The Spirit And The Church
Christian Faith
This You Can Believe
Faith Seeking Understanding
Object:
When we say in the Apostles' Creed, "I believe in the Holy Spirit," we confess our faith in "the holy catholic church, the communion of saints." This causes us to ask what the church is and what the Spirit has to do with her.
What is the church? In a sense, she is a physical building, but she is more than that! She is a hierarchy of leaders consisting of pastors, bishops, cardinals, and a pope. But the church is more than that! She is more than a liturgy with various forms of worship. She may be considered a creed with systematic beliefs, but she is more than that. The creed tells us what the church is: "the holy catholic church, the communion of saints." In this last phrase, the comma stands for the word "is." Thus we are saying, "the holy catholic church is the communion of saints."
The church, then, consists of saints. Frequently the New Testament refers to church members as "saints." The word is used not in the moral but in the religious sense. Saints are forgiven believers. In God's sight believers are saints because they wear the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. God, therefore, pronounced them perfect, for he sees them clothed in Christ's righteousness. God, therefore, pronounced them perfect, for he sees them clothed in Christ's perfection. In actuality, church people are saints in pursuit of sanctification, in becoming saintly saints.
Saints are church people. The church consists of God's people who have entered a covenant with God through Christ. We belong to God's family, because through baptism God has adopted us as his children. Peter described the church as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Peter 2:9). Repeatedly Paul refers to the church as the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24). Believers are members of his body. The church is the body of Christ, and the people of the church make up the body with Christ as the head of the body. Often the church is described as "the contemporary incarnation of Christ."
The church, then, consists of people who are at the same time both sinners and saints. The church is not a museum of perfect people but a hospital of sick sinners. This means that no one is too good to stay out and no one is too bad to come in. Hence, the church has her weaknesses, limitations, and sins. The church is what we are. It consists of many who are halfhearted, doubtful, inactive, insensitive, and often immoral. Among the charges are sexual abuse, embezzlement, and infidelity. If anyone is looking for a perfect church to join, don't join, because as a sinner you would ruin it! It is a sign of God's amazing grace that the church continues to exist, grow, and serve in spite of her imperfect members.
The Fellowship Of The Church
The creed further defines the church as the "communion of saints." The church is a community of faith. "Communion" means "fellowship." Christianity is not an individualist or solitary religion. A true Christian cannot be independent of other Christians. The church consists of believers in Jesus as the Christ according to Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi. The first Christians had this commonality: "And all who believed were together and had all things in common" (Acts 2:44).
What kind of fellowship is the church?
1. The church is a believing fellowship. She consists of those who say together the Apostles' Creed. The people of the church are unanimous in believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
2. The church is a redemptive fellowship. The members have been redeemed by Christ's sacrifice on the cross from sin, death, and hell. Church people become redeemed by accepting Christ. The church is the society of the saved.
3. The church is a worshiping fellowship. On the first day of the week for twenty centuries members of the church gathered to thank and praise God for his blessings. They come to hear the Word of God taught and preached. Then they go out to bear witness to the truth they heard and to serve in Christ's name. Mother Teresa was an example of one who served Christ by serving the poorest of the poor.
The church is a serving fellowship. As Jesus came to serve, his followers gathered in the church are dedicated and committed to sharing God's love to the poor and helpless. They do it for Jesus' sake.
The Creator Of The Christian Church
Who founded the church? Jesus? Surely he laid the foundation for it by his cross and empty tomb. But the birthday of the church is not Good Friday nor Easter. Pentecost is the birthday of the church, because then the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. For the first time the gospel was preached and the sacrament of baptism was administered. It was on Pentecost that the Spirit caused 3,000 to respond by confessing Jesus as Lord. The church, therefore, is a divine creation born of the Holy Spirit. No human founds a church, but the Spirit working through humans gives birth to the church.
As we have already seen, the church consists of individual Christians. They constitute a fellowship of faith in Christ. Obviously, there can be no church without individual Christians. Therefore, the Spirit, to found the church, must make individual Christians. And so he does! A hymn says, "I was made a Christian." The Spirit brought each of us into the church through a new birth. But how does the Spirit make a Christian out of a pagan?
First, the Spirit calls us. As a person, I do not decide to be a follower of Christ. It is God's Spirit who calls and chooses me to be a disciple. I do not seek God, but Christ, the Good Shepherd, seeks and finds me. A few years ago an evangelist popularized the phrase, "I found it!" The truth is we do not find God or salvation, but he finds us. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). Paul found this to be true: "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." Moreover, faith in Christ is a gift of the Spirit. Paul taught: "To another faith by the same Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:9). One of the nine fruits of the Spirit is faith (Galatians 5:22). "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The Spirit comes in the Word so that as the Word is heard, the Spirit creates faith.
Christians are a called and chosen people. Each person is called to be a Christian rather than deciding by one's own desire and will that it would be a good thing to be a Christian. In the explanation of the third article of the Creed, Luther said, "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel...." It is the highest honor that God, through the Spirit, calls a person to be his child. Several people were once discussing who was a VIP. One said that a VIP was one who was invited to the White House for a conference with the President. A second person said that a VIP was one invited to the White House for a conference with the President, and when the phone rang, the president did not answer it to avoid interrupting the conference. The third person said, "No, a VIP is one invited to the White House for a conference with the President, the phone rang, the president answered it, and handed it to the VIP and said, 'It is for you.' " Likewise, God makes a personal call to each of us to belong to him and join his church. The call comes through the gospel when it is read, taught, or preached.
