Greetings all,
This is my first post on this site. It is good to see people interested in matters of truth concerning religion. Concerning the Church of today , God's word (the Bible) teaches us that it is the bride of Christ. Consider the following;
"Wherefore , my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God" (Rom. 7:4). Also "For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ" (2 Cor. 11:2).
In these passages the bride evidently means the church. That the bride will remain till the Bridegroom comes there can be no reasonable doubt; that she has ever waited his coming is equally certain. She has been in great distress, being driven into the wilderness and deprived of much of her glory, but she has ever looked for the coming of her espoused. In what condition the Bridegroom will find her is a question about which there has been much speculation. Unless we believe that the Bridegroom, when he comes, will find his bride in dishonor - living in fornication with the world - we may not measure the church by human standards. That the bride will be found wearing the name of the Bridegroom and living in chastity when he comes to claim her, there is not room for reasonable doubt. The world may be deeply defiled by crime, but the church will be arrayed in her robes of righteousness. Hence, while the church may have its impurities, as everything composed of humanity has, it must at least be uncontaminated to the extent of fidelity to Christ. This may cut off much of what the world calls the church, but not what God regards as the church.
This has ever been the case since the apostasy, and will doubtless so continue to the end. In the days of the Apostles, God had a people in Babylon, but while they were in Babylon they were not of Babylon. Hence the Lord says: "Come forth ,my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues" (Rev. 18:4). God doubtless has a people in Babylon now; but they and Babylon are two distinct things. God's church is not composed of the Babel of sectarianism. Just who God's people are who may now be in Babylon it is not my purpose to determine. God has revealed to us the things that pertain to his church - the faith, the practice, and the promises - and with these it is my purpose to deal. Here , all is faith and assurance; beyond this , all is opinion and fruitless speculation. Concerning those in Babylon we have but one living direction. "Come forth, my people , out of her." To this we should give faithful heed. For to console people in the Babylon of sectarianism, and to reconcile them to their bondage, we have no divine right; but to deliver them from it is a divine obligation. Therefore God's church is an institution separate and distinct from the Babel of denominationalism.
In determining, then, what the church should be , it will be necessary to ascertain the characteristics of the apostolic church. If the church of the present day be essentially different from the apostolic as a matter of preference, it can not be the church of which God is the author. Hence it can not be a divine institution, neither can it be the virgin bride of Christ. It follows, therefore, that the church must possess the following characteristics;
(1). It must be a Divine Institution
(2) It must be governed wholly by Divine Authority.
(3) It should have only the names it had at the beginning.
(4) It must have the Form of Government given to the Church in the beginning.
(5) It has the Unity of the Church of the New Testament.
Perhaps we can discuss these matters further and more in depth. I appreciate your interest and patiences. I am looking forward to your input.
Peace in Christ
Robert
