by Garrett Glende

Continuing on in Wayne Grudem’s section on ecclesiology, we come to the chapter on baptism, the ever-dividing distinctive between churches. And this is a sad thing – that there is so much strife over this issue – because baptism really should be something for all Christians to celebrate, as it reflects the reality of our great salvation. This article will deal shortly with a few doctrinal issues, mostly because Richard has already written an extensive series on the topic, but also because I want to flesh out more of the practical implications. So please go and read Richard’s articles first and then come back here to get another helping of the Bible’s teaching on baptism.

First, we must establish that the purpose of baptism is for the believer to identify him or herself with Christ. Specifically, we identify with a risen, victorious Savior, who has conquered sin and death. When someone is baptized, they are proclaiming to the world that they have received new life in Christ and that they are now a part of His team, per say. We see these themes played out in Romans 6:3-4 where Paul writes, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Paul also notes that we have “been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (Col. 2:12). By taking part in the ordinance of baptism, the church body as a whole is able to celebrate their own newness of life along with the person being baptized.

The division amidst churches over this issue that I mentioned before comes in exactly how this ordinance is observed. At Lighthouse, we teach that baptism by immersion is the biblical model that we should follow. Not only does the Greek word for “baptize” literally mean “to plunge, dip, or immerse,” but the symbolic meaning of the practice is best conveyed by full immersion. Christ’s death and burial is symbolized by being dunked under the water, not being able to get out unless brought back up. Thus, being lifted up out of the water illustrates our identity with Christ’s resurrection. Other methods such as sprinkling do not convey this image to its fullest extent and are not supported by the majority of the Bible’s teaching on baptism. We should additionally note that baptism is only to be administered to those who have professed a saving faith in Jesus Christ. For more on these issues, read Richard’s articles.

Since the purpose of baptism is to reflect an already present spiritual reality, those who have been baptized must live in light of these spiritual truths. Going back to Romans 6, the context of these verses comes right after Paul has explained the abundant grace of God in forgiving us all of our sins. Then in verse one he anticipates that some will ask, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” He sharply denies this assumption and then goes on to explain that we have died to sin and are now raised to newness of life, which is the exact teaching that is reflected in baptism. Therefore, all who have been baptized must live according to the new life that they have received. First of all, this means that we must take sin seriously. Paul condemns all attitudes that treat the grace of God cheaply, calling them to remember their unity with Christ’s death and resurrection. We shouldn’t just assume that we can go on sinning so that God can show us more grace. To the contrary, we must kill the sin in our lives, knowing that it is the very thing that separated us from God in the first place. Additionally, our lives must be lived with an eternal perspective. In baptism, we identify also with the resurrection of Christ, knowing that one day our own bodies will be raised from the dead and we will live for eternity with Him. It’s so easy to get caught up in the things of the world and only live for what we can see. Our culture tells us to pursue material wealth and comfort, but these things will not last. Thus, all Christians must live in light of the fact that their true home is in heaven for eternity. This is where our hope is found. We cannot hold tightly onto things that will ultimately burn, but rather cling to our hope found in the resurrection of Christ.

by Garrett Glende

As we resume our walk through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, we come to chapter 48, “Means of Grace within the Church.” The purpose of this section is to inform us of how God has blessed believers through the local church. There might be a little bit of confusion from the usage of the term “means of grace” because of the Catholic meaning behind it. While the Roman Catholics claim that these different activities within the church actually contribute towards one’s justification, the correct understanding of the term is that these means of grace are simply additional blessings in a Christian’s life. Grudem lists eleven different means and goes into some detail for each of them. We won’t have the space to go into each one fully, so I will just highlight a few.

(Here is the full list from Grudem if you were wondering):

1. teaching of the word,
2. baptism,
3. the Lord’s Supper,
4. prayer for one another,
5. worship,
6. church discipline,
7. giving,
8. spiritual gifts,
9. fellowship,
10. evangelism, and
11. personal ministry to individuals.