Does this call come to only certain ones? Are some predestined or elected to be saved and others not? God calls every human to come to him. In John 3:16 Jesus says, "Whoever believes in him may not perish but may have everlasting life." God does not desire anyone to perish, die, or go to hell. To prevent this, he gave his only Son to die for us. However, a human response to God's call is necessary for salvation. When God calls, we must answer: "Here am I." We answer in terms of faith and obedience.
Second, we are made Christians by the Spirit's convicting us. When the Spirit comes, we are convicted and convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Jesus taught that the Spirit would lead and guide us into truth. In other words, the Spirit opens our eyes. He enlightens us to see what we never saw before. There is a story about a boy carrying a basket with a sign on it, "Heathen Puppies." Inside were three tiny, newborn puppies. A week later he went down the street again with the basket, but this time the sign said, "Christian Puppies." Someone asked him how come they were now Christian puppies. He explained, "Now they have their eyes open."
The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see ourselves as sinners in need of Christ. Moreover, he enables us to see that Jesus is the Christ. The Spirit gave Peter at Caesarea Philippi the insight to declare that Jesus is the Christ. The Spirit gave Simeon the ability to recognize the Messiah in the forty-day-old Jesus when he was presented in the temple. Because of the Spirit, we understand spiritual realities formerly hidden and not understood. This understanding leads to our acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Third, the Spirit makes us Christians by converting us. When the Spirit comes to us through the Word, we receive the Holy Spirit. He causes us to be born from above, as Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:5). The Spirit creates in us a new heart from which flows a good life. "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them" (Ezekiel 11:19-20). The new heart is filled with God's Spirit who changes a person from evil to good. This was demonstrated in King Saul to whom the prophet Samuel said, "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man."
How can I live the Christian life? How can I be as good as God expects me to be? Is it possible to be as holy as God is holy? The answer to these questions is the Holy Spirit. He is the power to change, to transform, and to make us good and to do good. Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit is sanctification, derived from the Latin word meaning "holy." If we have the Holy Spirit, we will become holy.
Living the godly life, therefore, is an internal matter. It deals with the heart and the spirit in the heart. Out of the heart flows either good or bad words and deeds. God's Spirit produces moral fruit in us. Paul lists them in Galatians 5:22: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Would you not agree that anyone having these nine virtues would be a good, godly, holy person? The important thing to notice, however, is that the Holy Spirit does this in and through us. The good life does not result from the force of discipline imposed from without, nor from rules and regulations, nor from following a book of discipline, nor from the imperatives "must" and "ought." Paul speaks of these virtues as fruit. Jesus taught that a good tree produces good fruit. Our problem is being a good tree. A good person does good deeds. Good deeds do not make a good person.
It is to be noted also in this analogy of fruit that the fruit comes naturally. If the tree is good, the fruit is good. Have you ever seen a tree fret or worry over whether or not the fruit would be good? Does a tree strain and try and try to produce fruit? No, fruit comes naturally, normally, spontaneously. So it is with living the Christian life. Virtues come naturally from a heart filled with the Spirit. Therefore, we should not try to do better or make ourselves do good things. That kind of living makes nervous saints. There is no joy in this kind of life. Rather, our concern should be to have more and more of the Spirit. To get him means to spend more time with the Word as it is read, taught, and preached.
Fourth, the Spirit makes us Christians in daily living by giving us confirmation that we are God's people. Are you saved? Are you going to heaven? Many answer with some doubt: "I hope I am," or "I would like to go to heaven." Can we Christians be sure we belong to God? Can we be certain of our eternal destiny? What guarantee or assurance do we have, if any?
The Holy Spirit is our assurance that we are God's children. Hear Paul: "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). According to Paul, the Spirit in our hearts serves as a guarantee that we are saved, that we are forgiven, and that we are going to heaven. In Ephesians he writes, "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance" (1:13-14). Often the Spirit is referred to as "earnest." It refers to a real estate deal. The buyer puts up earnest money as assurance of final payment and possession of the property. Having the Spirit is the earnest money which guarantees our ultimate inheritance in heaven. The Spirit is also described as a seal. The seal is a mark of certainty and authority. Our relationship with God is sealed by the Spirit received at baptism. Because we have the Spirit, we can be absolutely certain that we are God's children, that we are redeemed and bound for heaven.
The Gathering Agent
Even though the Holy Spirit made individual Christians, the church does not yet exist. It is not a church until the individuals are brought into a fellowship, "the communion of saints." What or who will gather them into one body, the church?
The gathering agent is the Holy Spirit. He attracts and draws the individuals into a oneness with Christ and each other. The Spirit is a centripetal force that draws, binds, and cements into oneness. In the diagram below is the independent status before the work of the Spirit. After the Spirit, the individuals constitute the church.
