement with you brother. Sometimes I have a propensity of going off on tangents. LOL
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