“But If I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth” (I Timothy 3:15)
As I was trying to get a better grasp of what the Scripture means when it records the church of the living God as being “the pillar and ground of truth,” I came across this comprehensive little statement on the internet. The writer put it in these simple words, “The church plays a crucial role in preaching, preserving, and transmitting God’s truth to the world.” Good insight!!
This verse, found in 1 Timothy, made me ask some penetrating questions. I will only list a few chosen at random:
- Is the preacher all about Christ or is he all about himself?
- Does (his) church embody the biblical concept of a church, or is it just a comfortable religious social club holding regular meetings?
- Is the preaching confined to some favorite topic or passage(s), or is it a proclamation of the entire Word of God (including the Old Testament)?
- Does the church referred to meet to pray weekly (from the heart, and not some canned prayers from a book)?
- Does the Word proclaimed emphasize how to get to Heaven (by God’s grace alone and not by any good works), and how to avoid God’s future judgment of/for unbelief? Do its members share this truth with others?
- Is this place a gathering of Christ-worshipers, or is it a place where one goes through the motions of enacting worthless rituals?
- Is there more emphasis placed on the music rather than the teaching of God’s Word?
JUST ASKING! – – At times I will pass by a little poster on someone’s lawn that reads something like this, “We love our church.” I then begin to wonder which church the poster points to; or, more specifically, what kind of church is being advertised. Perhaps It should read or add, “We love Christ!”
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