Before The Spirit Gathers
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
After The Spirit Gathers
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
When the Spirit exists in a church, there is unity. When an evil spirit, the devil, gets into a church, there are schisms, factions, controversy, and divisions. We need to be aware that the unholy as well as the Holy Spirit can dwell in a church. When Peter tried to persuade Jesus not to go to Jerusalem to die, Jesus recognized that Satan was speaking through Peter. Regretfully some times church members may be agents of Satan. Some years ago, a businessman bought a downtown African-American church to extend his property for his expanding business. The church agreed to sell, the money was paid, but when the time came for the church to vacate, the congregation failed to move. The purchaser did not want to take the church to court. He decided upon a plan to scare them off. At an evening service, he had the main power switch turned off, had a car's headlights focused on the window over the altar, and then in a devil suit climbed through the window for all to see him. The people, scared of the devil, rushed to the exits. All got out except one elderly lady in a wheelchair. As the "devil" got close to her, she excitedly said, "Now listen here, Satan. I have been in this church all my life. I taught Sunday School for fifty years, and I have been president of the Women's Society for 25 years. And I want you to know I have been on your side all the time!"
The Holy Spirit gathers individuals into a church. What does it mean to join a church? One Sunday morning a pastor invited children to come forward for a sermonette. A dialogue between the pastor and the children went like this: "If you girls joined the Boy Scouts, would you be boys? No! If you boys joined the Girl Scouts would you be girls? No! If you joined the Elks Club, would you be Elks, or a Lions Club, or a Moose Club?" Each time the answer was "No." Then he asked, "If you joined the church, would you be Christians?" He answered, "NO!"
The pastor's answer apparently showed that he did not understand the work of the Spirit, the nature of the church, or the meaning of church membership. What is the church? Is it only something like a civic club? It is the body of Christ, God's people, the society of the saved. To belong to the church is to belong to God's Kingdom. To join the church is to become a Christian.
What is the meaning of church membership? How does one become a member? One joins the church through baptism, which is a covenant between God and a repentant and believing person. Baptism is the incorporation into the corpus (body) of Christ. God adopts us as his children and automatically we become members of his family in the church. At baptism, as in the case of Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit is received and a new birth takes place. To be in Christ is to be in the church.
If repentance and faith are necessary for baptism, it is not possible for one to be baptized. The one to be baptized must respond to God's call through the Spirit in terms of repentance and faith. To be certain that these conditions exist, the church asks candidates for baptism to take instruction when the meaning of baptism is explained.
Gifts Of The Spirit
Just as the Holy Spirit produces a ninefold fruit of virtue in the individual, the Spirit provides a ninefold gift to the church for her to carry out her mission in the world. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists the gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, and speaking in tongues. These gifts to the church have certain characteristics:
* They are gifts of the Spirit and not human attainment.
* Every member of the church has at least one of these gifts.
* Each person does not necessarily have all nine gifts.
* A gift is given according to the specific need at a given time.
* The gifts are not of equal value nor importance. The most important is love (1 Corinthians 13:13) and the least important is speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:19).
Probably the most controversial of the gifts is the speaking in tongues. Of the thirty million charismatics in America, five million claim they speak in tongues. The problem resulting from those speaking in tongues is division in the church. Some divide the church into first- and second-class Christians depending on the ability to speak in tongues. Tongue-speaking Christians claim that the ability to speak in tongues proves that a person is a complete Christian.
In chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians, Saint Paul compares two kinds of Christian speaking:
Tongues
Speaks to God (v. 2)
Edifies only the speaker (v. 4)
Less than the preacher (v. 5)
Unintelligible (v. 9)
Building up of speaker
Pray with the spirit (v. 14)
For believers (v. 23)
Preaching
Speaks to the church
Edifies the church (v. 3)
Greater than the speaker in tongues (v. 5)
Intelligible
Building up of church (v. 12)
Pray with mind (vv. 14, 19)
For unbelievers (vv. 24, 25)
The Church And Churches
By the year 2000 it is estimated that there will be about two billion members of the church divided among 1,600 denominations in America and 23,500 in the world. Which of these many churches is the one true church? Is there only one true church or are all of them true churches? Are churches true churches that claim to be churches? Are the Church of the Latter Day Saints; the Church of Christ, Scientist; the Church of Scientology; or the Unification Church true churches? Can every church advertise as one did: "We are the only church authorized to preach Jesus Christ"?
What does the Apostles' Creed say about the true church? It asserts that we believe in "the holy catholic church." It is "the" and not "a" church. The church we believe in is not one of many churches, but the one and only church. There is not a church of Peter, of Paul, or Luther or Calvin or Wesley. The church of Jesus Christ is one church. We belong to the Christian church whether it is Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or Protestant.
Moreover, the creed says that the church is "holy." How can it be holy when it is composed of sinners? The church is holy because it is the product of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in and works through the church. The church is the custodian of the holy Bible and administers the holy sacraments. The people in the church are God's holy people, because their bodies are temples of the Spirit. In the church God comes to meet his people assembled for worship and service.
Added to this, the church is "catholic." "I believe in the holy catholic church." Often Protestants ask why Protestants say they believe in the "catholic" church. The word "catholic" is spelled with a small "c." If it were a large "C," it would refer to the Roman Catholic Church. Spelled with a small "c," the word means orthodox, universal, or ecumenical. The word "catholic" means to say that the church is for all people everywhere. It has no geographical, social, racial, or national boundaries. It is not the church of America but the church in America. The church belongs to nobody but Jesus Christ.
