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The church of which we read in the New Testament is incomparable. It was planned from eternity by God and built by Christ through the work of His inspired apostles (Eph. 3:10–11; Mat. 16:18–19). Those who are content to abide by the teachings of Christ can know the blessings of being a part of His great church today. It is great because the Son of God is its founder, because He paid the price of His own blood for it, and because it sustains an intimate relation to Christ. There are other things that lend to its greatness.
The church is great because of its mission. The mission of its founder dominates the mission of the New Testament church. His mission was “to seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Therefore, the church is charged with preaching the Gospel to all men (Mark 16:15–16). It is the business and purpose of the Lord’s church to declare the manifold wisdom of God and to say, “Come” to a world full of sinful men, that they may drink freely of the water of life (Mat. 18:19–20; Rev. 22:17). Jesus’ church is not a political institution like the Roman Catholic Church. It is not a great business empire like the Mormon Church. It is not a military power like the religion of Islam. It is not a contemplative society like Yoga or Buddhism. Unlike any other institution in the world (John 18:36), the kingdom of Christ, the church, exists primarily to serve the spiritual needs of men through preaching the saving Gospel (Rom. 1:16).
The church is great because of its blessings. God is the source of every good gift (Jam. 1:17). Some of His gifts, such as sunshine and rain, are sent upon all men (Mat. 5:45). God’s greatest blessings are His Spiritual blessings that benefit the spirit of man as well as his body. These are to be found only in Christ and in His church (Eph. 1:3–7). Every institution has certain benefits for its members, otherwise, it would have no members. Said benefits may be discussed, admired, and even coveted, but they are not received or enjoyed until one obtains membership. So it is with the church. Forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ, Sonship of God, the hope of everlasting life, fellowship with the finest people on earth, the privilege of prayer, opportunities to serve both God and men, and many other blessings are to be found only in Christ and His church.
[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the “Bible Thoughts” Column for the Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, June 15, 1980.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
