By J.H. Garrison
THERE is a general complaint, both in the Old World and in the New, of a lack of interest in the church, indicated in many instances by an actual decrease in membership, while in many other cases the growth is very slow. There is a cause for this, as for everything, and I believe a potent cause for this evil is the failure on the part of many Christian teachers to appreciate and emphasize the vital relation which exists between Christ and his Church. This is a subject that needs more emphasis.
In the first place, Christ is the Founder of his Church. "On this rock," he said to Peter, "I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." This does not mean merely that he would lay the foundation and begin the structure, but that the entire building would be under his supervision. His church is not yet completed. It is still in process of building. Every year witnesses new and living stones placed in its growing walls. He alone determines what material should go into this structure. He has never transferred this authority to any man or council of men. His will is the supreme law governing the matter of membership in his church. Any appeal, therefore, to creeds, or to ecclesiastical councils, tradition or custom, to settle the question as to terms of church membership, is vain. What does the Lord himself say, either directly, or by the mouth or pen of his ministers plenipotentiary? That is the only legitimate appeal. The recognition of this fact will be a long step toward the desired unity for which Jesus himself prayed.
The Church is called "the body of Christ," Christ himself being its Living Head. As the head governs the body, so Christ himself governs his Church. On no other ground could he give the assurance in the statement above quoted, that "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." He is the Preserver, therefore, as well as the Founder of the Church. But he preserves it by keeping it under his authority; by remaining its Living Head, keeping in vital touch with all its living members. It is clear that if the members of the human body should get up an insurrection, and the foot should refuse to co-operate with the hand, or the hand with the foot, and both of these with the eyes, and the eyes with the ears, that the body would be in a bad way. But these members are not endowed with volition, but are governed by the head, and all the members cooperate one with another. The Church is a different kind of a body. Its members have volition and a certain amount of freedom. But both their volition and freedom are designed to be in subjection to the authority of Christ, who is the Head of the Church. Because this has not always been the case, there has been schism in the Body. There is no cure for the schism except in complete subjection to its Living Head which is Christ.
In view of this vital relationship between Christ and his Church, it is pertinent to ask, What is the difference in the process of becoming united with Christ and in becoming united with his Church? In the popular mind, there seems to be a great distinction. Men say: "I can be a Christian and live outside of the Church." Not if by "the church" is meant the Church which Christ founded, and of which he is the Foundation, the Head and the Life.
The process of becoming a Christian is the process of becoming united with Christ, and, therefore, of becoming a member of his body, which is his Church. The unhappy fact that his Church is divided, while it furnishes the occasion, does not furnish justification for anyone remaining outside of local churches that meet together for worship in the name of Christ, observe his ordinances, teach his doctrines with more or less fidelity, seek to live his life, and to carry out his will in the world.
If this fact were understood, such a phenomenon as a great revival, with several thousand reported conversions and only a hundred or so uniting with any of the churches, would be impossible. The fact is, many popular revivalists do not exalt the Church in this way, by showing that it is the Body through--which Christ must conquer the world and bring in his kingdom. A mere emotional conversion, that does not result in the confession of, and surrender to, Jesus Christ in his appointed way, and in active church membership, falls thus far short of New Testament conversion.
It is only when we come to this conception of the church as Christ's body that we can say, with Paul: "To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;" and "Unto him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus, unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen."
