Christian Unity
Four Reasons I Love the Church Unapologetically
The Bible isn’t shy about showing the warts of its heroes. But the church receives praise that's second only to Jesus himself.

I love the church.

For a lot of years, “I love Jesus, but not the church” or “the church may stink, but it's the only thing afloat” have been cool things for a lot of Christians to say.

I used to be one of those people. Not anymore.

I love the church. No apologies. No qualifiers.

A few years ago, Dan Kimball wrote a terrific book entitled They Like Jesus, But Not the Church. The attitude in that title is completely appropriate for unchurched people. But not us.

'They Like Jesus, But Not the Church' makes sense. 'We like Jesus, but not the church' is sad and kind of sick. After all, the church IS US!

If I don’t like something about the church, I have a responsibility to change it because IT is US and US includes ME!

The Church Kid

If anyone ever had good reasons to love the church it’s me. I’m a third-generation pastor. My grandparents and parents met because of the church. I was born while my dad was preaching. (The doctor miscalculated and I came early.)

Some of my best memories of growing up were in and around church activities. I met my wife in church, married her in a church, and had my kids and grandchild dedicated in a church.

Yet all of that pales to the four main reasons I love the church.

1. Jesus Loves the Church

If you do a Bible study on religion, you’ll find a lot of bad news mixed in with the good. But if you do a Bible study on the church it’s almost entirely good news.

Religion regularly gets a bad rap in the Bible, but the church doesn’t.

Religion regularly gets a bad rap in the Bible, but the church doesn’t.

Even when people in specific churches are a mess (hello Corinth!), when you study all the Bible verses with “church” in them, it adds up to a glowing review.

The church verses show us people who send missionaries, care for travelers, share everything they have, encourage the hurting, care for the poor, teach God’s Word, support the weak and pray for each other.

The only real negatives I can find are in Revelation 2 and 3. The rest of the New Testament church verses are practically a Valentine’s card to God’s people.

This is especially surprising since the Bible isn’t shy about showing the warts of its heroes. But the church comes through, not only almost unscathed, but with praise reserved for no one else but Jesus himself. Especially in the ‘bride of Christ’ passages.

To be clear about this, the New Testament writers never shied away from criticizing members of the church when they needed correction. We’d barely have a New Testament without that. But Paul, John and the others make a very real distinction. Even when they offer scathing criticism to individual believers, church leaders and local congregations, they are effusive in their expressions of love for the body of Christ.

2. The Church Loves Christ

I’ve learned to be a grateful member of my local church, because when the church really loves Jesus there’s no place on earth like it.

I have been hurt by people in churches. But I was also healed by Jesus through people in churches.

When a local church is in love with Jesus, it shows up in the most amazing, transformative actions. A church that really loves Jesus is one that will love each other and their community in deep, sacrificial ways.

It’s a beautiful thing to see a loving church in action.

3. Through the Church, I Came to Love Jesus – And Know that He Loves Me

It’s easy to forget this sometimes.

Even if the church never did anything else for me, she brought me to Jesus. For that, I will love her forever.

Even if the church never did anything else for me, she brought me to Jesus. For that, I will love her forever.

I have been saved out of hell and into heaven. And Jesus used the church – the fellowship and testimony of others who know and love Jesus – to accomplish that purpose.

No, the church didn't save me. Only Christ does that. But Christ has chosen to use the church (the people, not an institution) as his primary means to bring people to salvation.

4. The Power of the Church

Years ago, Gandhi famously criticized Christians by saying, “You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, turn the world upside-down, and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as nothing more than a piece of good literature.”

He was right.

I think we under-value the church in the same way we under-value the Bible. The church of Jesus has extraordinary, literally miraculous power, but we often treat the awesomeness of the church like a job, a duty, or an embarrassment. Then we wonder where the power and joy disappeared to.

Never again. Not for me, anyway.

From now on I plan to see the church how God sees her, starting with this verse: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known. (Ephesians 3:10)

Through the church. Through you and me. By the presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through us, God has chosen to make his wisdom known to the world.

Serving the church – and serving Jesus through her – is the greatest honor I will ever know.

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The views of the blogger do not necessarily reflect those of Christianity Today.

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