Why the Church?

Ok...you know I love the Renewing Your Mind Book Club at MSBC...so we are now reading Donald S. Whitney's book, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health. What an INCREDIBLE book! In chapter six, Mr. Whitney asks "Do you delight in the Bride of Christ?" and I have to ask - do you? If you look throughout Scripture you will see examples of how we are to treasure one another - to adore the Bride that we are a part of! King David's words in Psalm 16:3 should reflect our hearts "As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight." (taken from Whitney's book). Whitney goes further to challenge us by asking, when was the last time we thought of the person teaching our children in Sunday School as a "majestic one"?

While we should hold each other in this high regard and love each other enough to hold each other accountable, it is the Church that is the Bride - it is the collective whole of Christians, working together to serve and glorify Him, educating and edifying each other in sound doctrine and wholly committed to faithful following - that is a Church. We cannot be a Church when there is no expectation of membership, accountability for the body or love for one another...that is not even a social club (even they require more than that). We must know the doctrine we stand firm on as a foundation, we must hold together in love and unfalteringly protect our unity and we must keep our eyes focused on the purpose set before us, to glorify Him in all that we do! When you are a believer and plugged into a Church like that, then you understand what it means to "Love the Bride!" I love Madison Street Baptist Church!