Certainly, this is not an exhaustive list, as there are many ways by which God blesses those within the fellowship of the church, but these are the most prominent. And there are really none greater than the teaching of the word itself. This is the primary function of the church and it is how God uses the church to bless the world. Yes, you can read your Bible even if you do not attend a church, but it is nearly impossible to have the same impact on your life as opposed to having the word taught to you. We need to digest God’s truth in many different ways. One of the methods through which this takes place is by hearing the word taught from the pulpit. We need this to take place in our churches because the Bible is the only thing that can really cause change. The Holy Spirit working through the truths of God’s word is the sole instrument for sanctification in the lives of believers. We see this in Jesus’ prayer for his disciples, as he asks that they may be “sanctified in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). God’s word not only brings us towards holiness, but it also guides us as a lamp (Psalm 119:105) and grants us wisdom to make the best decisions (Psalm 19:7). If the word of God is central to the fellowship of the church, then there will be tremendous spiritual growth and people’s lives will be truly changed.

Another true blessing that God has given to us through the church is the company of fellowship. There is no other organization, group, team, or community that is able to provide the type of grace that comes from true Christian fellowship. It is a unique thing to have what really is a second family. Being baptized into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) means that all Christians are now a part of the same body and the same family. We can now truly bear one another’s burdens, rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. We can come alongside one another and give an encouraging word. We can lift one another up in prayer together. All in all, we get to share our lives together! The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. There are no lone ranger Christians. We need the rest of the church body to help us through struggles and be there next to us during the greatest joys. We need a brother or sister to confront us in our sin. And all of this happens because God has united us together through Christ’s death and resurrection and we are now able to love God and love one another. The fellowship found within the church is truly a rare thing.

It really is amazing that God has given us these blessings through the church, but the question is, do we take advantage of it? If you aren’t involved in a local body, then you’re missing out on all of these benefits! Yes, there is work to be done and a commitment to be made, but the rewards of church membership far outweigh the costs. Pastor Patrick has written a lot recently about this issue, so go and read his articles in the pastor’s corner section (they’re better than mine anyway). But I’ll assume many of you are already members of a local church and have committed to contributing to its life. So my question for you is, are you truly invested in it? Being a member of a church is not just about attending every Sunday and occasionally serving. It’s about being involved in the lives of your fellow brothers and sisters. It’s about making sacrifices for their sake and doing so in order that they would be sanctified and God would be glorified. We really must take advantage of every opportunity that God has given us to invest in the church. I believe the saying is true that “the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.” Also, since it is the Thanksgiving season, I believe we should spend some time reflecting on the ways that God has blessed us through the church. After all, these “means of grace” are all things that we hardly deserve. So let’s be thankful. If we had to make a list, I’m sure it would be quite long.

by Garrett Glende

We left off last week having discussed the roles of the leaders of the church and how the government within the body is structured. However, there was not much to do about the practical application of this issue, so we will pick up with that here. Most of the following ideas come from the book The Trellis and the Vine, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I highly encourage you to do so, as the issues they bring up have been immensely beneficial for myself and for the church in San Jose.

Since we know from last week’s study that there are certain distinct leaders within the church, the next question might be: where does that leave everyone else? If the role of the pastor is to teach the word and shepherd the flock, then is everyone else less important since we don’t have a formal title? As the authors suggest in The Trellis and the Vine, there must be a ministry mind-shift that takes place among the congregation so that each member is doing what he or she should. The first step towards achieving this goal is the recognition that we are all to be ministers of the Word. This is not a job for only the pastors, elders, and evangelists. In fact, if it were left up to them only, there would not be enough time in the day for everyone in the body to be ministered to. So, every member of the church holds the responsibility to minister to one another. This is the only way that the church will truly see growth in people’s lives.

The true job of the pastor is to train up others around him so that more and more people are equipped to minister one another. As these men and women are trained, they can train others as well. Thus, the amount of people in the church that are available to effectively minister the body is increased. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:12-13 that the leaders of the church have been gifted in order “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” God has structured the church in such a way so that all of the saints might take part in “the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.”

This attitude is in contrast to one that thinks church growth is a number to be measured. It’s very easy for us to see activities and events spring up and mistake it for true growth. This is true for the church as a whole, but it is also true for our own individual lives. We must not think that we are growing in our walks with God just because we are involved in a handful of activities going on at church. Paul’s definition of growth does not include “ministry involvement,” but he rather calls for “knowledge of the Son of God [and] mature manhood.” In order to grow spiritually, we must increase in our knowledge of Christ. This is to take place as each member of the body ministers the Word to one another.

