BEN F. VICK, JR.
The other day a lady told me that she was a Christian. I asked her where she went to church. She said she did not go to church, but she said what matters is Christ. She went on to tell me that she had been to many different churches. I said to her that Christ died for the church, and I invited her to visit us. Of course, her thinking is that the church is made up of all denominations.
Her thinking is not new. Over forty years ago, there was a cry even in the church, “We want the man, not the plan.” There are many people who want to uphold Christ but do not care about his church. However, it is not an either-or proposition. According to the New Testament, it is not Christ without the church, nor is it the church without Christ.
Christ is our Savior. The church does not save, but Christ saves the church. Paul said, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.” (Eph. 5:23.) The realm of salvation is in the church, but it is Christ who saves. Since Christ is the savior, and the church is the realm in which one is saved, then one cannot separate Christ from his church.
What one does for the church, he does for Christ. When Saul of Tarsus was on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians, Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” But Jesus was in heaven. How was Saul persecuting Christ? By persecuting his disciples. In the judgment scene depicted in Matthew 25:31-46, the righteous inquired, “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?” What was the King’s answer? “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt. 25:40.)
It is impossible to separate Christ from his church, which is revealed in the New Testament. No one can separate the builder from the building. The builder, Christ, will always be connected to the building, his church. Jesus said, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18.)
One cannot remove the foundation from its structure; otherwise, the structure will collapse. Paul wrote, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:11.)
The apostle Paul wrote, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22.) This passage teaches that Christ is the chief cornerstone. Remove the chief corner stone from a building, and the building will not stand. Again, one cannot separate Christ from his church. We, “the household of God,” are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone. Take away the chief cornerstone, and the building will not stand.
Christ is the head of the church. The Apostle to the Gentiles wrote of Christ, “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Col. 1:18.) Did you notice the definite article, “the”? “He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church….” There is only one head, Christ. There is only one body. One cannot sever Christ from his body.
Christ is King of his kingdom. The Holy Spirit through John wrote, “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37.) He was crowned when he ascended back into heaven. He began his reign on Pentecost (Acts 2:29-36). He will reign until the end when he delivers up the kingdom to his Father (1 Cor. 15:22-26.) To attempt to remove Christ from his church is an attempt to remove the King from his kingdom. Can one have a King without a kingdom? Therefore, such a thought of give me Christ, but not the church, attempts to remove Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Christ is the high priest over the house of God (Heb. 10:19-21). The house of God is his church (Heb. 3:6; 1 Tim. 3:15). Every Christian is a priest (1 Peter 2:5,9). But if Christ be abducted from his house, then the house of God has no one over it. Then every priest within the house of God has no high priest. If we have no high priest, then through whom can we approach our heavenly Father (1 Tim. 2:5)?
The church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:22-33). Every Christian was united to Christ in baptism. Paul wrote, “Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection;” (Rom. 6:3-5.) We were united with Christ in baptism. We, as Christians, are married to Christ (Romans 7:1-4). However, those who claim Christ but not the church have Christ divorced from his bride. How can one be a husband without a bride, a wife?
If the church is not essential, then why did Christ die for it? Why did he shed his blood for it? Why did he sacrifice himself for something, according to some, is not necessary? It is not Christ or the church, but it is Christ and the church.