The Priority of the Church

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God. Selah - Psalm 87:1-3


Last semester Steve finished out his "Christianity is..." series with "Christianity is Too Institutional." We looked at the common objection that the organized church is outdated, unnecessary, and even harmful to faith. As Steve lead us through the church's origin, priority, and composition, I was taken aback when he said that Jesus did not come to save individuals, but came to die for the church. It made me re-think the importance of the church in new ways, and as a community of believers what it entails to be the bride of Christ.

In saying the Jesus did not die for individuals, Steve was not saying that Jesus does not love and pursue individual sinners, but that when he saves them he does not leave them to themselves. In saving lost, wandering persons, Christ is redeeming for himself a people. This "bride" (singular) of Christ, is who he loves more than all else. There is a glorious unity in the church where individual members become more distinct and purposed when acting as a body. The body is greater than the sum of its individual parts. (see 1 Cor 12:12-26)

The primary passage we looked at was Psalm 87, and the key phrase that stuck out to me was in verse 2, where the Psalmist writes, "the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob." Zion refers to the Holy City of God, where his temple is. In Christ, the old sacrificial system and the physical temple had their fulfillment, and All Christians now have access to the throne room of grace; We are the temple of God. "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16) It is staggering to realize that God has established himself in our hearts, and brought us out of darkness into the light of true community. "'Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.'And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken." (Isaiah 62:11b-12)

In the Old Testament God made covenants with several individuals but they were always for a people; His people. Jesus loves me, but his love and my love is made complete in and as the Bride. In his restoration of all things that were shattered at the fall, Christ has knit us back into dependence upon himself and upon our fellow brothers and sisters. He has promised to be with and guide us.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them,” (Mt 18:20) is not an arbitrary promise of being heard in corporate worship. The very nature of God as a community and the way He has chosen to give power to his children is through the church. It is his institution, backward and broken though the bride be, he has promised to prepare and purify her, to present her to himself faultless. The church is the betrothed of God, and who he has chosen to spend eternity with in glory.