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I AM A BAPTIST, BUT I AM ALSO
CHURCH OF GOD |
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At the age of 12, I became a member of a Baptist Church. At the age of 16, I became a member of the Church of God. I am a member of a Church and a member of the Church. As a member of a Church I have an earthly affiliation. As a member of the Church I have a heavenly association. By denomination I am a Baptist. By salvation I am Church of God. When it comes to ones denomination, many are like the Baptist woman that was a patient at a Catholic Hospital. The priest came in to see her. She immediately told him she was a Baptist. He said that was fine but gave her a little cross to rub if she felt any pain. She laid the cross to the side and thought, "Not me, I'm a Baptist." In the middle of the night she had a sharp pain. She looked at that cross and then thought, "No, I am a Baptist." Then she had a sharper pain. She grabbed the cross and started rubbing it. Looking up toward heaven she prayed, "Lord, don't let this little cross fool You, I'm still a Baptist."
I am a Baptist by choice. I am Church of God by conversion. As a Baptist I belong to an organization. As Church of God I belong to an organism. I joined the Baptist Church but I was born into the Church of God. Now what am I saying? In Paul's introduction to 1 Corinthians, Paul declares that all saved people are in the "Church of God." The letter begins in the customary way. The Author is IDENTIFIED. "Paul" (Vs.1). The Readers are INDICATED. "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth" (Vs.2). The Blessing is IMPARTED. "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." (Vs.3).
When Paul speaks of the "Church of God" he is not referring to a denomination. He is referring to the Church that is composed of every believer. The word "Church" means "called out ones." The word was used to speak of an assembly. That assembly could either be a social, civic, or a political assembly. When used in reference to Christians a modifier is always used. It is the CHURCH OF GOD. It is an assembly that is unique from all others. It is the assembly of God. God is the LORD-LIFE-LIGHT of this assembly.
Every member of a Church may not be a member of the Church. You can be a church member and not be saved. I will add that every member of the Church should be a member of a Church. If you are saved you should be identified and involved in a Church. Now lets look at the "CHURCH OF GOD" and consider 3 great truths.
First:
1. THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
In verse 2, Paul speaks of the members of the Church as being "in Christ". Paul uses this phrase 146 times in his letters. Only those who are in Christ are members of the Church of God. Now notice a couple of things he says about the members of the Church.
First, he describes:
(A) OUR CONSECRATION IN CHRIST
In verse 2, he says that the members of the Church are "sanctified in Christ." The word "sanctified" is a verb that speaks of a setting apart for God, to make holy by the offering of a sacrifice upon it. As members of the Church of God, we have been consecrated to God by the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. We belong to God because of the sacrificial work of Christ. We were RECEIVED BY A CONGREGATION into a Church. We are accepted by the vote of a congregation. We were REDEEMED BY CHRIST in the Church. We are accepted by the death of the Lord Jesus and our faith in Him.
The tense of the word speaks of a past act with consequences that continue in the present. The moment I put my faith in Christ, He set me apart as His own. The consequences of that act are still being felt in my life. At the moment of my salvation the Lord Jesus set me apart as His child. He has continued to do a work in me setting me apart as His child. He is constantly working in me to make me more like Him and a witness to the fact that I belong to Him.
Secondly, he describes:
(B) OUR DESIGNATION IN CHRIST
We are also "called to be saints," (Vs.2). Everybody has a name. In my case I was named after my uncle. As a member of the Church of God I was named after my heavenly Father. It is literally "called saints." This is our official designation. Our official name as a believer is a saint. In verse 1, Paul calls himself an Apostle. That would be his official designation in God's work. As believers our God given name is "saints." As believers we are mostly called Christians, but our God-given name is saint. I guess you could call me Saint Ken.
The word is closely akin to the word "sanctified." It speaks of a thing or person that is devoted to the possession and service of God. Since we belong to God, what better name could be given to us. We belong to God and thus should be devoted to God. I may not be a member of the New Orleans Saints, but I am a member of the New Life Saints.
