#loveChurch | The Preacher's Pen

Why I Love the Church! Guest Post by Roy Knight

I love the Church of Christ because of the beauty and simplicity of the doctrine which comes directly from the Bible. To understand my love for the Church, one would have to understand my conversion.

I grew up a staunch Methodist. My mother raised me that way as did her mother. Anything I could do, I did. I was not a lukewarm Methodist. It was my intent in college to attend seminary and go to Liberia in West Africa to be a missionary. I had two other roommates in college. One was the son of a Baptist preacher and the other was from the Church of Christ. Baptist and Methodist were the dominant churches in the area and I knew nothing about the Church of Christ.

We were good friends except when we got on each other’s nerves. One thing we did regularly was to sit in the commons room and discuss religion. It is the intent of most men to win religious battles and I was no exception. The question that stumped me the most for my roommate from the Church of Christ was: “Where do you find that in the Bible”? For example, “Where do you find Christians partaking of the Lord’s Supper quarterly and on special days?” After all, the Bible says in Acts 20:7, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” When did the disciples break bread (have the Lord’s Supper)? On the first day of the week which was Sunday. Which Sunday? Every Sunday. So on the weekends when I came home I would wear a trail to my preacher’s house which was next door and we talked about this topic. “Well”, he would say, “That’s the way they did it back then in the Bible but as Methodist we have specific days to have it.” Check one for the Church of Christ for biblical accuracy. But I was determined to win the war.

Our next battle would be over titles like Reverend. Here we go again. “Where do you find that in the Bible?” he would ask. So there I went to my preacher for the answers. “Well”, he would say, “They didn’t use titles like we use them today. It’s a Methodist thing to help distinguish between the different roles.” “Humm”, I thought. “It’s not in the Bible but we use them today?” I found it interesting that not even the apostles were called Reverend. Check two for the Church of Christ for biblical accuracy. But still I was determined to win the war.

The next battle would be fought over special clothing and the clergy / laity system. Here we go again. “Where do you find that in the Bible?” I could not think of any place but surely my preacher would know. “No, it can’t be found in the Bible” he said. “All the special robes and the clergy / laity system kind of evolved over the centuries to what you see today.” So I’m thinking to myself, “All of this is not in the Bible but we are doing it today?” I’m starting to see a trend. The only thing I could reason is that the system developed that way to elevate some above the masses to make them feel special, superior or more holy than others. I remembered in Acts 10:25-26 where it says, “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” I think men and women like the lofty positions that the religions of today have made for them. Check three for the Church of Christ guy. But I was still determined to win or at least put a chink in his armor that would close his mouth.

Other battles were fought and months passed by but the biggest one was over the importance of baptism for one’s salvation. Finally, I thought. At least this was one point that we would agree upon. After all, I was baptized (sprinkled) when I was several months old. I even had the card from it and it said “Baptism” on the outside. Then came the question “Where do you find babies being baptized in the Bible.” This time I had an answer for him from the Bible. The Bible says in Acts 16:15, “And when she (Lydia) and her household were baptized…”. Besides, in the case of the Philippian jailer that “he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized” (Acts 16:33). See their “household” and their “family” were baptized. There must have been babies there. “How do you know?”, came the response. After all, one who comes to the Lord must come repenting of their sins (Luke 13:3, 5 and confessing (Romans 10:9). A baby can neither repent nor confess. Baptism is for those who are old enough to understand the commitment they are making to the Lord. That made sense.

Besides he said, “Baptism is always an immersion or burial (Romans 6:3-6) in water. It was never a sprinkling and the purpose of baptism was for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38; 22:16). This was a big one because it was not only a religious argument but it affected my very own salvation. So there I go back to my preacher with this wagon load of doctrine to sort out. This took time but most of the answers came back in silent or in snappy little jokes. Finally it got down to the point when I said, “I want to be baptized just like they were in the Bible, by immersion, and for the remission of my sins.”

So we agreed the following weekend when I came home we would go down to the river and he would baptize me. Next week came and so did the excuse that he could not do it that weekend but to come back the following weekend. This happened two more weekends. Seeing that I would not be deterred, he finally said, “Find someone else to do it. If people found out that I baptized (immersed) you for the remission of your sins, I could get in trouble.” I was floored and greatly disappointed. Why could he not do what the Bible clearly stated must be done for salvation, my salvation? It was then that I realized that the church in which I had devoted all of my young life to was not built on God’s word but upon human traditions.

I left there because it is so much easier and reassuring to follow God’s word, book, chapter and verse than it is to defend the traditions of men and cross my fingers and hope that God would save me. I love the Church of Christ because I can know that when I follow God’s word that I can be saved. 1 John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…” I pray that you are never content with man’s traditions but that you too will come to love the beauty and simplicity of God’s word that is found in the Church of Christ.

Roy Knight

Roy Knight is the minister for the St. George church of Christ located in St. George, South Carolina. Roy also has a weekly podcast entitled, “The Christian Gentleman” located at http://thechristiangentleman.podbean.com/

Personal Note: I appreciate Roy’s words and thoughts on his love for the church. Since meeting Roy for the first time, I have respect for his work and words. Roy has a great heart for the church and a great knowledge. His work in the coastal South Carolina area has been a benefit to the Kingdom and the churches in the area.