The direct application of this idea is simple. We need to speak God’s word to one another. If you’re wondering how you can serve in the church, but don’t see any specific “ministry” to join, just talk to people. Build relationships with other members so that you’re in a position to minister to them in a real way. If the whole church is committed to this principle, then the pastor’s job becomes much easier and the body will experience true gospel growth.

by Garrett Glende

Up next in our discussion of the church is the issue of church government. This chapter comes on the heels of the chapter discussing the power of the church, namely through church discipline. One of the questions someone may have after learning about this function of the church may be, “Who decides which people are placed under discipline and how is it carried out?” This chapter provides an answer to this question and informs us of a framework for which the church is to operate under. Grudem makes it clear at the beginning of his discussion that he believes there is not a command in the Bible for one specific way of setting up the government within the church. Thus, he offers various views and points out the strengths and weaknesses of them all. For our purposes, we will focus heavily on the model that is most like the one practiced here at LBC, while also mentioning other ideas as well.

The New Testament describes three different roles when it speaks of those who are involved in the leadership of the church: apostle, elder, and deacon.

Apostle

While there are no longer any apostles active in the life of the church today, we see from the accounts of the New Testament that this was a vital role in the establishment of the early church. Each of these men had the ability to dictate God’s word to the people because they had been grated this authority from Christ himself. Christ specifically commissioned certain men who had witnessed his resurrected body to be his witnesses throughout the world so that His Name would be made known. Paul defends his apostleship by submitting to the people that he had indeed seen the Lord, and that He was specifically commissioned by Christ (1 Cor. 9:1, Acts 9:5-6, 26:15-18). Grudem argues that “no apostles were appointed after Paul, and certainly, since no one today can meet the qualification of having seen the risen Christ with his own eyes, there are no apostles today.”

Elder

The elder is presented as the primary leader within the church in the New Testament. They are also called bishops, overseers, and pastors, but the most common term used is elder. We see that the churches in the book of Acts often appoint elders shortly after the church begins. Elsewhere, Paul instructs Titus to “appoint elders in every town” so that the church might be in order (Titus 1:5). Peter called for the “elders among you [to]…shepherd the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-2). James also says that the one who is sick should “call for the elders of the church” to pray (James 5:14). So we see that both James and Peter fully expected that all churches would have elders in place for these duties to be carried out.

The qualifications for such a role are found in passages such as 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The overwhelming majority of the qualifications pertain to the character of such a man. He must be:

“above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

It is the responsibility of the elder to lead the church that God has placed him in. Just as he is to “manage his own household well,” so he is to govern the church as a whole. It is clear that there is an authority given to these men, as Peter calls us to be “subject to the elders” (1 Peter 5:5). The author of Hebrews also says to “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17). There is also a responsibility of teaching the word of God to the church that is included in the role of an elder. However, this may not be the primary role of all the elders in a given church, as Paul writes, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). Grudem argues that this verse implies that there are certain men who are specifically devoted to the preaching and teaching of God’s word and are perhaps even paid for their “labor.”

Deacon

We get the term “deacon” from the Greek word diakonos, which simply means “servant.” It is often translated to “servant” outside of passages that deal with the specific roles of people inside the church. Paul gives specific qualifications that are similar to those of elders in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, also heavily focused on character traits. There is some ambiguity as to whether or not this needs to be a distinct role in the church. That is, do we really need to call certain people “deacons”? If they are just meant to be servants, shouldn’t anyone who serves in the church be called a deacon? There is a bit of difficulty surrounding this issue it is handled differently from church to church. However, it is clear from Acts 6, where the verb form of the word is used, that deacons are simply there so that the elders of the church can be freed up in order to perform their responsibilities.

Now that we’ve discussed various roles within the leadership of the church, we are able to look at how they are structured within the body. Across the many denominations within Christianity, there are many ways in which churches choose to organize their leadership. Some have only one elder within the whole assembly, others have many elders, and some choose to have no elders at all (this method seems to contradict the New Testament teaching, but it exists nevertheless). For our purposes, we will examine the model of a plurality of elders. This view sees the elders of the church as the leaders, but each elder may have different practical responsibilities. For example, there is often a pastor-teacher who is the leader of the elder group. There may also be an elder in charge of finances or a specific ministry within the church. While the pastor does not work for the elders, he is often supported by the church for his work in the ministry. Together as a group, this team of elders is charged with shepherding the flock of God so that they might all grow up into maturity in Christ.

