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The visible church is central to all of God’s
redemptive purposes. As Paul the apostle says in Ephesians 3:21, “Unto
Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus world without end. Amen.”
This verse is a doxology and a most revealing verse regarding Paul’s
Christian life and ministry. His entire Christian life and ministry
revolved around visible churches. He did not dream of thinking of Christ
without thinking of the church. He understood that Christ came to build
the church (Matthew 16:18). He knew that Christ purchased the church with
His own blood (Acts 20:28) and that He loved the church and gave Himself
for it (Ephesians 5:25). The Apostle knew that Christ constantly nurtures
and cherishes the church (Ephesians 5:29) and that He ever lives to
intercede for the church (Hebrews 7:25). Paul comprehended, along with
John the beloved apostle, that Jesus is in the midst of His churches
(Revelation 1:11-13a & 20) and that He continually interacts with them
(Revelation 2:6,9,16,& 24; 3:2,8,&18-19).
Saving religion and the Christian life, as defined in the New Testament
Scriptures, demands the visible church. The ministry of the gospel and the
Word of God, as found in the church, produce saving faith. The church’s
preaching of the “whole counsel of God” produces gospel holiness,
sanctification, and growth in grace. As Dr. Wayne Mack says, “Attempts
to grow in Christ outside the church is like trying to swim without ever
getting into the pool.” The church and its God-ordained leaders serve as
a bulwark to guard believers from going astray and into apostasy. Godly
pastors and elders are there as counselors and friends when believers
enter hard times and difficulties. Being a member of a church will give
Christians the love and service of fellow members. Brothers and sisters in
Christ will be there to weep when you weep, rejoice when you rejoice, and
walk side-by-side with you in your Christian life. Paul knew to think
lightly of the church is to think lightly of Christ. How contrary to the
thinking of many Christians today.
In Ephesians 3:21 Paul teaches six important facts about the church. 1) In
all its doings, the church is to be God-centered (“unto Him”). 2) It
is purpose-centered (“be glory”). In other words, the church’s main
purpose is that it exists for God’s glory. The glory of God is central
to Himself and it is central to the church’s existence. Everything God
does is ultimately for His own glory, and everything the church does
should be for God’s glory. 3) The church is organization-centered (“in
the church”). In other words, the church is a visible, structured body
with a recognizable membership. 4) The church is to be Christ-centered
(“by Christ Jesus”). Christ is the full and final manifestation of
God. Therefore, the church is to feature every aspect of His person and it
is to focus on every aspect of His work. 5) The church is to be
generation-centered (“through all ages,” It is literally, from the
Greek, “through all generations”). The church is to minister and
declare God’s truth to each succeeding generation. The church must not
yield to the present generation and be manipulated by its whims and
fancies. Each generation must yield to the truth of God as proclaimed by
the church. The generations change, but God’s truth does not! Beware of
the person who says truth changes. 6) It is eternity-centered (“world
without end” literally “from the age to the ages”). God has put
eternity into the hearts of His people and the church lives out its life
with eternity’s values in view.
Out of the six facts about the church, perhaps the most important is that
of being God-centered, which is theology-centered. What is theology? It is
that which is thought, said, and believed concerning God given in human
terms by the Holy Bible itself as the divine revelation of God. Dr.
Millard J. Erickson defines systematic theology as “That discipline
which attempts to arrange the doctrinal content of Scripture in a coherent
fashion, express it in a contemporary form, and relate it to issues of
practical Christian concern.” (Concise Dictionary of Christian Theology,
p. 163)
Theology is paramount to the church. As A.W. Tozer astutely states, “We
being what we are and all things else being what they are, the most
important and profitable study any one of us can engage in is without
question the study of theology.” Is this true? Just how important is
theology to a local, visible church?