The implication of "catholic" is that all Christians are one in Christ regardless of denomination. On the night before his death, Jesus prayed "that they may be one" (John 17:11). This is not a reality at the present time but we are making progress toward it. In 1997 Evangelical Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, and United Church of Christ adopted a manifesto declaring altar and pulpit fellowship. This means members of these churches welcome members of the above churches for Holy Communion and it means the pastors may serve in these churches as pastors. Soon it is expected that Evangelical Lutherans and Episcopalians will sign a similar agreement. Denominationalism is on the decrease. Many do not join a church on the basis of the denominational name but because the church meets their spiritual needs. In 1997 Evangelical Lutherans and Roman Catholics made a historic joint declaration. It was the first joint declaration made by Roman Catholics with a church of the Reformation. The key segment of the document says, "Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works." After an interdenominational service, a Roman Catholic priest's car refused to start. People passing by saw the priest, an Episcopal and a Congregational minister pushing the old car along the street. "This," explained a vicar, "is called an ecumenical movement!"
The Church's Reason For Existence
In recent years many churches have produced a mission statement publicized in their literature and banners. The statement is to tell the world why she exists. Why did the Holy Spirit create the church? Is the church relevant to the twenty-first century and does it have a future or is it a fossil of a past age? The New Testament tells the purpose of the church in certain Greek words.
1. Leitourgia. The word "liturgy" comes from this word. One purpose of the church is to worship the triune God. The church is a worshiping community. Each Sunday approximately fifty million people are in church glorifying God and listening to his Word.
2. Kerygma. The word means "proclamation." The church exists to proclaim the gospel to the world. Accordingly, the church supports and conducts evangelism and missions throughout the world. Its goal is to make disciples of all nations.
3. Didache. The word refers to the teaching ministry of the church. The church exists to teach the truth of God's Word. The Bible is explained. Doctrines are discussed. In his final words to his disciples, he said, "... teaching them to obey...."
4. Koinonia. Koinonia means fellowship. The church is a community of faith. People share their faith and experiences. It is a fellowship of love for each other. They work together to serve the Lord.
5. Marturia. The Greek word means "witness." The word "martyr" comes from it. The first Christian martyr was Stephen, who was stoned to death for his witness to Christ as Lord. Each member of the church has the privilege of sharing the faith with others.
6. Diaconia. The church exists to serve as Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve." From this word came the words "deacon" and "deaconess." They are rendering service. Each member of the church has the privilege and responsibility to help, share, and care for people in need.
Here are six excellent reasons for the church's existence. Is your congregation fulfilling these reasons?
Study Guide
The Spirit And The Church
The Paradox Of A Christian
The work of God the Spirit is sanctification. If by faith in Christ, Christians are God's people, why is sanctification needed? It is due to the dual and duel nature of a Christian. A Christian has a dual nature because a Christian is a saint and sinner at the same time. He/she has a duel nature because the two natures are in constant conflict. See Romans 7:21-25.
What does Ephesians say we are? _______________________
What does 1 John 1:8 say we are? _______________________
Put the following under the proper heading: Justification, Sanctification, Being a Christian, Becoming a Christian, What God did for us, What God does in us, Saved, Being Saved.
Saint
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sinner
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Holy Catholic Church
This phrase tells us what kind of church the Spirit creates.
1. What is "holy" about your church? Check your answers.
___ a. Members are pious.
___ b. Members have the Holy Spirit.
___ c. Members are sinless.
___ d. Members do good works.
___ e. The church has the holy Bible.
___ f. The Sacraments are holy.
___ g. The holy presence of Christ.
2. Why do Protestants say they believe in the "catholic" church?
What does "catholic" mean? Check your answer:
___ a. Roman Catholic Church.
___ b. Eastern Orthodox Church.
___ c. Protestant Church.
___ d. Church of the white race only.
___ e. Church of a nation.
___ f. Universal, worldwide, ecumenical.
The Communion Of Saints
The creed defines the church as the "communion of saints." What is a saint? Answer Yes or No:
1. ___ A saint is a morally perfect person.
2. ___ A saint is one pronounced a saint by the church.
3. ___ A saint is a super-Christian now in heaven.
4. ___ A saint is a believer in Christ.
5. ___ A saint is a person justified by grace.
6. ___ A saint is a forgiven sinner.
What Is Your Answer?
1. Can one be a church member and not a Christian?
2. Can one be a Christian and not be a member of the church?
3. What does it take to become a member of a church?
4. How does one become a member of a church?
5. If repentance and faith are needed, can small children belong to the church?
Gifts Of The Spirit
The Spirit gives the church various gifts for her to do her work. Read 1 Corinthians 12 to find the answers to the following questions:
1. How many gifts are listed?
2. Does a Christian have all these gifts?
3. Which is the best gift?
4. Is any Christian without at least one gift?
5. What is the purpose of the gifts?
6. Must one speak in tongues to be a true Christian?
What is the church? In a sense, she is a physical building, but she is more than that! She is a hierarchy of leaders consisting of pastors, bishops, cardinals, and a pope. But the church is more than that! She is more than a liturgy with various forms of worship. She may be considered a creed with systematic beliefs, but she is more than that. The creed tells us what the church is: "the holy catholic church, the communion of saints." In this last phrase, the comma stands for the word "is." Thus we are saying, "the holy catholic church is the communion of saints."