Thirdly, he describes:
C. OUR ASSOCIATION IN CHRIST
Paul speaks of "all who call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord," (Vs.2). Paul speaks of all who are saved and all who have a relationship with Jesus Christ and call Him Lord. He speaks of a family of saints. All who have called upon the name of Jesus and all who have confessed Him as Lord are part of this family. It is a family with whom all believers are associated. There are members of His Church in every RACE and in every PLACE. There are many CONGREGATIONS but one CHURCH.
Secondly, notice:
2. THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
The Church of God is not only "in Christ" but also "at Corinth" (Vs.2). The Church of God has two addresses. It has a geographical address and a spiritual address. The Church of God is not of the world but is in the world. "In Christ" relates to our spiritual position. "At Corinth" relates to our spiritual purpose. When you consider the Church and its place in the world, we are reminded of ministry of the Church. The Lord's Church is expressed in a local Church that exists in its locality to be involved in ministry to that locality.
First, think of:
A. THE WITNESS OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
Consider Corinth geographically. Corinth has been called "The Vanity Fair of the Ancient World," "The Bridge of Greece," "The Lounge of Greece." The north and south traffic of Greece had no alternative to pass through Corinth. The east and west trade of the Mediterranean world chose to pass through Corinth. You might say the whole world passed through Corinth. It was a very popular city and a very populous city, (500,000).
In this cosmopolitan, God had a witness. There God had His church and a church. God had not only raised up a church in Corinth but He also placed them there to be His light and witness. The ministry of the Church, thus each Church, is to be a witness to the city and community God has placed them in.
Every Church must realize this purpose. They must develop a strategy for fulfilling this purpose and make a commitment to this task. The church is not just an assembly. It is an activity. A church not only gathers on the Lord's Day, but is an everyday witness in the area God has placed them.
There is also:
B. THE WALK OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
I think of the moral conditions at Corinth. The morals of Corinth were so low that the phrase "to Corthininize," was coined which spoke of a reprehensible form of behavior marked by lust and debauchery. The Corinthians became so known for their immoral lifestyles that whenever a Corinthian was shown on stage in a Greek play he was shown as a drunk. Corinth was sometimes called the city of Aphrodite, because the great temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, stood on the hill of Acropolis. To this temple were attached 1,000 priestesses who were sacred prostitutes and each night they descended from Acropolis and plied their trade on the streets.
In was in such a city and society that God had his people. As saints they represented a different people. As God's people they were a light to shine in the world and they had a life to show to the world [Cp. II Cor.4:3-4, II Cor.6:17]. The believer by his walk is to draw people to Christ, not drive them from Christ. But as we all know, that is not always the case. There are many people going to hell because of people going to heaven. They profess to be saints but their practice is far from being a saint. As saints we are to be a witness to those around us. Our walk is indispensable to being an effective witness.
Thirdly, notice:
3. THE MASTER OF THE CHURCH OF GOD
Paul speaks of "Jesus Christ Our Lord." In the first ten verses, the name of Jesus Christ occurs no fewer than 10 times. The master of the Church of God is not the pastor, deacons, committees, or even the members. Jesus is the REDEEMER of the Church and the RULER of the Church.
Understanding this we see:
A. CHRIST IS TO BE PREEMINENT IN HIS CHURCH
His word is the authority of the Church. His will is the activity of the Church. He is to have more than a place in the Church. He is to have more than prominence in the Church. He is to have the preeminence! He is not a MEMBER. He is the MASTER! Our message is to be Jesus. Our ministry is to be Jesus. Our motive is to be Jesus.
We as members have a role in the Church. Jesus has the rule of the Church. He is to be PRESENT in the services of the church. He is to be PROCLAIMED in the Pulpit. He is to be the PRIORITY of every deacons meeting. He is to be the POINT of every Sunday School lesson. He is to be the POWER of every act of service. The Church is about Jesus!
Furthermore:
B. HE IS TO BE PRAISED IN HIS CHURCH
Notice again the phrase "call upon His name," in verse 2. It is a phrase that speaks of worship. Jesus is not only to be pre-eminent in His Church but is to receive praise from His Church. When we gather, He is to be worshipped. During the week our lives are to bring Him praise and during our gatherings, our lips are to give Him praise.
I AM A BAPTIST, BUT I AM GLAD I AM CHURCH OF GOD! |