There is much more to say about the form and responsibility of the leadership within the church, but this article is already getting quite lengthy (I’d be surprised if anyone made it this far, in fact). So I believe it’s best to end it here and leave the application until next week. I believe there is much to be said about this and it has a profound impact on how we view everyone’s roles in the body. Until then, consider your pastors and elders this week and pray for them. They really do need our support and encouragement, so try and go out of your way to thank them for all that they’ve done in your life.

by Garrett Glende

It appears that God has decided that we need to learn more about the subject of church discipline, seeing as Patrick has begun a short series on the issue and that the current chapter of Grudem’s Systematic Theology addresses the topic as well. As Patrick stated previously – and I wholeheartedly recommend that you read his article – the idea of church discipline is not one that we like to talk about much as Christians. For most people, the thought that a church would end fellowship with a person seems unloving and archaic. But the Bible has not become irrelevant for our culture and there are very few practices of the church that are any more loving than church discipline. Because there is such strong Scriptural support for the power of the church in this matter we cannot simply ignore it, but there must be a commitment to fully understanding the issue and then practicing it faithfully.

The discussion begins under the broader topic of the power of the church. When we think of the different things that the church has the authority to do, certainly the power to preach the gospel comes to mind, for Christ has indeed commissioned His church to do so. However, what kind of authority does the church assume within its own walls (for our purposes, the following discussion is generally geared toward the local church as opposed to the universal church)? The main passages concerning this issue come from Matthew chapters 16 and 18. In chapter 16 we see that Jesus affirms Peter’s confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (verse 16). He says that this is the truth upon which His church will be built and proceeds to promise to give him “the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (verse 19). Grudem writes that the keys imply “authority to open a door and give entrance to a place or realm [and also] the authority to exercise discipline within the church.” The idea that the power of the keys carries over into church discipline can be seen in the passage in Matthew 18:15-20, where Jesus also speaks of “binding” and “loosing.” The main point of this passage is clearly about confronting sin within the church, so there is a clear link between the authority of the church, its possession of the keys, and its ability to bind and loose. Essentially, Jesus is telling them that the actions of the church will represent a spiritual reality, in that whatever is bound or loosed on earth shall have been bound or loosed in heaven. So the church is not “unsaving” a person, but rather echoing an already true and ongoing spiritual process.

As Patrick mentioned in the previous article, the goal of church discipline is not the promotion of some sort of exclusive group, but rather it is love that comes from a desire to maintain the purity of Christ’s church. If the motivation of the church is not to restore their brother to a right relationship with God, then the church has lost its proper focus. The passage regarding church discipline in Matthew 18 comes immediately after Jesus’ discussion of the love of God in seeking after the single stray sheep. He tells them, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?” This is a clear portrait of the love that the Father has for each of His children. He truly desires that each of them maintain a right relationship with Him and He has given the local church the authority to deal with sin for this purpose. As always, the goal is to “gain your brother.”

Of course, we are not to shout a man’s sin from the rooftops the moment we hear of it. Jesus gives three different stages in this process. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” (Matt. 18:15-17). There is clearly a gradual increase in the scope of the disclosure of sin within the church seen here, so we must be careful that we don’t reveal more than necessary when dealing with these types of situations.

Assuming Pastor Patrick will touch on the various applications of church discipline in his next article, I want to look a little more closely at the idea of church discipline as a testimony to the world. As Patrick mentioned in his article, the degree to which the church deals seriously with sin will illustrate the holiness of God to our unbelieving neighbors. The world absolutely loves to see the hypocrisy within the church when its leaders are publically shamed for their transgressions. Every time this happens, it gives them another reason to believe that God doesn’t really transform people’s lives with the gospel. So when we go out and preach the good news that there is freedom from our slavery to sin, our words lack power due to inconsistent testimonies. This also happens when we tolerate the sin around us in our daily lives outside of church. At work and at school we see sin abound almost unbridled, it seems. But as Christians, we have a choice to make: we can join in, ignore it, or speak up against it. Obviously we know that we should not join in, but I think our silence often times conveys acceptance. When we act like sin doesn’t bother us, the world will believe that we approve of it. This is not to say that we should go around condemning everyone in an unloving way, but I do think there are appropriate times where we can confront someone, whether it be at our workplaces or on our campuses. Of course this needs to be done gently and with humility. If practiced correctly, this hatred of sin will be evident to the unbelievers around us and they will be able to see the theology behind it. God will not tolerate sin in His church and I pray that we all can adopt the same attitude in our own lives.

