The scope of the church as it is revealed by the Savior is of primary concern to all men everywhere. The Christian is privileged to view the scope of the church as one of its members; while the sinner must view the church as one who has not availed himself of its privileges and blessings. This article is an earnest invitation to every unsaved person to become a child of God and a member of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. To every Christian it is an exhortation to reconsider the scope of the church that we may function more effectively as members of the body of Christ in helping to save the lost.
First, let us consider the supreme authority of the church as it is vested in Jesus Christ the divine head. Satan offered Jesus his authority over all the kingdoms of the world, if the Lord would fall down and worship him; but Christ refused, choosing rather to pay the price of the cross. After His resurrection he announced, “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.’’ There is none in heaven, on earth, or under the earth that is not subject to Him, except the Father, who subjected all things unto Him. The Bible recognizes no other limitation on the authority Jesus now possesses. In mercy Christ refrains from exercising His full sovereign power while waiting for sinners to repent, but there is a day coming- in which He will “destroy them that destroy the earth.” (Rev. 11:16-18.) We, as Christians, must honor the supreme authority of Jesus the head of the church, by sanctifying Christ as Lord in our hearts. Only when we have sanctified Christ in our own hearts and lives can we offer acceptable worship to God or render effective service in the church.
When we speak of the operation of the church, we must distinguish between where the church now operates and its potential field of operation. It is clearly evident from the New Testament scriptures that the present limited scope of the church’s activity is not in accordance with the will of its divine Head. These limitations are due rather to lack of faith on the part of Christians who do not fully appreciate the potential power of the gospel. Israel was allotted all the land of Canaan soon after the death of Moses, but much of it was not possessed by them until the days of David. After the death of Solomon, some of their territory was again lost to their enemies because of their own sin. This drama has been repeated many times in a spiritual way since the beginning of the church. The apostles began their work in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and quickly carried the gospel to the “uttermost parts of the earth,” (Acts 1:8; Col. 1:23); but succeeding generations of Christians soon lost the vision of world evangelization. The marvelous means of communication and transportation at the disposal of the church today places us under tremendous responsibility to the Lord to take immediate and effective measures to preach the gospel to the whole world.
Another indication of the broad scope of the church is its cosmopolitan membership. Two thousand years ago the Jewish mind comprehended only two great divisions of society, the Jews, and the Gentiles, separated primarily by the law of Moses. These groups were divided further along national and party lines, with complications of color, creed, education, money, freedom, and slavery. Members of the early church came from all these groups and were builded together in one body as a habitation of God in the Spirit. A minister was preaching to a large crowd in Washington, D. C., several years ago. When the invitation was given, a United States senator, a Chinese, and a Negro came forward. After the song was finished, the minister remarked, “You see that the ground is level at the cross.”
Jesus measured greatness in terms of service and left us a perfect example of humility. Had His example been followed by Christians, the universal usefulness of the Church would have been clearly demonstrated to the world long ago. Every human being has certain needs which must be met in a well-organized and adjusted society. The church can, within the framework of the New Testament pat tern, meet these needs, not only for its own membership, but also for much of the world. Our neglect to do this has resulted in the forma tion of many charity and relief organizations by the world, while the church slumbers in self-satisfaction. It is not fair to judge the church’s usefulness to society on the basis of the practice of professed followers of Christ, for we have wandered far afield. We should judge it rather by the design and plan of the Lord as it is revealed in the New Testament.
Individuals live and die, nations rise and fall, but the church is of eternal duration. As long as this age lasts, it has the mission of lighting this dark world. Its commands are age-lasting, and its promises are eternal. When this age is over, every faithful Christian will “ever be with the Lord” and see the glory which shall be revealed, for “he shall inherit these things.”
-J. Miller Forcade, in “Missionary Messenger,” Vol. XXXV, No. 6, June 1958