Some Things that are Right with the Church

Too many people today want to criticize and pick apart the church.  It is easy to do and diverts attention from our own shortcomings.  Some will say that no harm is done, and maybe a little good, by shinning a light on the blemishes of the Lord’s body.  On the one hand they are right in their reasoning—we must expose error wherever it is found.  But on the other hand, there is no place for nitpicking on matters of no consequence.  In the end, the church that Christ died for is damaged by this type of attitude.  Let us, therefore, focus our efforts on edifying the church and look at some things that are right with the church of Christ.

To begin with, the church has the right head—Jesus Christ.  Christ’s Headship gives Him supreme authority over His church (Matt. 28:18).  Christ never abdicated nor shared His authority. Any assumption of the Headship by man is rebellion against Christ.  The church is the body of which Christ is the head.  By communion with Christ in faith, submission, and obedience, the very life of Christ will flow through us.  As such, our attitude should be as Paul’s who said, “It is not I but Christ liveth in me.”

The church is the fullness of Christ.  It is filled with Christ.  He is not only the Head above it; He is the life within it.  Christ fills “all in all.”  The Spirit of Christ is to be in His church (Rom. 8:9).  Christ is present where His authority is established in the heart (Matt. 7:21; Luke 6:46).  In the ideal church, affections are filled with holy love, the thoughts with truth, the imagination with heavenly vision, and the will with obedient action.

We honor the head of the church by respecting its organization.  The church must claim no other Head than Christ.  We can be in subjection to no other than Christ.  We must do nothing to dishonor our Head either in flesh or in spirit (2 Cor. 6:15-18).  This means keeping the organization of His church as it was in the first century: have elders and deacons.  Every Christian is to respect Christ’s organization of his church.  How can we say “Lord, Lord” while neglecting or rejecting His form of church government?

In the church of Christ He is the only head.  Faithful, qualified elders shepherd the local congregation by His authority.  This is in keeping with the pattern of the New Testament.  This is one thing that is right with the church.   In the coming weeks we will consider some other things that are right with the church.

In His love,

Thomas Sneed

Pond Church of Christ