by Garrett Glende

In chapter 45 of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, he explains two characteristics of the church, namely its purity and unity. These are two distinct markers of the church when it is held up against the backdrop of the world’s culture. Specifically, “the purity of the church is its degree of freedom from wrong doctrine and conduct, and its degree of conformity to God’s revealed will.” As the above definition reflects, the church is to be pure in both its beliefs and practices, setting it apart from a world that adheres to numerous false teachings and sinful actions. Grudem also defines the unity of the church as “its degree of freedom from divisions among true Christians.” Where the world will divide over any difference it can think of, Christians are to be brought together by a common love for God and faith in Christ.

Although there will never be a perfectly pure church, the New Testament is clear that we are to strive together towards maturity and Christ-likeness. This generally comes to bear in two areas: doctrine and living. When each individual member of the church is growing in their knowledge of God and is coming to understand the truths of His Word, then holy living results. The foundation of such purity is faithfulness to preaching the whole counsel of God on Sunday mornings. Feeding the sheep with the richness of God’s word will build their understanding of God and inform them of the proper applications. Christ himself makes the purity of the church a priority. We read in Ephesians 5 that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” This process of sanctification is the gradual ascent towards holiness in our daily lives. The goal of the church is to exterminate any and all sins which may harm the body and dishonor God. In this way, it sets itself apart from a world that has absolutely no concern for sin and no fear of God before its eyes.

Grudem couples this idea of the purity of the church with that of church unity. The authors of the New Testament command that believers be unified. In Philippians 2:2 Paul exhorts the church to “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” Elsewhere, he explains that God has gifted people in different ways so that we would be built up “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph. 4:13). Jesus also desires that we are one so that the world would see that He was sent from the Father (John 17:20-21). Yet there is also a substantial amount of verses that speak about the necessity of separation. These portions of Scripture often deal with someone who is preaching a false doctrine about the person or work of Christ. It is the heretic or the unbeliever whom we are not to be united with. This is the principle of being unequally yoked that Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 6:14. This is not to say that the church is to have absolutely no interaction with the world, but only that they should not have the same type of intimate bond as they do with fellow believers. The issue of church discipline would be appropriate to bring up here, as it relates both to unity and purity, but it will be dealt with more deeply in a future chapter. However, for now it is enough to say that the church is not to have fellowship with any individual or group that does not share the same belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we consider this idea of the purity of the church, it should become quite clear that Jesus is intent on making His bride spotless and without blemish. This process towards holiness begins at the cross when He secured not only the salvation of the church, but also the sanctification of the church. It is something that is sure to take place, but it is not something that is fully left to Him. Sanctification is worked out both by God and man, but wholly under the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, every church member plays a vital role in the purity of the body as a whole. If we continue to look at the body metaphor, then we can think of every member of the church as a different part of the body. We would not call someone with a stomach virus healthy, even if the rest of the body is in tip top shape. If a part of your body is sick, then you work hard to make it healthy. Similarly, each part of the church body must be healthy for the whole body to be truly healthy. So when we are concerned about the purity of the church, every member must take their own walks with God seriously. This means that sin must be dealt with in a serious manner. Often times it’s difficult to confess our struggles with sin to others and it is sometimes even harder to rebuke a brother or sister. But we should all be upfront about our sin in such a way that leads to more holy living. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. We have been baptized into a church body that is meant to watch out for the spiritual health of its members. But it takes the efforts of every member in order to truly accomplish this goal. The pastors and elders cannot be the only ones doing the work. It is everyone’s responsibility to sharpen and encourage one another so that the church would begin to look more and more like Christ.

by Garrett Glende

This week marks the beginning of a new section of our trek through Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, namely the doctrine of the church. The next ten articles will deal with various issues related to the church, its nature, function, power, and giftedness. I’m particularly excited to begin this chunk of the book due to our current circumstances at Lighthouse (both San Diego and San Jose), as the church faces many new and challenging roads ahead. I believe that now, as much as ever, is the perfect time to dive into some important aspects of ecclesiology so that the local body might be strengthened and encouraged to support and invest in God’s kingdom. One note that is necessary to add here at the beginning: some of the content in this section of Grudem’s theology is contrary to what Lighthouse affirms as being true of Christ’s church. For this reason, I will let you all read those portions for yourselves and make informed decisions. As for me, I’ll be following Grudem’s structure, but I will present a view that lines up closer to that of Lighthouse Bible Church.