The church, then, consists of saints. Frequently the New Testament refers to church members as "saints." The word is used not in the moral but in the religious sense. Saints are forgiven believers. In God's sight believers are saints because they wear the perfect robe of Christ's righteousness. God, therefore, pronounced them perfect, for he sees them clothed in Christ's righteousness. God, therefore, pronounced them perfect, for he sees them clothed in Christ's perfection. In actuality, church people are saints in pursuit of sanctification, in becoming saintly saints.
Saints are church people. The church consists of God's people who have entered a covenant with God through Christ. We belong to God's family, because through baptism God has adopted us as his children. Peter described the church as "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Peter 2:9). Repeatedly Paul refers to the church as the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24). Believers are members of his body. The church is the body of Christ, and the people of the church make up the body with Christ as the head of the body. Often the church is described as "the contemporary incarnation of Christ."
The church, then, consists of people who are at the same time both sinners and saints. The church is not a museum of perfect people but a hospital of sick sinners. This means that no one is too good to stay out and no one is too bad to come in. Hence, the church has her weaknesses, limitations, and sins. The church is what we are. It consists of many who are halfhearted, doubtful, inactive, insensitive, and often immoral. Among the charges are sexual abuse, embezzlement, and infidelity. If anyone is looking for a perfect church to join, don't join, because as a sinner you would ruin it! It is a sign of God's amazing grace that the church continues to exist, grow, and serve in spite of her imperfect members.
The Fellowship Of The Church
The creed further defines the church as the "communion of saints." The church is a community of faith. "Communion" means "fellowship." Christianity is not an individualist or solitary religion. A true Christian cannot be independent of other Christians. The church consists of believers in Jesus as the Christ according to Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi. The first Christians had this commonality: "And all who believed were together and had all things in common" (Acts 2:44).
What kind of fellowship is the church?
1. The church is a believing fellowship. She consists of those who say together the Apostles' Creed. The people of the church are unanimous in believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior.
2. The church is a redemptive fellowship. The members have been redeemed by Christ's sacrifice on the cross from sin, death, and hell. Church people become redeemed by accepting Christ. The church is the society of the saved.
3. The church is a worshiping fellowship. On the first day of the week for twenty centuries members of the church gathered to thank and praise God for his blessings. They come to hear the Word of God taught and preached. Then they go out to bear witness to the truth they heard and to serve in Christ's name. Mother Teresa was an example of one who served Christ by serving the poorest of the poor.
The church is a serving fellowship. As Jesus came to serve, his followers gathered in the church are dedicated and committed to sharing God's love to the poor and helpless. They do it for Jesus' sake.
The Creator Of The Christian Church
Who founded the church? Jesus? Surely he laid the foundation for it by his cross and empty tomb. But the birthday of the church is not Good Friday nor Easter. Pentecost is the birthday of the church, because then the Holy Spirit came to the disciples. For the first time the gospel was preached and the sacrament of baptism was administered. It was on Pentecost that the Spirit caused 3,000 to respond by confessing Jesus as Lord. The church, therefore, is a divine creation born of the Holy Spirit. No human founds a church, but the Spirit working through humans gives birth to the church.
As we have already seen, the church consists of individual Christians. They constitute a fellowship of faith in Christ. Obviously, there can be no church without individual Christians. Therefore, the Spirit, to found the church, must make individual Christians. And so he does! A hymn says, "I was made a Christian." The Spirit brought each of us into the church through a new birth. But how does the Spirit make a Christian out of a pagan?
First, the Spirit calls us. As a person, I do not decide to be a follower of Christ. It is God's Spirit who calls and chooses me to be a disciple. I do not seek God, but Christ, the Good Shepherd, seeks and finds me. A few years ago an evangelist popularized the phrase, "I found it!" The truth is we do not find God or salvation, but he finds us. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). Paul found this to be true: "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." Moreover, faith in Christ is a gift of the Spirit. Paul taught: "To another faith by the same Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:9). One of the nine fruits of the Spirit is faith (Galatians 5:22). "Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:17). The Spirit comes in the Word so that as the Word is heard, the Spirit creates faith.
Christians are a called and chosen people. Each person is called to be a Christian rather than deciding by one's own desire and will that it would be a good thing to be a Christian. In the explanation of the third article of the Creed, Luther said, "I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel...." It is the highest honor that God, through the Spirit, calls a person to be his child. Several people were once discussing who was a VIP. One said that a VIP was one who was invited to the White House for a conference with the President. A second person said that a VIP was one invited to the White House for a conference with the President, and when the phone rang, the president did not answer it to avoid interrupting the conference. The third person said, "No, a VIP is one invited to the White House for a conference with the President, the phone rang, the president answered it, and handed it to the VIP and said, 'It is for you.' " Likewise, God makes a personal call to each of us to belong to him and join his church. The call comes through the gospel when it is read, taught, or preached.
