The Church. Why does it matter? Part 1

Personal faith in Jesus Christ. This is a term that is thrown around a lot in evangelical circles. I think it's silly but it's used with good intention, so I don't get worked up about it. The problem is when people take this term to mean that their faith is private and because of this they have no need for the church. As far as I can tell, the idea of a "personal faith" is completely absent from the bible. I will go one step further and say that "personal faith" is exactly the opposite of what God has intended for us as his followers. To explain this, I want to start at the beginning. Actually, before the beginning.

Before any of us, before the world, before even time existed, there was God. Assuming we believe in the Trinity, we know that before God even got into the creation business, he existed in relationship with himself. God in three persons. This tells us that community and is literally a part of the very essence of God.

Now let's get to us. After God created Adam, he realized that he needed a partner. From here we get Eve. Already God realized that it's not good for man to be alone. Fast forward to Abraham. God promised to make Abraham a great nation. Through Abraham God would form his chosen people. This is the beginning of the faith community. From this point forward, God does his work through his chosen people. He forms a body of believers to be the vehicle of his kingdom on Earth. God forms a covenant not only with Abraham but with all of his descendants. He would be their God and they would be his people.

God intentionally designates a people. God certainly could have used heroic individuals to accomplish all his work. It may have been easier. But because relationality is a part of God's being, he founds a nation. God gives his people very specific laws by which to live. The purpose of the law is to set them apart from the other nations and to ensure that they lived pure lives so they could stay in right relation with God and one another. Their way of life was much different than ours today. Our customs are all about individualism, self-empowerment, and upward mobility. God's people were about community, brotherly love, and humility. Once again, community and relationality are woven into the very identity of God's people.

Let's fast forward again to Jesus. Jesus' ministry begins with the calling of his disciples. Why did Jesus need disciples? Could he not have accomplished his work without them? It often seems like the disciples are more trouble than they are worth. But Jesus calls them nonetheless. Christ chooses this ragtag group of misfits to build his church on. Yes that's right, Jesus founded the church. It was not an invention of first century Christians. It's clear from Jesus' ministry that he is not just starting the latest personal self help program. Jesus is God's means of establishing a new covenant with his people through which his Church will come to life.

It's also worth mentioning that Jesus went to church regularly so to speak. He was constantly in and around the synagogue. He spent much of his time in the Temple and the Synagogues teaching, praying, and worshiping. When he wasn't at the synagogue he was often found eating and fellowshipping with friends and ministering to them.

I hope you are beginning to see a trend. We do not have a personal, private faith because we don't serve a personal, private god. Community is woven into the fabric of our being because it is the nature of God. He established his people on Earth first through Israel and then through the Church. This was on purpose. He never intended for us to go it alone. Rather we are to participate in our faith through the vehicle of the Church. The Church is God's gift to us. It's not a chain holding us back and pulling us down. It's a force that strengthens and empowers us to reach the world and advance His kingdom.

This has gotten very long so I want to commit to writing a sequel. This article sets the precedent for the church and hopefully explained that the Church is an intentional part of God's plan for the world. Next I want to focus on the practical reasons why being a part of a church is an essential part of being a Christian. Keep an eye out for the next post. I think it will be good.