The first chapter in this section deals with the nature and purposes of the church. We can say first that the nature of the church is that it is made up of all true believers in Christ. Since its inauguration in Acts chapter 2, every single person who has repented of their sins and trusted in Christ for salvation is considered part of the church, at least on a universal level. Grudem speaks of the church both invisible and visible. It is invisible in that only God can see who is truly a part of the body. As mere humans, we are unable to accurately assess the spiritual condition of all those who profess to believe, thus what we see is called the visible church. So when we walk into church on Sundays, what we see there would constitute as part of the visible church. There is also a difference in the use of the word church in the New Testament with regards to its scope. There are times when it is implied to mean all the believers in the world and there are times when only a local gathering of believers is addressed. These have been known as the universal church and the local church.

Grudem discusses the marks of a church, those things which he calls the “distinguishing characteristics” so that we might not confuse the claims of many groups to be a true church. The first main issue that he brings up is the presence of true gospel preaching and the ministry of the Word of God. Any group that does not adhere to and proclaim the gospel as the Bible teaches it would not classify as a genuine church. Moreover, its ministry must include the preaching of God’s Word. Now, there are many places that teach the Bible, but it must be taught in such a way that is faithful to the way that God has intended. This is not to say that the preacher must never make a mistake in teaching, but the essential elements of orthodox Christianity must be present. The only other mark of the church that Grudem points out is the proper administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper). These are both ordinances that have been committed to the church by Christ so that it might be set apart from the world. It is through baptism where an individual makes a public declaration of his or her own personal relationship with Christ, signaling a dying to the world and a new life in Christ as part of His body, the church. Communion is the remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s death on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:26) and is a continuing sign of membership in the church. For more on what constitutes a healthy church, see Mark Dever’s book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church.

Finally, Grudem explores what he sees as the three purposes of the church: worship, nurture, and evangelism.

1. The fundamental responsibility of the church is to worship God. This is what He has created us to do (Eph. 1:12), and this is what we will be doing for all of eternity (Rev. 5:11-14). Our worship is not something that is just done on Sundays, but it is a lifelong pursuit of God’s glory in our lives.
2. Secondly, the church is to build up the body into maturity. This happens as each member comes along side another and encourages them to love Christ and grow in the knowledge of Him. Paul writes that his purpose in preaching was so he “may present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28). The purpose of the church is not merely to grow in numbers and structure, but rather that each individual member would experience gospel centered growth. This should challenge our thinking as we look at our priorities in church. Are they centered around practicality and ministry form? Or is our main goal to see people grow spiritually?
3. Lastly, it is the purpose of the church to preach the gospel to the lost and to demonstrate God’s mercy to the world. God has commissioned his church to make disciples of all nations, necessitating that churches be planted across the globe and the gospel be shared with unbelievers. Although this is the thrust of the church’s ministry toward the world, it must still extend grace and mercy to the lost in practical ways. In this way, we reflect the grace of God which we have received to a lost and dying world.

This article serves as an introduction to much of the foundational concepts that will be tackled in the coming weeks. In order to truly understand the more secondary issues, we must first grasp the core truths of the Bible’s teaching on the church. If you are planning on following along with us, I highly recommend picking up trustworthy resources to aid in your study. If you don’t know what’s trustworthy or not just ask me (or preferably a pastor)!

by Garrett Glende

We’ve reached the final chapter in this section on the application of redemption, and while the believer’s union with Christ is not traditionally included under this heading, it bears a strong enough significance to study. After all, each of the benefits of salvation and each step in the application of redemption can only occur if there is union with Christ. Grudem defines it as “a phrase used to summarize several different relationships between believers and Christ, through which Christians receive every benefit of salvation. These relationships include the fact that we are in Christ, Christ is in us, we are like Christ, and we are with Christ.”