Without theology the church would cease being the church. The church is
not just a social entity like the Lion’s Club or the Rotary Club. It is
a body of baptized believers in Christ Jesus the Lord gathered around a
system of beliefs. If theology is removed, the church becomes just another
social organization sharing a commonality with all the others in the
world. Instead, the church is unique in that it is theology-centered, and
that is what makes it the church.
Without theology the church would have no stability. It would not be able
to weather the storms of its existence or the fair sunshine times of
blessing. Churches sometimes go through difficult periods, and when they
do so they often waver. Other times churches go through seasons of great
blessings and it becomes difficult to keep the right focus. Theology helps
to maintain stability.
Furthermore, without theology the church would have no sense of spiritual
direction. It would be like a traveler without a map, a ship without
charts and compass, a journey without a destination. What is a church to
do when confronted with certain issues? Respond to them? Know the way
ahead? Correct theology gives a church a true sense of direction.
Yet, we are living in a day where there is not only a neglect of theology,
but a disdain for it. Dr. Robert Godfrey, a noted church historian,
correctly observes “. . .many evangelicals have developed a bias against
theology and theological systems. They do not want theology; they want
‘the simple gospel.’ They believe that systems are artificial and are
forced on the Bible. The Bible is their only creed. But they themselves
end up with a system that is implicit, unexamined, and sometimes
ruthlessly imposed on Scripture.” (quoted in Christ the Lord, p. 120)
You often hear modern Christians say, “Don’t gimme doctrine and
theology, just gimme Jesus.”At the turn of the 20th century, every
university had a department of theology, and theology was called “the
Queen of Sciences.” A person was not considered thoroughly educated if
he had not studied theology. Today, universities have thrown overboard
departments of theology and in their place erected departments of
religion. The difference appears subtle and slight, but it is devastating.
To illustrate my point, let me give you an incident that occurred in the
life of a prominent Christian leader of our day — Dr. R.C. Sproul. He
was invited to speak at a prestigious Midwestern university. Before the
lecture, he was shown around the campus by the Dean. Upon entering the
faculty office building, he notice one office door that read “Department
of Religion.” That evening as he spoke to the faculty, he addressed the
matter:
“I reminded the faculty that there is a profound difference between the
study of theology and the study of religion. Historically the study of
religion has been subsumed under the headings of anthropology, sociology,
or even psychology. The academic investigation of religion has sought to
be grounded in a scientific-empirical method. The reason for this is quite
simple. Human activity is part of the phenomenal world. It is activity
that is visible, subject to empirical analysis. . .““To state it more
simply, the study of religion is chiefly the study of a certain kind of
human behavior, be it under the rubric of anthropology, sociology, or
psychology. The study of theology, on the other hand, is the study of God.
Religion is anthropocentric; theology is theocentric. The difference
between religion and theology is ultimately the difference between God and
man—hardly a small difference.”“Again, it is a difference of subject
matter. The subject matter of theology proper is God; the subject matter
of religion is man.” (Grace Unknown, p. 10, 11)
Every teaching about God in the Holy Scriptures is doctrine and theology.
Every belief about God is the same. (The same is also true about Christ.)
Theology speaks about the existence and being of God. Theology speaks of
God’s attributes and qualities. (Can you name 10 attributes of God,
besides Him being loving?) Theology speaks of His great, powerful, and
glorious works: creation, providence, redemption, preservation, and
consummation.
The church exists “unto Him” (God-centered; i.e. theology-centered).
It is not to be people-centered first, as in “The Church That Loves
People,” but God-centered, as in “The Church That Loves
God.”Theology is important to this church because it is important to
God. Dr. Robert Reymond asserts “Every Christian will be either
God-centered or man-centered.” Which are you? Therefore, do not think it
strange when you hear theology as the Word of God is proclaimed from this
pulpit. If a church is to be biblical, it must be theology-centered. Join
us as we mine the depths and riches of theology that are found in God’s
inerrant Word. See Romans 11:33-36. As one noted pastor often says,
“Ultimately, all things are disciplined by theology.” Amen.
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