Why I Love the Church! By Jamie Davis (Guest Post)

Christians should never feel that they can overstate the importance of the body of Christ. They should never stop talking about it with fondness and love. Whether we refer to it as “The Church” or “The Kingdom,” this institution which was created by God through His only begotten son Jesus Christ, is one that I love. It is my prayer that not only I but all members of the body of Christ never forget its importance.

First, I love the Church because it provides a unified and definitive way to worship God with fellow believers.

In our ever changing world, the need to update, adjust and accommodate the masses has made its way into most groups who profess Christ. However, the Bible tells us of how we should worship God. As a body, we should be unified in Christ (Ephesians 4:4-6 & I Corinthians 1:10ff). Our worship, therefore, should also be done in unity and performed in a manner that is orderly, performed with a sincere heart before God, and done to magnify God.

In the nearly 2,000 years since the Church was established on this earth, the parameters for how we are to worship God have been in place and have not been altered. The holy scriptures tell us that we are:

to sing (Ephesians 5:19, Col 3:16),
to pray (I Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:14-15)
to study the scriptures: teaching and preaching (Acts 20:7, II Timothy 2:15)
to take up a collection for the saints (I Corinthians 16:1-2)
to remember the sacrifice of Christ through the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-28, I Corinthians 11:23-29)

Those components have been in place since the first century. These basic elements of worship allow for those in the body of Christ to worship and give praise to our heavenly Father in a cohesive, unified manner. Man, however, has allowed his desire and pleasure to usurp what God has permitted for approved and orderly worship; and in doing so has created divisiveness which I believe is the catalyst for the countless groups who profess Christ in our world today. Still, the scriptures tell us what acceptable worship is, and that worship is what is found within the Lord’s Church.

Secondly, I love the Church because it provides a refuge on earth for enduring worldly cares.

In Hebrews 10:24-25, the Hebrews author instructions the 1^st century Christians to encourage one another, not forsaking the assembling of themselves as was the custom of some. The author was aware of the worldly struggles that the brethren would endure. Not only did they have to worry about the struggles of temptation and sin but, the 1^st century Christians also struggled with the desire and peer pressure of returning to the old law.

Today’s world is no different. Though the struggles appear to be more intense, the sinfulness appears to be more outward, and the pull to return to our prior state pulls at our hearts and minds, the world, in general, has always provided its share of lures. These lures continually strive to pull us towards anything that is opposed to the Lord’s Church. Alone, all Christians are at risk of being pulled or lured back into the world and its destructive ways.

Within the Church, there is a refuge on earth. The body of believers, with their focus on its head Jesus Christ, is to be working constantly and to be aware of the weaknesses that abound within itself. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “And we urge you brother, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”. This command and admonition are to be done with the love of God at its heart (I John 4:7ff). Furthermore, we are to strive to be a unified body with our many parts (or members) serving the one body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-31).

Another reason for why I love the Church is that it provides a glimpse into who my fellow inhabitants of heaven might be.

Continuing with the previous point of being a place of refuge and encouragement on earth, as we are working to build up one another as well as preach to the lost in this life, we are doing so as a means of preparation for the life to come.

The conversion of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts, as well as the letters he would send throughout the world, is a testament to this very idea. Paul, as Saul, was well known and respected Jew. As a defender of his faith in the Jewish system, he not only strove to maintain order within the old law, he sought to put out the fire of the new testament faith that was emerging. Still, from Acts 9 and onward, we see where Christ made his appearance to Paul, the eventual teaching by Ananias to Paul of Christ’s commands, Paul’s conversion and ultimately the great work that was done for the sake of the Lord. Paul, through Christ Jesus, became the great evangelist who was the ultimate encourager among the Jews and the Gentiles to continue to follow the steps of Jesus.

Colossians 1:23 – If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Paul’s parting words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-8 speak precisely as to what our mission should be in the ministry of the Church as its ultimate destination and goal should be heaven. But, the last two verses in that passage should be how we view our relationship to the Church, its work and the desire to get to heaven. Speaking at the close of his life, Paul says to Timothy:

I Timothy 4:7-8 – I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Finally, I love the Church because it was bought and purchased in love by the blood of Christ.

Paul wrote in Colossians 1:13-14:

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”

Paul also wrote in Ephesians 1:7:

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”

The significance of this redemption and its relationship to the Church (the Kingdom of God) can not be overstated. Our faith as a body of believers and our salvation are tied together as one. The blood of Christ was shed as a sacrifice for our sins. This atonement for our sins sets us apart from the world. As we are set apart from the world and its sinfulness, we are added to the collective body of believers, that is the Lord’s Church. Furthermore, this sacrifice made by Jesus Christ was done so out of obedience and submission to the Father and out of love for all of mankind.

Jamie Davis and his family attend the Cawson Street Church of Christ in Hopewell, VA where Jamie works as the Youth Director. He is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University (B.S. Bible 1999).