Bible Thoughts July 23, 2000
"...Christ loved the church and gave himself for it; that he might
sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the
word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish" (Ephesians 5:25-27).
What the Lord makes is perfect. He made a perfect world. He made a perfect environment for the first humans. He created a perfect couple. He sent a perfect sacrifice into the world for man's sins. He brought forth a perfect plan for man's salvation. And...He created a perfect church. The wisdom of God is seen in all of these illustrations.
Mankind, as a whole, has never been satisfied with what the Lord created. Humans will try to find a way to explain away the Lord's creating our universe. From a cataclysmic blast to a little one-celled bug(of sorts), they have tried to take the perfection from what the Lord made. Does it make sense to view the universe in which we live and believe that it is just an accident in time? "In the beginning God created,,," are the words of the inspired writer.
The Lord created, as a part of the universe, a perfect physical world with a suitable environment for all of his creatures. The pleasantness of that creation is seen among the creatures that God placed in the Garden of Eden.
Jehovah created two humans, perfect in their physical being. They had no blemishes; they needed no clothes; they were supplied with ample and satisfying food. They lived in a paradise because the Lord made it.
The humans that God created were Adam and Eve. This first couple is an example of how the Lord wants it to be in marriage: one women and one man. These creatures of God made a perfect relationship; one that is to be imitated in every age since.
What has man done with the perfect creations of God? He has not been the best caretaker of what the Lord brought into being. Men explore the universe God made in the hopes of finding out how it all came to pass for they reject the idea of a divine creator. They reject and pervert the record of Genesis one and two in regard to bringing our universe into existence. The lack of respect one should have for what the Almighty made is shown in the abuse of the universe that God created. Man has not been the best caretaker.
The world that God made for mankind and all other creatures has not faired well, either. Men have abused the Lord's earth by giving themselves over to iniquity. The very grains the Lord made are used for a purpose other than God intended. The products of the ground have been used to commit sins. What was intended for good has been turned into evil. Humans have defiled themselves by abusing what the Lord intended to bring joy and happiness.
Marriage and the family has taken a beating. Little regard to the instructions of God in this area has led to divorce and remarriage. When the Lord created marriage, he intended such to be a lifetime relationship. Since humans are human, there would be problems. Such problems could be solved by the word of God, but the majority has little faith in what the Lord revealed.
Mankind has rejected the perfect sacrifice to seek other ways of being righteous. Even sending His Son into a sin- cursed world did not stop the immorality and rejection of His word. Men reject the perfect relationship created by the Lord for the pathways that lead away from the pattern set forth in the New Testament.
When the perfect sacrifice of Christ is rejected, there is a rejection of the salvation that is offered by God's Son. Jehovah sent the greatest gift into this world. The world put him to death. Those who did this, and all who turn their back on him, are without hope. Only that perfect way will take one to heaven.
The apostle Paul speaks of the perfect church in our text. Such cost the Son of God his blood and his life. And yet, mankind as a whole reject His church. Even brethren, unfortunately, forget the Lord created a perfect institution. It needs no props of man; it needs no inventions of men; it needs no human institutions to carry on her work. In fact, to allow such to invade the kingdom is to make her imperfect. Over the years brethren should have learned what happens when men tamper what with God made. You can see it in the physical creation; why can we not see it in the spiritual?
The Lord's church is perfect and complete. She is to perform the work God has assigned her: nothing more; nothing less. When the Lord's body (the church) follows the pattern of the New Testament, she is honoring the Lord who died on the cross, honoring the wisdom of God, and honoring the scriptures that God revealed. No man has a right to change the Lord's church. No man has a right to saddle the church with human institutions that become parasites.
As the support of human institutions built by brethren has increased, so has the apostasy of churches. They go hand in hand for such is driven by the same attitude: lack of respect for the authority of the New Testament. The Lord's church owes not one dime of support to those human organizations built by brethren. The perfect church described in the New Testament did the work God intended for his perfect body. Each congregation was autonomous(self-governing). There were no ties to other churches save a common faith in the Lord and his way. The New Testament outlines the pattern in regard to benevolence, edification and evangelism of the Lord's church. Why can we not just accept the Lord's way and be happy to do what the Lord commanded? That is the only perfect way. Let the Lord have his way in everything we support and sponsor. Remember: When man tampers with anything God made, only trouble follows.