Faithfulness Involves Loving the Church
Reprinted from The Spiritual Sword
David R. Pharr

“Love the brotherhood” (I Pet. 2:17).

None can doubt that it is right to love that which Christ loves.  Nor should we question the ideal of loving to the same degree.  Christ “loved the church, and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25).  His love for the church involved a life-giving commitment.  To say the least, our love for the church ought to involve a life-long commitment.  Such love is an essential ingredient of faithfulness.

In a remarkable analogy Paul compares the ideal husband-wife bond to the relationship of Christ to the church.  Woven into instructions on marriage are beautiful reminders of how much the Lord loves the church.  “He that loveth his wife loveth himself.  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord, the church” (Eph. 5:28-29, emp. added).  Then after reminding that in marriage the “two shall be one flesh,” he declares, “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:31-32, emp. added).  Christ and his church are one.  To love him is to love his church.

It ought to be obvious that as surely as the church is loved by Christ she is hated by the devil.  It must follow that the more love we have for the church, the more Christlike we are.  And the less we love, the more devilish we become.  When one’s love wanes it is more than simply a change of focus; he is on the downward slide to apostasy.

Hated by the World

We are long past any notion of this being a “Christian nation.”  Some are suggesting that we are now in a “post-Christian” phase, but public and private sentiment is increasingly anti-Christian.

Jesus told his disciples, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (Jn. 15:19).  Though there may be times when the church is “having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:47), enmity and persecution are more the norm (II Tim. 3:12).

The world ridicules our insistence on biblical morality.  Worldly churches do not love our stand for New Testament doctrine.  Most of society rejects belief in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Scriptures.  The media would lump us with those they call extremists of the “Christian right.”  That we denounce homosexuality, that we make no allowance for other religions, that we find no hope for those who are out of Christ--these and any other strict adherence to Bible teaching are considered uncharitable and un-American.  The pervasive hatred of the world can undermine faith.  On the other hand, it is ought to impress us with the importance of personal love and loyalty to the cause of Christ.   “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Rom. 12:9).

Alienation from Within

It does not encourage love for the church when some of our own capable speakers use their talents to disparage the church.   Our human foibles are sometimes humorous and we can enjoy a good laugh at our own expense.  However, it is disappointing to hear preachers making light even of fundamentals of the faith.  We hear reports and have heard recordings of speeches in youth rallies and youth ministers’ conferences which joked and quipped about essential elements of our faith and practice.  Jokes and satire that make light of baptism, scriptural music, the one church, insistence on book, chapter and verse, etc. do not encourage love for the church.  We fear that in some cases our youth are being led more to disdain than to affection.

Paul said, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy” (II Cor. 11:2).  We ought to feel godly resentment when the church is attacked either from without or within.  A loving and faithful husband will not countenance aspersions against his wife.  Neither are loving and faithful Christians willing to accept ridicule toward the church, nor will they laugh at denigrating humor aimed at cherished doctrines, nor will they compromise with those who attack the body of Christ.

Struggles Strengthen

Having been converted out of Methodism, I have special appreciation for the church of Christ, which showed me the way of truth.  All who once were in error should feel a grateful and indebted passion for the fellowship that has held to and held up the Bible way.  The church of Christ is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Tim. 3:15).  Our generation owes much to those before us who struggled out of denominationalism and sometimes endured persecution for the sake of Christ.  When they found the right way they embraced it and commended it to others.  We cannot doubt the love the pioneers had for the church.  They met in brush arbors, in log houses,  in borrowed buildings.  Many knew nothing of comfortable facilities.  Instead they knew the scorn of their neighbors and the contempt of denominations.  But they loved the church, and as today we enjoy the fruits of their efforts let us no less love the brotherhood for which they were willing to give so much.