The first aspect of this doctrine is that all believers are said to be in Christ, but this is played out in different ways. Grudem explains that we are in Christ in the sense of God’s eternal plan, as seen in Ephesians 1:11 where Paul writes, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Elsewhere in Scripture we see that blessings have been given to us in Christ before the foundation of the world (2 Tim 1:9). The Bible also describes us as being in Christ during His life on earth. This is how He is able to be our representative, so that God sees us as having lived Christ’s life and His righteousness is imputed to us. We are treated as having lived Christ’s life because of our union with Him (Rom 5:19). Moreover, we are said to be in Christ during our lives now. The new lives that we live have been given to us in Christ Jesus (1 John 5:11, 2 Tim 1:1). This means that everything that we do can be done in Christ. The new life that is brought about in us should change our actions and motivations, giving us the power to live for His glory.

Another way in which we are united to Christ is that He is in us. Only those connected to the true vine are saved. Jesus says that “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). The fact that Christ abides in us should have an external affect on our lives, as we will bear good fruit. Paul also testifies that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). He says that this is a mystery hidden from the people for ages and generations, but it has now been revealed that this mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:26-27). It is this intimate relationship with Christ that causes us to live our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Additionally, we are said to be like Christ. This goes along with the idea of being connected to Him as the vine and braches in order to bear fruit. John writes that “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:6). Our likeness to Christ stems from the fact that we are in Him, for if we were not one with Him, then there would be no resemblance to Him in our actions. Throughout Scripture we see commands to live as Jesus lived in the way we love one another, in the way we respond to critics, in the way husbands love their wives, and in the way we handle suffering. All these areas of our lives are influenced by the fact that we are united to Him.

The last way that we are united to Christ is the fact what we are with Christ. When Jesus commissioned His disciples to go out to all the nations there must have been a measure of fear in their hearts. Yet Jesus, being the great comforter, promised that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20). Although He is not here physically, we do enjoy the fellowship that comes with the very presence of Christ. Working together with him, knowing him, being comforted by him, being taught by him, and living our lives in his presence are all different ways that Grudem places under the banner of being with Christ.

One of the personal application questions that are at the end of each chapter particularly caught my eye in regards to the church body. Grudem writes, “How can the idea of union with Christ increase your love and fellowship for other Christians, both those in your church and those in other churches?” For one, the reality that each believer is united to Christ also means that we are united together in one body. If the church is united to Christ, should we not also be united to one another? But what is our unity centered on? People are easily united by the things of the world, such as sports or politics, but are these things what the church should find its unity in? Personally, it’s easy for me to strike up a random conversation with any person I see on the street wearing a Giants hat. Why’s that? It’s because we are united in a mutual affection for Giants baseball. But I think many of us would be unable to feel similarly if we encounter a stranger who claims to be a Christian. Could I just as easily and just as passionately have a conversation about our Savior? So what is it that makes you feel united at church? Is it that you go to the same school, share the same interests, or are in the same stage of life? If that’s the case, then it’s necessary to shift the way you think about church unity. Start engaging people on a Christian level and not just a worldly one. Talk about distinctly Christian things. Interact with one another knowing that you are united in Christ. This is the way that we show love towards one another, seeking to encourage our brothers and sisters in their walks with Christ, just as they do the same for us. If we do this as a body, then our church will be bonded together by something truly worthwhile.

by Garrett Glende

Last week we looked at the doctrine of death and what it means for our lives today. The next chapter in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology is closely related, as it deals with our lives eternally. The subject of glorification is one that all Christians should be well versed in so that we know exactly what we can look forward to in eternity. If we are unaware of how our lives will be lived in heaven, then how will we be able to prepare for it?

Grudem defines glorification as “the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like his own.” As we can gather from this definition, the doctrine of glorification is centered around the idea of the resurrection. Our hope as Christians is found in the fact that our bodies will be raised one day. If people cannot be raised from the dead, then we are of all men to be most pitied, as Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. In fact, this section in Paul’s letter opens a critical passage in terms of the doctrine of glorification.

One of the key issues that Paul deals with here is the nature of our bodies after we have been glorified. Some clear contrasts are made in verses 42-44 as he writes, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” The first thing to notice is that our raised bodies will be imperishable. Clearly, our bodies now are perishing daily. We see the results of injury and disease, but when we enter the glorified state all of this will be gone. There will be no more sickness and our bodies will not grow old with age. Moreover, he describes our bodies as being raised in glory and power. The idea of glory probably relates to a physical radiance that surrounds our body. Grudem argues that the fact that we will be like Christ in our resurrection bodies, coupled with the transfiguration scene support the assertion that there will be some sort of visible radiance around us. Being raised in power stands in contrast to the weakness that we experience now, as our bodies will be given the strength that we were intended to have when we were created. Possibly the most exciting element of our new bodies will be that they are spiritual rather than natural. We will no longer be controlled by the desires of our flesh, but our lives will be fully submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit. No longer will we struggle with the sin that entangles us and we will worship the Creator perfectly.

