I. Which church is the true church?
Which church—that is, which denomination of Christianity—is the “true church”? Which church is the one that God loves and cherishes and died for? The answer is that no visible church or denomination is the true church, because the body of Chris is not an institution, but is instead a spiritual entity made up of those who have by grace through faith been brought into a close, intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). Those people, no matter which building, denomination, or country they happen to be in, constitute the true church. The true church is the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17) and the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12; 1 Corinthians 12:27). It cannot be contained, walled in, or defined by anything other than its love for Christ and its dedication to Him. It is easy to get ensnared by the idea that a particular denomination within Christianity is “the true church,” but this view is a misunderstanding of Scripture. When choosing a church to attend, it is important to remember that a gathering of believers should be a place where those who belong to the true church (the spiritual entity) feel at home. That is to say, a good local church will uphold the Word of God, honoring it and preaching faithfully, proclaim the gospel steadfastly, and feed and tend the sheep. A church that teaches heresy or engages in sin will eventually be very low on (or entirely bereft of) those people that belong to the true church—the sheep who hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow Him (John 10:27).
Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” If our salvation were dependent upon our actions — if we could be redeemed by doing good works, keeping the commandments, and refraining from sin — we would always be in danger of losing it whenever we stumbled. However, because salvation is a gift given to us freely — and not in exchange for anything we can do — it is completely secure. Our salvation therefore magnifies the awesome love and grace of God alone, since He blesses us not because of our merit but because of His goodness.
Revelation 22:17 – And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). He is always inviting people to come and partake of the great gift of eternal life He has given. And as the bride of Christ — the church — we should as well.
II. Help in Overcoming Church Hurt: Have you been hurt by a church? If so, you’re not alone. As a pastor of a church, I’ve heard stories from people who have found church confusing, contrarian, or even damaging. Not every church hurts people, but most churches have hurt someone at some point. Some people are hurt through their own mistakes, others because of sin committed against them, and still others because of failed leadership. This reality can leave them reluctant to re-engage, afraid of being hurt again, wanting to protect themselves, and questioning the place of church in their lives. The good news for the hurting is that God has spoken to your pain in the Bible. Most of the writing in the New Testament about how to live in a church exists because the church has never been perfect. Most, if not all, of the letters were written to solve problems in the church:
II.1. Galatians to solve legalism (Galatians 1:6–7, 3:1–3, 4:9, 5:1).
II.1.1. Galatians 1:6 – “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.” The churches in the region of Galatia were being led astray by the Judaizers — Jewish Christians who thought Gentile believers should be required to keep the law in order to attain salvation (Acts 15:1, 5). Paul was astounded that the people would be so easily influenced by the Judaizers’ claims and so quickly forget that salvation was by the grace of God and not by works. Yet we do the same thing whenever we try to earn God’s love instead of just obeying Him out of thankfulness.
II.1.2. Galatians 3:3 – “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Even though the Galatian believers had been redeemed by God’s grace, they thought that to maintain their salvation and to grow in Him, they would have to work hard by observing the Law of Moses. But what is begun by the Spirit must be completed by Him as well. The entire Christian experience is to be lived by faith in God’s provision, from beginning to end. We are justified, sanctified, and glorified by His grace, which we lay hold of by trusting and obeying Him.
II.1.3. Galatians 5:1 – “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” In some ways, it may seem easier to abide by a set of rules than to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord. But living by the law is not really living at all: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). We must fight against any impulse to conform to a legalistic mindset, because that only leads us back into bondage. Rather, our service to God must be out of love and obedience to Him because that is life at its very best.
II.3. Colossians to solve heresy (Colossians 2:4, 8): : “Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
II.4. Timothy to solve tension in succession (2 Timothy 4:9–16)
II.4.1. Timothy 4:11 – “Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.” Why do you suppose God chose Luke — a physician — to travel with and encourage Paul in these last years of his life? Surely, it was because Luke was able to minister to Paul’s physical wounds and health needs. Yet there was another reason. Luke learned a great deal from the imprisoned apostle. Like Paul, he ministered to the Gentiles, writing his Gospel account for a non-Jewish audience. Also, by traveling with Paul, he was able to chronicle the history of the church in the Book of Acts. Luke’s Life Examples of Laboring in the Background: We know so little about Luke. The Bible contains only three references to him (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philemon 24), but we can catch a glimpse of the man whom God used to write two major New Testament books. Luke was probably a Greek physician and often traveled with Paul (Col. 4:14). Tradition calls him a native of Antioch and says he died unmarried and childless at the age of eighty-four. He wrote Luke and Acts to fellow Gentiles, reassuring them that Christ came for all mankind. Luke’s Gospel emphasizes the manhood of Jesus in all its perfection and stresses the plight of women, children, and the poor, sick, and outcast. Luke labored without regard to himself or the persecution that raged around him. He did so by dying to self and living for the Lord, whom he came to love more and more through his careful interviews.
II.4.2. Timothy 4:16 – “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.” As Paul stood before the Roman tribunal and faced a sentence of death, he was completely alone. No one supported or defended him. True, it was very dangerous for anyone to stand for him because they would also be put on trial. However, Paul was lonely for the love and encouragement of his friends. Likewise, others may forsake us during our time of need. But we must remember Paul’s example and not count it against them. We must forgive them, being confident that the Lord will not desert us — no matter what happens.
II.5. Philippians to solve conflict and selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3–22).
1 and 2 Corinthians to solve a whole host of problems centered around the issues of human pride in gifting and speaking that led to loveless and arrogant religious activity.
II.5.2. Philippians 2:3 – “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” As a believer, you’re not in competition with others to see who is the godliest or most influential Christian. If that’s your goal, then you’re not working for God, you’re serving your own ego. Rather, your purpose is to represent Christ to the lost so that they can be saved. As Jesus said, “Whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:44-45).
II.5.3. Philippians 2:7 – “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, andcoming in the likeness of men.” The Lord Jesus left His magnificent throne in heaven — where He is surrounded with praise and worship — and chose the limitation, suffering, and lowliness of a human body just so He could save us and show us His great love. Hebrews 2:17 tells us, “He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest.” In other words, He became like us to understand us. Because that is the way He best comforts and provides for us in all things (Heb. 4:14–16).
II.5.4. Philippians 2:10 – “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” Everyone — both those who are redeemed and those who have rejected Jesus Christ — will one day bow before Him and acknowledge that He is Savior and Lord. Though some think they are exercising their independence by refusing to believe in Him, what they are really doing is denying the truth — that He is God’s Son and our living Messiah.
II.5.5. Philippians 2:11 – “and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” What do we mean when we say that Jesus Christ is Lord? It means that He is the “only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). He is in absolute control of all things — nothing happens without His divine permission or exists apart from Him. And a time is coming when everyone will acknowledge that only He is truly worthy of praise — even those who’ve spent their lives opposing Him (Is. 45:23-24).
II.5.6. Philippians 2:11 – “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” When Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, he means that we are to give careful attention to our actions and behavior, making sure that we represent the One who saved us with honor and humility.
II.5.7. Philippians 2:15 – “that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” God intends that His children act as beacons of light in this dark world — showing the way to spiritual safety for those who are lost (Matt. 5:14–16). But if our behavior is characterized by corruption, complaining, and self-centeredness, we will not differ from unbelievers — there will be nothing to recommend us or Christ in whom we believe for salvation.