Does this call come to only certain ones? Are some predestined or elected to be saved and others not? God calls every human to come to him. In John 3:16 Jesus says, "Whoever believes in him may not perish but may have everlasting life." God does not desire anyone to perish, die, or go to hell. To prevent this, he gave his only Son to die for us. However, a human response to God's call is necessary for salvation. When God calls, we must answer: "Here am I." We answer in terms of faith and obedience.
Second, we are made Christians by the Spirit's convicting us. When the Spirit comes, we are convicted and convinced of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). Jesus taught that the Spirit would lead and guide us into truth. In other words, the Spirit opens our eyes. He enlightens us to see what we never saw before. There is a story about a boy carrying a basket with a sign on it, "Heathen Puppies." Inside were three tiny, newborn puppies. A week later he went down the street again with the basket, but this time the sign said, "Christian Puppies." Someone asked him how come they were now Christian puppies. He explained, "Now they have their eyes open."
The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see ourselves as sinners in need of Christ. Moreover, he enables us to see that Jesus is the Christ. The Spirit gave Peter at Caesarea Philippi the insight to declare that Jesus is the Christ. The Spirit gave Simeon the ability to recognize the Messiah in the forty-day-old Jesus when he was presented in the temple. Because of the Spirit, we understand spiritual realities formerly hidden and not understood. This understanding leads to our acceptance of Christ as our Lord and Savior.
Third, the Spirit makes us Christians by converting us. When the Spirit comes to us through the Word, we receive the Holy Spirit. He causes us to be born from above, as Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:5). The Spirit creates in us a new heart from which flows a good life. "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them; I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them" (Ezekiel 11:19-20). The new heart is filled with God's Spirit who changes a person from evil to good. This was demonstrated in King Saul to whom the prophet Samuel said, "Then the Spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you, and you shall prophesy with them and be turned into another man."
How can I live the Christian life? How can I be as good as God expects me to be? Is it possible to be as holy as God is holy? The answer to these questions is the Holy Spirit. He is the power to change, to transform, and to make us good and to do good. Thus, the work of the Holy Spirit is sanctification, derived from the Latin word meaning "holy." If we have the Holy Spirit, we will become holy.
Living the godly life, therefore, is an internal matter. It deals with the heart and the spirit in the heart. Out of the heart flows either good or bad words and deeds. God's Spirit produces moral fruit in us. Paul lists them in Galatians 5:22: "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Would you not agree that anyone having these nine virtues would be a good, godly, holy person? The important thing to notice, however, is that the Holy Spirit does this in and through us. The good life does not result from the force of discipline imposed from without, nor from rules and regulations, nor from following a book of discipline, nor from the imperatives "must" and "ought." Paul speaks of these virtues as fruit. Jesus taught that a good tree produces good fruit. Our problem is being a good tree. A good person does good deeds. Good deeds do not make a good person.
It is to be noted also in this analogy of fruit that the fruit comes naturally. If the tree is good, the fruit is good. Have you ever seen a tree fret or worry over whether or not the fruit would be good? Does a tree strain and try and try to produce fruit? No, fruit comes naturally, normally, spontaneously. So it is with living the Christian life. Virtues come naturally from a heart filled with the Spirit. Therefore, we should not try to do better or make ourselves do good things. That kind of living makes nervous saints. There is no joy in this kind of life. Rather, our concern should be to have more and more of the Spirit. To get him means to spend more time with the Word as it is read, taught, and preached.
Fourth, the Spirit makes us Christians in daily living by giving us confirmation that we are God's people. Are you saved? Are you going to heaven? Many answer with some doubt: "I hope I am," or "I would like to go to heaven." Can we Christians be sure we belong to God? Can we be certain of our eternal destiny? What guarantee or assurance do we have, if any?
The Holy Spirit is our assurance that we are God's children. Hear Paul: "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). According to Paul, the Spirit in our hearts serves as a guarantee that we are saved, that we are forgiven, and that we are going to heaven. In Ephesians he writes, "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance" (1:13-14). Often the Spirit is referred to as "earnest." It refers to a real estate deal. The buyer puts up earnest money as assurance of final payment and possession of the property. Having the Spirit is the earnest money which guarantees our ultimate inheritance in heaven. The Spirit is also described as a seal. The seal is a mark of certainty and authority. Our relationship with God is sealed by the Spirit received at baptism. Because we have the Spirit, we can be absolutely certain that we are God's children, that we are redeemed and bound for heaven.
The Gathering Agent
Even though the Holy Spirit made individual Christians, the church does not yet exist. It is not a church until the individuals are brought into a fellowship, "the communion of saints." What or who will gather them into one body, the church?
The gathering agent is the Holy Spirit. He attracts and draws the individuals into a oneness with Christ and each other. The Spirit is a centripetal force that draws, binds, and cements into oneness. In the diagram below is the independent status before the work of the Spirit. After the Spirit, the individuals constitute the church.
Before The Spirit Gathers
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
After The Spirit Gathers
(The illustration is only available in the printed version of this book.)
