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Among all the organizations and institutions that have existed or that continue to exist on earth, the church of Jesus Christ remains paramount. It has Jesus Christ as its founder (Mat. 16:18). He paid the incomparable price of His own blood for it (Acts 20:28). It is intimately related to Christ as no other body of people can be (Eph. 5:22–23; 32). It has but one mission: to spread the Gospel everywhere and to bring salvation to as many souls as possible (Mat. 28:19–20; Luke 19:10;). It offers blessings that cannot be found elsewhere (Eph. 1:3–7). When we speak of the church, we do not speak of the denominational and sectarian corruptions men have superimposed on it through the centuries. Instead, we speak of that simple, pure, and glorious institution described in the New Testament that came into being everywhere the Gospel was faithfully preached and received. That same glorious body still exists where men are content to lay the creeds and traditions of men aside and follow only the all-sufficient Scriptures. Consider some further reasons for its greatness.
The church is great because of the people who compose it. Every organization has its pretenders and hypocrites, and the Lord’s church is no exception. It is not composed of perfect people but faithful members in the Lord’s church are sincerely striving to live like Jesus teaches. Those who are the “back bone” of the church are humble, generous, truthful, kind, loving, and pure in heart and life. They are faithful and uncompromising in their loyalty to Christ, His Truth, and His church. Such have caught a vision of the greatness of the church and by God’s grace are growing daily more toward the likeness of Christ. There are no greater or better people on the earth than devout members of Christ’s church. It should be counted among one’s highest privileges to be a part of this wonderful family. Membership in the New Testament church is truly a foretaste of Heaven.
The church is great because of its destiny. There is only one word to describe the destiny of Jesus’ church: eternal. Every plant which God did not plant shall be uprooted, especially every religious plant (Mat. 15:13). Jesus said that even the gates of Hades could not prevail against His church (Mat. 16:18). The church is a “kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Heb. 12:28). Jesus will save His church eternally (Eph. 5:23). It is a mark of consummate wisdom to obey the Gospel plan of salvation and be added to it by the Lord (Acts 2:37–47).
[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the “Bible Thoughts” Column for the Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, June 22, 1980.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
