Love the Church

Love for the church should be evident in every believer’s life. The New Testament assumes that all true Christians will be committed to a local body of believers (Rom. 12:9-13; Eph. 2:19-22). In fact, most of the New Testament is written to churches, not individuals (and even the letters written to individuals are about how that individual was to serve the church – 1 Tim. 3:14-15; Titus 1:5). So, practically, what does it mean to love the church? Here are five ways to think about your love for your church (by no means is this meant to be exhaustive).

1. Love the Lord of the church.
Our love for the church is ultimately an expression of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. We love the church because Jesus loves the church and laid down His life for her (Eph. 5:25). As we grow in our love and affection for Christ we should see our love for our church grow. Christ is the head of the church, the church is His body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). The church is Christ’s bride (Eph. 5:25ff). The Divine Husband is honored when we care for His church.

2. Love the people of the church.
The church is a people, not a place. The church is the gathering of the ones who have been called out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). So, any discussion about loving the church must involve our actual love for the actual people of the church (1 John 4:7-12). It is popular today to hear things such as, “I like Jesus, but I can’t stand His followers.” Friends, if there is no love for Christ’s people in your heart (in spite of all their sin and weakness), you should be seriously concerned about your salvation. The apostle John wrote, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death” (1 John 3:14). In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, Paul says that if we lack love for one another, we produce nothing, we are nothing, and we gain nothing.

3. Love the values and purpose of the church.
This is where it gets real practical. Love for the church will manifest itself in a commitment to the church’s goals and passions. Your personal obsessions and ambitions should match the corporate passions and pursuits of the church to which you belong. The church is to be passionate about celebrating the gospel of Jesus Christ and so should you. The church is to be committed to making disciples of all nations and so should you. Loving the church means loving why the church exists.

4. Love the ministries of the church.
Love what the church does. Here is a challenging question: How closely does your personal schedule reflect the schedule of the church? Do you have your own personal schedule in which you fit the church into when it’s convenient? Or, do you allow the ministries and activities of the church dominate your time, energies, and resources? Are you present when your church gathers for worship, Bible study, outreach, and fellowship (Heb. 12:24-25)? Loving the church means loving what the church does.

5. Love the structure and leadership of the church.
God has ordained that the church have a leadership structure and a decision-making process (Titus 1:9). Love for the church will manifest itself in a submission to godly and humble leadership. Love for the church reveals itself in the joyful following of the elders God has given you. Do you pray for and encourage your pastors in the work of the ministry (1 Tim. 5:17)? Do you thank them for watching over your soul as one who will give an account on the Day of Judgment (Heb. 13:17)? Love for the church shows itself in love for the organization of the church.

There are hundreds of reasons to love the church. Primarily, God is glorified when His people love the church. Your church is not perfect. But, you are called to love it.

Pursuing Maturity with You,
Pastor Justin