When the Spirit exists in a church, there is unity. When an evil spirit, the devil, gets into a church, there are schisms, factions, controversy, and divisions. We need to be aware that the unholy as well as the Holy Spirit can dwell in a church. When Peter tried to persuade Jesus not to go to Jerusalem to die, Jesus recognized that Satan was speaking through Peter. Regretfully some times church members may be agents of Satan. Some years ago, a businessman bought a downtown African-American church to extend his property for his expanding business. The church agreed to sell, the money was paid, but when the time came for the church to vacate, the congregation failed to move. The purchaser did not want to take the church to court. He decided upon a plan to scare them off. At an evening service, he had the main power switch turned off, had a car's headlights focused on the window over the altar, and then in a devil suit climbed through the window for all to see him. The people, scared of the devil, rushed to the exits. All got out except one elderly lady in a wheelchair. As the "devil" got close to her, she excitedly said, "Now listen here, Satan. I have been in this church all my life. I taught Sunday School for fifty years, and I have been president of the Women's Society for 25 years. And I want you to know I have been on your side all the time!"
The Holy Spirit gathers individuals into a church. What does it mean to join a church? One Sunday morning a pastor invited children to come forward for a sermonette. A dialogue between the pastor and the children went like this: "If you girls joined the Boy Scouts, would you be boys? No! If you boys joined the Girl Scouts would you be girls? No! If you joined the Elks Club, would you be Elks, or a Lions Club, or a Moose Club?" Each time the answer was "No." Then he asked, "If you joined the church, would you be Christians?" He answered, "NO!"
The pastor's answer apparently showed that he did not understand the work of the Spirit, the nature of the church, or the meaning of church membership. What is the church? Is it only something like a civic club? It is the body of Christ, God's people, the society of the saved. To belong to the church is to belong to God's Kingdom. To join the church is to become a Christian.
What is the meaning of church membership? How does one become a member? One joins the church through baptism, which is a covenant between God and a repentant and believing person. Baptism is the incorporation into the corpus (body) of Christ. God adopts us as his children and automatically we become members of his family in the church. At baptism, as in the case of Jesus' baptism, the Holy Spirit is received and a new birth takes place. To be in Christ is to be in the church.
If repentance and faith are necessary for baptism, it is not possible for one to be baptized. The one to be baptized must respond to God's call through the Spirit in terms of repentance and faith. To be certain that these conditions exist, the church asks candidates for baptism to take instruction when the meaning of baptism is explained.
Gifts Of The Spirit
Just as the Holy Spirit produces a ninefold fruit of virtue in the individual, the Spirit provides a ninefold gift to the church for her to carry out her mission in the world. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists the gifts: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, and speaking in tongues. These gifts to the church have certain characteristics:
* They are gifts of the Spirit and not human attainment.
* Every member of the church has at least one of these gifts.
* Each person does not necessarily have all nine gifts.
* A gift is given according to the specific need at a given time.
* The gifts are not of equal value nor importance. The most important is love (1 Corinthians 13:13) and the least important is speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:19).
Probably the most controversial of the gifts is the speaking in tongues. Of the thirty million charismatics in America, five million claim they speak in tongues. The problem resulting from those speaking in tongues is division in the church. Some divide the church into first- and second-class Christians depending on the ability to speak in tongues. Tongue-speaking Christians claim that the ability to speak in tongues proves that a person is a complete Christian.
In chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians, Saint Paul compares two kinds of Christian speaking:
Tongues
Speaks to God (v. 2)
Edifies only the speaker (v. 4)
Less than the preacher (v. 5)
Unintelligible (v. 9)
Building up of speaker
Pray with the spirit (v. 14)
For believers (v. 23)
Preaching
Speaks to the church
Edifies the church (v. 3)
Greater than the speaker in tongues (v. 5)
Intelligible
Building up of church (v. 12)
Pray with mind (vv. 14, 19)
For unbelievers (vv. 24, 25)
The Church And Churches
By the year 2000 it is estimated that there will be about two billion members of the church divided among 1,600 denominations in America and 23,500 in the world. Which of these many churches is the one true church? Is there only one true church or are all of them true churches? Are churches true churches that claim to be churches? Are the Church of the Latter Day Saints; the Church of Christ, Scientist; the Church of Scientology; or the Unification Church true churches? Can every church advertise as one did: "We are the only church authorized to preach Jesus Christ"?
What does the Apostles' Creed say about the true church? It asserts that we believe in "the holy catholic church." It is "the" and not "a" church. The church we believe in is not one of many churches, but the one and only church. There is not a church of Peter, of Paul, or Luther or Calvin or Wesley. The church of Jesus Christ is one church. We belong to the Christian church whether it is Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, or Protestant.
Moreover, the creed says that the church is "holy." How can it be holy when it is composed of sinners? The church is holy because it is the product of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit dwells in and works through the church. The church is the custodian of the holy Bible and administers the holy sacraments. The people in the church are God's holy people, because their bodies are temples of the Spirit. In the church God comes to meet his people assembled for worship and service.
Added to this, the church is "catholic." "I believe in the holy catholic church." Often Protestants ask why Protestants say they believe in the "catholic" church. The word "catholic" is spelled with a small "c." If it were a large "C," it would refer to the Roman Catholic Church. Spelled with a small "c," the word means orthodox, universal, or ecumenical. The word "catholic" means to say that the church is for all people everywhere. It has no geographical, social, racial, or national boundaries. It is not the church of America but the church in America. The church belongs to nobody but Jesus Christ.