There are many implications of this doctrine, but the one that sticks out most to me is that I should desire to be in heaven more than I do now. I think it’s common for many believers to hold onto the things of this world, and not desire to be with Christ. We want to get married first or have children first, but none of these things will ever compare to the enjoyment we will find in heaven. Every time we get sick or get hurt, we should be reminded that our bodies are not as they we meant to be, making us long for the day when there will be no more sickness and no more death. So the challenge to me (and to all of us) is whether or not I truly desire heaven over this world. We should all be able to echo what Paul says in Philippians 1:23 and “desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” I think we can easily pay lip service to this truth, but do our lives display that it has truly affected our hearts? This is certainly a challenge that I must consider, and I hope the rest of you will as well.

by Garrett Glende

Death is not a subject that we like to talk much about in our culture, yet it remains as a constant occurrence in all life on Earth. In his ninth resolution, Jonathon Edwards resolved “to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” Especially considering that Edwards was only 19 when he penned those words, such morbid thoughts are indeed surprising. To the Atheist or non-Christian, of course this type of thinking seems unnecessary or even harmful, as they acknowledge nothing past this material world. But the Christian does well to consider the realities of death, for it will undoubtedly come upon all of us and we must think of it in a biblical manner. What happens when we die? Why do we die? How should the immanency of death change our lives today? These are all questions that are important for us to be able to answer, not only so that we can live God-honoring lives, but also help others to do the same.

The creation account of Genesis is where we must begin in order to gather a clear understanding of death as the Bible explains it. When God created the world and everything in it, He declared that “it was good.” Moreover, when God made man He saw that “it was very good” (Gen 1:31). Things changed dramatically just two chapters later when Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, breaking the commandment that God have given to them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). Disobedience to this law came with a punishment that was promised by God: “for in that day you eat of it you shall surely die.” It was this single act of rebellion against God that brought the whole earth under the curse of death, as Paul writes, “just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). Paul later reinforces this thought, stating that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). The reason for all the death that we see around us can be traced back to the sinful actions of one man in the garden. Indeed, all creation has been subject to this curse, as it groans in the pains of childbirth together with us (Rom 8:22).

When our last day on earth arrives, what can we expect afterwards? For the Christian, great hope can be found in the fact that they will be immediately brought into the presence of God. Their bodies will remain here on earth, but their souls will see the Lord. Paul’s sentiments in Philippians 1:23 express that he desires to “depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” He expects that there will be immediate satisfaction found upon death, as he awaits union with his Creator. Echoing these thoughts, he writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” From these verses, we can gather that Paul eagerly desired to leave this world in order to be with Christ.

However, this same anticipation does not fill the person who has not placed their faith in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly states that these people will only meet punishment and destruction. They will not receive a second chance, for “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). They will be judged fairly by God and receive their due wages. More will come in a later article on this topic.

Knowing that death is coming to each one of us, how then should we live? We would do well to follow in the steps of Edwards, never losing sight of the fact that our days here are numbered. What does this mean for our daily endeavors such as work and school? For one thing, all worldly attitudes towards these things must be mortified in our hearts. If all we desire from work is to move up the corporate ladder in order to live a comfortable life, then we have completely missed the point. We must live our lives with one eye on heaven, knowing that the material things we gain here are of no value once we die. As the saying goes, “no one ever sees a hearse pulling a u-haul.” Not to say that a well paying job is bad, but is that all we’re living for? If it is, then it shows that our affections are set on something other than the person of Christ. The reason Paul and Edwards were so preoccupied with heaven is because that’s where Christ is! But since we aren’t there yet, the only way we can truly know Christ more is to read about Him in our Bibles. As we do so, a fresh affection for our Lord will rise above all the competing idols in our hearts and we will desire more and more to be with Him in heaven. The things of this world will no longer rival the Lord, and we will live more generously, more thankfully, and more joyfully. Christ, our hope and joy awaits us in heaven, so why would we seek to find it here on earth?