Today we want to look into a third characteristic of a church that loves our triune God wholeheartedly:
c.) To love God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ wholeheartedly as a church means to pursue Christlike holiness in preparation for Jesus’ return in glory.
c-1.) First we want to look at God’s view on Christ’s church:
• The church as the salt of the earth
In Matthew 5:13 Jesus says to his followers: "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavour? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless."
In Jesus’ days salt was used to preserve and season food. So, in Jesus’ eyes the church [i.e., the community of Jesus’ disciples] is the agent which should uphold God’s standards in our godless society.
• The church as the light of the world
In Matthew 5:14 Jesus continues to affirm to his disciples: “You are the light of the world-- like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see.” and He charges them: “Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
(Matthew 5:15-16)
Here Jesus commands His church to set forth Christlike love and compassion in any uncaring, merciless and inhumane situation.
The apostle Paul certainly refers to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 when he encourages the church in Ephesus: “Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth).” (Ephesians 5:8a-9)
Also, the apostle Peter refers to the church as a beacon of God’s light and love in the midst of an often cruel and corrupt society: “...you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
• The church as a community on pilgrimage in this world
The apostle Peter describes the church as a ‘community on pilgrimage’ to God’s promised future. Therefore, it should live by God’s standards and distance itself from the wickedness of its sinful surroundings: “Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls.” (1 Peter 2:11)
Earlier in chapter 1 Peter speaks already about the church as a community on pilgrimage: “And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth.” (1 Peter 1:17)
The apostle Paul reminds the church in Philippi of the reason for their earthly pilgrimage: “... that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior...” (Philippians 3:18b-20)
• The church as a pure, blameless and holy community
As the church is a sojourning community, on the way to God’s promised future (Christ’s return and God’s new creation), the apostles encourage the local churches to prepare themselves for these future happenings. The message of the apostles is surely based on Jesus’ prayer on the evening before He died.
That evening He prayed that His heavenly Father would transform His present and future disciples into pure and holy people, shaped by the truth of God’s Word: “Make them pure and holy by teaching them your words of truth.” (John 17:17)
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth about the divine vision on which all his church planting is based: “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. For I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:2)
Speaking about Jesus’ intentions to purify the universal and local church from the filth of selfishness and sinfulness, Paul writes to the Ephesian church: “..... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word [the Bible], and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
The apostle Paul writes to the church in Philippi: “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ [i.e., when He returns].” (Philippians 1:9-10)
Furthermore, Paul emboldens the church in Philippi to develop a Christlike lifestyle: “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life...” (Philippians 2:14-16a)
The apostle Peter urges the churches to do the same: “Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God -- who chose you to be his children -- is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)
In his second letter the apostle Peter continues to encourage the churches to train themselves in living Christlike lives: “In keeping with his [God’s] promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:13-14)
Also, the apostle John writes to the churches about the importance of maintaining Christlike purity in preparation for Christ’s return: “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children.
Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure." (1 John 3:1-3)
• The church as a Spirit-guided community
The worldwide and the local church need the transforming work of God’s Spirit to be conscious of their identity as ‘the salt of the earth’, as ‘the light of the world’, and as 'a community on pilgrimage’, anticipating God’s messianic future. Without the work of God’s Spirit, the church would not grow in Christlike purity and holiness.
The apostle Paul speaks to the church in Roman about their need to be governed by God’s Spirit: “...but you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)” (Romans 8:9)
In his second letter to the church in Corinth Paul writes about the transforming work of God’s Spirit in the Christian community: “...as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him [Jesus Christ] and reflect his glory even more.”
(2 Corinthians 3:18)
To the Christians in Galatia (part of modern Turkey) Paul explains: “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Paul encourages the churches in Galatia to commit themselves to the guidance of God’s Spirit: “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.”(Galatians 5:25) That is actually a picture of Jesus’ character!
Paul continues to pray for the church in Ephesus that God’s Spirit may work strongly in them so that they may know and love God even more: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (Ephesians 1:17)
In his first letter, the apostle Peter explains that it is God’s Spirit who makes the local church holy (i.e. Christlike in love and purity): “God the Father chose you long ago, and the Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Jesus Christ and are cleansed by his blood.” (1 Peter 1:2)
Summarising all these quotations, we see that God’s view on Christ’s church is accomplished by His Spirit, who wants to transform every true local church into a Christlike, pure, blameless and holy community. As such the local church grows into being ‘the salt of the earth’, as ‘the light of the world’ and as 'a community on pilgrimage’, anticipating God’s messianic future.
The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews urges us individually and as a church, to pursue Christlike holiness. That's the way to express our wholehearted love for God the Father and for His Son Jesus Christ: "Pursue ..... holiness, without which no one will see the Lord..." (Hebrews 12:14)
That raises the question: have local churches in New Testament times lived lives according to God’s view on Christ’s church?
That will be the theme of next week’s meditation.
Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 5:8a-9, Ephesians 5:25-27, Philippians 1:9-10, Philippians 2:14-16a and 2 Peter 3:13-14 are quotes from the New International Version. Hebrews 12:14 is a quote from the New King James. All other texts are quoted from the New Living Translation.
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