-
Love for the Church
Roy H. LANIER
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27.)
Jesus is our perfect example in all Christian activities. So he is our example in the matter of loving the church. Paul says Jesus loved the church enough to give himself up in death for it.
This reminds us of the love of God for the world. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." (John 3:16.) Genuine love will manifest itself to its object. God loved the world, and showed the world that love by giving his Son to die. Jesus loved the church, and showed that love by giving himself up in death for it. Love is like smallpox it breaks out. When a boy and girl fa l in love, nearly everyone in the community knows it as soon as they do. Their attention to one another, the gleam in their eyes, and a dozen other indications tell observing people about them of their love for each other. So the love of God could not remain hidden; the love of Jesus for his church cannot go unmanifested. And our love for the Lord and his church will show itself; there is no way of hiding it if it is the vital force in our lives it must be in order for us to be saved. Paul's measurement of the love of Christ for the church is the fact that he gave himself up for it. This refers especially to his death on the cross, but we may view his self-giving as beginning with his condescension. He left the glory world, where he existed in the form of God and was on equality with God (Phil. 2:6-8); he who was rich became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich (2 Cor. 8:9).
All this he had to do before he could die for the church, so it may be viewed as a part of his self- giving that manifested his love for the church. (Heb. 2:14-18.) How great was that condescension and how much he sacrificed for us we can never know. Someone has said that if the highest archangel in glory should condescend to become one with the lowest worm that crawls in the filth of the earth, his condescension would not begin to compare with that of Christ in leaving the glory that was his to become a human being and to die the shameful death on the cross.
The life of sorrow and suffering he lived helps us to measure his love for the church. The death that he died is the crowning manifestation of his love. Follow him, if you wish to measure his love, from the upper room through Gethsemane, where Judas planted a traitor's kiss upon his cheek, to the mock trial before the Jews, to the halls of Pilate and Herod, where he was condemned, and then to the place where he was whipped by cruel Roman soldiers, and finally you may follow him as he falls beneath the heavy load of his cross, but is compelled to make his way to the frowning heights of Golgotha, where he is cruelly nailed to the cross and left to die of suffering. His disciple deserted him, a few friends stood afar off, but could give no comfort.
Bearing our sins in his body upon the tree, he was made to be sin in our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21), so the holy Father withdrew and left him to tread the wine press of the wrath of God alone, and he cried in agony: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46.) The physical suffering of the hour was perhaps much less than the mental agony of being treated as a sinner.
In this way he gave himself up for the church that he might sanctify, redeem, cleanse, and glorify it. This is the greatest sacrifice men know anything about; it is the measure of the greatest love ever shown to man. It shows us how much Jesus loves the church. Without such a demonstration we could never have known how great was his love for the church.
How much do we love the church? Do we love the church enough to give ourselves in humble service to it? It is not enough to say that we love the church. Jesus did not shout from glory his love for the church and then stay there to leave us to die in our sins. But we often sing, "We love thy kingdom, Lord," and, "If ever I loved thee, Lord Jesus, 'tis now"; but we rarely ever make enough sacrifice to prove our love. We need to realize that the church is worthy of our greatest love, and that there is no way of proving our love but to render service to the church. Too many people think the church exists solely for their good. to serve them; they never see the other side of the proposition and realize that the church affords them an opportunity to serve and sacrifice for the Lord. They never demonstrate their love for the church. How can we show our love for the church? First, we show our love for the church by attending the services regularly and faithfully.
Those who allow social clubs, civic clubs, and fraternal orders to claim their attention and devotion in preference to the church show that they love the church less than these human institutions. Women who have time for social clubs, but who never have time to attend a ladies Bible class or to visit the sick and sew for the needy, do not love the church as they should. Men who attend lodge meetings regularly, but do not have time to go to prayer meetings, do not love the church. People who prefer to stay in bed late Sunday morning rather than go to Bible study do not love the church as they should. Those who go to a picture show or a ball game Sunday night in preference to going to church do not love the church.
Next, if we love the church, we will accept definite and continuous responsibilities in the church. It is difficult to get people to accept responsibilities. Some would rather see the church dwindle and die of inactivity than to accept the responsibility of taking charge of the services. If it were left to some, the church program in its entirety would consist of one sermon (provided someone else would do the preaching) and the Lord's Supper each week. Such people do not love the church. The one-talent man was not condemned because he was a murderer, liar, or adulterer; he was condemned because he refused to accept responsibility. More church members will be lost in judgment because of their lack of faithful performance of duty than will be lost on account of immorality. Some refuse to accept responsibility because they think they are not qualified to do such work, yet they refuse to study to prepare themselves for such work. Such a lack of interest proves a lack of love for the church.
Last, if we love the church, we will refrain from doing things which bring reproach upon the church; we will live in such way as will honor and glorify the church in the sight of God and men. Some people think there is no harm in dancing, so they feel they have the liberty to do so.
Suppose, for sake of argument, there is no harm in the act to a certain person. All must admit that the pious people of the community will have little respect for that person's religious sincerity; his influence with the pious people will be ruined, and the good name of the church will suffer as a result of his dancing. As long as this is true, all who love the church will refrain from dancing because it affects the church in this way. Others think they have the right to drink liquor so long as they do not get drunk. Suppose, for the sake of argument, that there is no harm to come from it; that the act within itself is not sinful.