Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA

Clarinda Herald Journal Publication Date : 02/06/2008

The True Church

With so many competing beliefs out there, to what essentials must the church adhere?

The true church must hold to the plain teaching of Christ as presented by the Apostles and recorded in the New Testament (Eph 2:20,3:5; 2 Pet 3:2). It doesn’t matter what the church sign says out front, if those inside do not adhere to the Bible’s message, nor conduct themselves in Christian love.

The book of 2 John summarizes the two essential Christian distinctives as "truth and love." Both truth and love are indispensable and mutually supporting qualities. Many have rightly said that, “Truth without love is not truth; and love without truth is not love.” Truth and love are like a bird’s two wings. Together, they make the miracle of flight possible, while a one-winged bird is soon to perish crippled.

As for love, 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is referred to as ‘the love chapter.’ Paul presents the reader with a profound picture of love, combining lofty theology with the graceful expression of a gifted poet. Without love, he says, we are all flash without substance (v1), and our deeds of little eternal worth (v2-3).

Truth on the other hand, at least in our culture, has taken ‘a bad rap.’ Those who stand for truth in the church are often considered icy intellectuals, or rigidly legalistic Pharisees. Even at their best, the church’s purveyors of truth have a way of making people uncomfortable. They often highlight sin, always an unpopular task. These teachers actually believe and teach that certain things are right and wrong! In today’s world, that’s bound to make some squirm. Apparently, the voice of the prophet is as unpopular as ever.

For any church to be a valid expression of true Christianity, it must believe and follow the teachings of the Bible, no matter what our personal preferences or the values of contemporary society may dictate. 2 John warns believers that those who no longer "continue in the teaching of Christ, do not have God" (v9). That’s straightforward. Those who will not hold to these truths, these essential teachings, are not Christians. That’s what it says!

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples” (John 8:31). However, we live in an age where Christ’s teachings have been twisted to such a degree that, “what is vile is honored among men” (Psa 12:8), and what is evil, is called good (Isa 5:20).

You and I live in a society that no longer believes in absolutes. The church, nonetheless, must remain true to its Savior. God has not placed us here to win the world’s approval, but to stand together for truth and love. That’s what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ.

--Pastor Scott (www.askpastorscott.com)