The implication of "catholic" is that all Christians are one in Christ regardless of denomination. On the night before his death, Jesus prayed "that they may be one" (John 17:11). This is not a reality at the present time but we are making progress toward it. In 1997 Evangelical Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, and United Church of Christ adopted a manifesto declaring altar and pulpit fellowship. This means members of these churches welcome members of the above churches for Holy Communion and it means the pastors may serve in these churches as pastors. Soon it is expected that Evangelical Lutherans and Episcopalians will sign a similar agreement. Denominationalism is on the decrease. Many do not join a church on the basis of the denominational name but because the church meets their spiritual needs. In 1997 Evangelical Lutherans and Roman Catholics made a historic joint declaration. It was the first joint declaration made by Roman Catholics with a church of the Reformation. The key segment of the document says, "Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works." After an interdenominational service, a Roman Catholic priest's car refused to start. People passing by saw the priest, an Episcopal and a Congregational minister pushing the old car along the street. "This," explained a vicar, "is called an ecumenical movement!"
The Church's Reason For Existence
In recent years many churches have produced a mission statement publicized in their literature and banners. The statement is to tell the world why she exists. Why did the Holy Spirit create the church? Is the church relevant to the twenty-first century and does it have a future or is it a fossil of a past age? The New Testament tells the purpose of the church in certain Greek words.
1. Leitourgia. The word "liturgy" comes from this word. One purpose of the church is to worship the triune God. The church is a worshiping community. Each Sunday approximately fifty million people are in church glorifying God and listening to his Word.
2. Kerygma. The word means "proclamation." The church exists to proclaim the gospel to the world. Accordingly, the church supports and conducts evangelism and missions throughout the world. Its goal is to make disciples of all nations.
3. Didache. The word refers to the teaching ministry of the church. The church exists to teach the truth of God's Word. The Bible is explained. Doctrines are discussed. In his final words to his disciples, he said, "... teaching them to obey...."
4. Koinonia. Koinonia means fellowship. The church is a community of faith. People share their faith and experiences. It is a fellowship of love for each other. They work together to serve the Lord.
5. Marturia. The Greek word means "witness." The word "martyr" comes from it. The first Christian martyr was Stephen, who was stoned to death for his witness to Christ as Lord. Each member of the church has the privilege of sharing the faith with others.
6. Diaconia. The church exists to serve as Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve." From this word came the words "deacon" and "deaconess." They are rendering service. Each member of the church has the privilege and responsibility to help, share, and care for people in need.
Here are six excellent reasons for the church's existence. Is your congregation fulfilling these reasons?
Study Guide
The Spirit And The Church
The Paradox Of A Christian
The work of God the Spirit is sanctification. If by faith in Christ, Christians are God's people, why is sanctification needed? It is due to the dual and duel nature of a Christian. A Christian has a dual nature because a Christian is a saint and sinner at the same time. He/she has a duel nature because the two natures are in constant conflict. See Romans 7:21-25.
What does Ephesians say we are? _______________________
What does 1 John 1:8 say we are? _______________________
Put the following under the proper heading: Justification, Sanctification, Being a Christian, Becoming a Christian, What God did for us, What God does in us, Saved, Being Saved.
Saint
1.
2.
3.
4.
Sinner
1.
2.
3.
4.
The Holy Catholic Church
This phrase tells us what kind of church the Spirit creates.
1. What is "holy" about your church? Check your answers.
___ a. Members are pious.
___ b. Members have the Holy Spirit.
___ c. Members are sinless.
___ d. Members do good works.
___ e. The church has the holy Bible.
___ f. The Sacraments are holy.
___ g. The holy presence of Christ.
2. Why do Protestants say they believe in the "catholic" church?
What does "catholic" mean? Check your answer:
___ a. Roman Catholic Church.
___ b. Eastern Orthodox Church.
___ c. Protestant Church.
___ d. Church of the white race only.
___ e. Church of a nation.
___ f. Universal, worldwide, ecumenical.
The Communion Of Saints
The creed defines the church as the "communion of saints." What is a saint? Answer Yes or No:
1. ___ A saint is a morally perfect person.
2. ___ A saint is one pronounced a saint by the church.
3. ___ A saint is a super-Christian now in heaven.
4. ___ A saint is a believer in Christ.
5. ___ A saint is a person justified by grace.
6. ___ A saint is a forgiven sinner.
What Is Your Answer?
1. Can one be a church member and not a Christian?
2. Can one be a Christian and not be a member of the church?
3. What does it take to become a member of a church?
4. How does one become a member of a church?
5. If repentance and faith are needed, can small children belong to the church?
Gifts Of The Spirit
The Spirit gives the church various gifts for her to do her work. Read 1 Corinthians 12 to find the answers to the following questions:
1. How many gifts are listed?
2. Does a Christian have all these gifts?
3. Which is the best gift?
4. Is any Christian without at least one gift?
5. What is the purpose of the gifts?
6. Must one speak in tongues to be a true Christian?
