DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE PERFECT CHURCH

D'AD'S RAMBLINGS – THE PERFECT CHURCH – THE GLUE THAT HOLDS US TOGETHER

"Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours, Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (I Corinthians 1:1-3)

Do you want to belong to a perfect church? Then, don't consider going to the Church at Corinth. This letter addresses many problems of this body of Believers.

It is important to note that, even with all the problems in the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul considers them to be sanctified – saints – holy ones.

Another thing to consider is that he addressed them as "the church of God." This is not a denomination as we might think of today. But it is one church. 

 The first thing Paul addressed was the divisions that were in the Body. There were contentions among the various house churches. Some declared allegiance to Paul, some to Apollos, some to Peter, and even some who proudly claimed to be of Christ (vss. 11-12).

Paul encouraged them to forsake their parochial views, and be of one mind, centered on faith in the Lord Jesus. That is what binds us together as Believers – "Christ crucified" (vs. 23).

We live in the 21^st century with many options for fellowship of Believers that appeal to varying personalities and perspectives. There are as many expectations of a church as there are people. No church will fulfill all of these expectations. As the old saying goes, if you find a perfect church, don't join it because then it won't be perfect. That is when we need to set aside our personal preferences and focus on the Lord Jesus.

Of course, we take into account the beliefs and doctrines of a fellowship. It needs to be faithful to the revelation of God's Word. But our faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice for sin on Calvary is the glue that holds us together.

Love, Dad