6/26/13- Outside the Lines

47 “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
(Mt. 13:47-50)

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:(1 Cor. 1:2)

The Church is not Bound to its signs.   Nevertheless, by the signs of the true Church mentioned above we do not so narrowly restrict the Church as to teach that all those are outside the Church, or in whom some errors due to weakness are found; For we know that God has some friends in the world outside the commonwealth of Israel...We know moreover, what kind of churches the churches were in Galatia and Corinth were in the apostles' time, in which the apostle found fault with many serious offences; yet he calls them holy churches of Christ. (Second Helvetic Confession)

Thoughts: There are true churches in denominations that are straying or have strayed from the truth, and there are true believers in churches that are straying or have strayed.  There are also non-believers in churches whose doctrine is very scriptural.  In other words, the caveat to the signs of the church is that they are not exact, but give general ideas and principles.  Life is complex.  The visible church is not the same as the invisible.
    One of the problems is that we confuse discipline with division.  Never in the Bible was a church told to divide.  Many times it was told to discipline the immoral.  While we strive for a perfect church that will meet all the signs perfectly, we also recognize that we need grace- even grace to put up with each other.
    One of the sad days in the Presbyterian Church was when the Orthodox and the Bible Presbyterian churches pulled away from each other.  The original split (about 1938) from the PCUSA occurred over allowing liberals to be in control.  They split over differences in piety (like whether alcohol was allowed), and the way they viewed the end times.  But it became clear it was a personality difference.  The Bible Presbyterian Church went on to split three more times- each time looking for a pure church where everyone agreed.  Today the church numbers only 30 congregations.  The other balance, however, is seeing the PCUSA decline from a once great denomination that sought to be true to God to a denomination where almost anything goes except intolerance.  In a growing population the PCUSA has lost over a million members since its North-South merger in 1983.  There is a balance that has been missed.  Division is simply not biblical but is often done in the name of being biblical.  Paul condemns division (Eph. 4:3; 1 Corinthians 1).  Jesus prays that the church be one (John 17) and there are much more admonitions to love than to separate.  But there are also admonitions in scripture to discipline.  Grace and holiness are hard to balance.
     There is no perfect church.  Often I hear someone who was very happy and comfortable in their previous church refuse to go to church anywhere else.  They are looking for a "true church" and think it was only found in the last place they lived.  Every church has blind spots and weaknesses.  Every church is disobedient- and no church is perfect in doctrine and practice....yet.  Because of this, some either seek to form the perfect church by continually kicking out those it disagrees with or other simply give up altogether asking, "What's the point?"  While many times taking part in a church can be heart rending and hard, it is similar to taking part in a human family.  No family (or country) is perfect.  Yet, the best families have learned to be gracious and kind to each other, and gently guide those who are weak or straying away.  If it has to be "my way or the Highway" then we have lost Christian love.  Love is the reason we stay together and put up with each other.  When we leave love out as a reason for the church, then we have headed downhill quickly.
    The visible church's lines are not the same as God's lines.  We try to make them the same, but we must hold the truth in humility and love.
     

Prayer: Lord, keep me from thinking of myself as righteous.  Give me gracious hearts toward those who believe.