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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | The Church Visible and Invisible | Acts 12:1 | EdB | 243782 | ||
Rather than talk visible and invisible let us use the terms physical and spiritual as nothing is invisible to God or to the Holy Spirit that dwells within each Christian My concern is the physical church and the spiritual church has allowed itself to associate with sin. 2 Cor. 6:14-17. Far too often our desire to maintain a physical church deceives the spiritual church into allowing compromise into it. This should never happen. The world mocks the church today because of what it sees within the physical church. It sees compromise and all forms of hypocrisy and sin. The question is, is it possible for any of us to step into and out of this sinful union and then truthfully declare we are unaffected by that association? 2 Cor. 6:14-17 clearly states that we can’t. First Timothy chapter 3 and Titus 1:7-9 give us the qualifications for church leadership, I believe any and all violations of these qualifiers band that person from being a teacher or leader within the church, no exceptions. Their pontifications should not be received nor given any attention. To do so requires us to wink at their sin and puts us squarely in the conviction of 2 Cor 6:14-17. Yes the church is to pull sinner from the muck and mire of sin but no where is it remotely suggested that church gets into that muck and mire. To do so is the definition of dysfunctional and this is exactly how the world sees the physical church today as being dysfunctional and floundering like the rest of humanity. We say there is hope in Christ but the world sees little hope in the physical church. We can declare the spiritual church is pure but is it? In light of scripture association with sin will effect the spiritual church as well. Enough talk of all things great and small it is time the church returns to the place it was called, to holiness. 1 Thess 4:7, Heb 12:14, 2 Cor. 7:1. |
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2 | The Church Visible and Invisible | Acts 12:1 | DocTrinsograce | 243785 | ||
Dear Ed, Nothing that is spiritual is visible; so your terminology of physical/spiritual is perfectly coincident with Reformed theology. The world is utterly dull to any spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14); nonetheless, they appear to me to have a hypersensitivity to sin! I think they gain that ability from the spirit of the age. When we hear them put their finger on hypocrisy (as you used for an example), then we can be sure that it may very well be something for which we ought to be concerned. We shall always have the trares and the goats in our midst until the perousia of Christ. Thus our efforts individually, congregationally, and liturgically -- by the laity as well as the clergy -- is to make the physical church look as much as possible as the spiritual church. The promise that we will one day be like Him is an awesome promise of the final cleansing of the church. Yes, the spiritual church is pure... again, we have the many promises that we will be like Him (1 John 3:2). When we die, our sanctification will sky rocket, such that we will be purified by the consummation of redemption! For the Reformed, we rejoice that God always fulfills His promises. We even speak of hope as "a confident expectation" not a wistful wish. So I agree entirely... let us persevere in walking in those things that God has accomplished. What a joy that we can do so, for He has already done it. Consequently, we ought to make every effort to walk in Him! "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:21) Thank you for sharing concerning the doctrine that you hold. It is informative and helpful. In Him, Doc |
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