There is a human tendency to have less appreciation for that which costs little.  Some have suggested that a severe persecution against the church might awaken zeal.  Regardless, it is certain that comfort can be a temptation to indifference (Amos 6:1-6) and that prosperity can be a cradle for lukewarmness (Rev. 3:14-22).  As we enjoy what seems a degree of progress for the church, and as we enjoy the comfort and security of well established congregations, let us not forget the service and sacrifice of others.

Lovely Features

To love the church is to love those features which make her distinctive.  Though mocked by modernists, we love her for standing for the Bible.  Denominations ridicule the necessity of biblical baptism, but we love the church of Christ for insisting on it.  While many, including some digressives among us, see no authority in the New Testament pattern, we love her emphasis on restoration.  It may seem incongruous in a pluralistic society, but we love her conviction that there is one true church. We love the simplicity of worshiping “in spirit and truth.”  We love singing without instruments because we know it is according to Scripture.  We love the name “Christian” and that we can call Bible things by Bible names.  We love the preaching of sound doctrine.  In spite of occasional dismay over uncharitable controversy, we love the fact that the church is ready to challenge every questionable idea or practice.

Timothy Dwight instilled these sentiments:

I love thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode;
The church our blest Redeemer saved,
With His own precious blood.
. . . .
I prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

Love One Another

It is one thing to love the church as an abstract idea.  It is quite another to love the people who are the church.  Loving the doctrinal concepts is meaningless unless there is genuine love for the brethren.  It is vain to speak of loving God, or any of the things of God, if we do not love one another (I Jn. 4:20).  Preaching to identify the New Testament church will fall short if the badge of brotherly love is not evident.  “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (Jn. 13:35).   Those who serve Christ must wear his colors.  This goes beyond mere affirmations.  “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” ( I Jn. 3:18).  Sound doctrine without sound hearts makes only an empty sound (I Cor. 13:1-3).

Loving the church—loving our brothers and sisters—encourages faithfulness because of the influence we have on others.  This was Paul’s approach to the problem of idol meats.  One who loves his brothers would do nothing which might cause them “to offend,” which means to sin in going against their own conscience.  “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (I Cor. 8:13).  The principle is that love will seek the spiritual welfare of others.

Such determined concern might seem extreme.  Yet John said “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (I Jn. 3:16).  John Gipson told of an African missionary who gave this explanation of what he saw different between the church in Africa and the church in the United States: “In Africa there are many Christians who would die for me.”[i]  In reality we assume we may not face such a challenge, but John expands the point: “Whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him” (I Jn. 3:17)?  Paul’s application in I Corinthians 8 was to spiritual needs.  If our brother is one “for whom Christ died” (I Cor. 8:11), what should be our own feelings toward him?

An often heard excuse of those who forsake the church is that the church is not as loving as it ought to be.  There is sometimes a sort of spiritual smugness that suggests having found superior love apart from the Lord’s body.  But is it love that influences others to abandon the truth?  How much charity is there in an example that says following the Scriptures is not important?  “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (I Jn. 3:18).  There are many reasons for being faithful.  Loving one another is one of the main ones.

Certainly Jesus knew even before purchasing the church (Acts 20:28) that its members would have numerous shortcomings.  Though there is always a need to “rebuke and chasten” his love is not diminished (Rev. 3:19).  That unlovely things can be found among us does not justify our being unlovely.  Peter emphasized the priority of love in handling the faults found in ourselves and others.  “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins” (I Pet. 4:8).

Cultivating Love

Love is not a mere accident of personality, it is a divine commandment.  The Bible commands love too frequently for us to assume that loving is not a choice we make.  We can choose either to love the Lord or not to love him.  Likewise, we may choose whether we love the church.  Of course the love commanded is not a mere emotion or a giddy sentimentality.  It is commitment to the church’s welfare.  One who truly loves the church will defend it (when it is right), will sacrifice for its good, and certainly will be a faithful member.

Endnote:
[i] “Love for God Requires Love for the Brethren,” FHU 1988 Lectures, p.100.

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