Many
years ago, the church of my childhood departed from the biblical faith and left
me with no place to stand. I visited many churches but did not find them to be
faithful to the Holy Bible. One Sunday, I visited an old independent church in
Ewell, Alabama (population perhaps 200). The minister made a comment that I
shall never forget, and he looked straight at me when he made it: "If you
are looking for a perfect church, and you find one, get out of it right away or
you will RUIN it!" Well, I am
not looking for a perfect church, but I have found a church home that honors
the Word of God in Doctrine, Worship, and Practice - the Anglican Orthodox
Church.
I am including
a tract by Bishop JC Ryle, of the 19th century, who describes what
to look for in the True Church. Remember, when Christ stood at the door and knocked, he was
speaking to the Seven Churches of Revelations. He was OUTSIDE those churches
seeking an invitation to enter them. He stands without the greater church today
and knocks. Here are Bishop Ryle's remarks:
The True Church
JC Ryle, Bishop of Liverpool
I want
you to belong to the one true Church: to the Church outside of which there is
no salvation. I do not ask where you go on a Sunday; I only ask, "Do you
belong to the one true Church?"
Where
is this one true Church? What is this one true Church like? What are the marks
by which this one true Church may be known? You may well ask such questions.
Give me your attention, and I will provide you with some answers.
The one
true Church is composed of all believers in the Lord Jesus. It is made up of
all God's elect — of all converted men and women — of all true Christians. In
whomsoever we can discern the election of God the Father, the sprinkling of the
blood of God the Son, the sanctifying work of God the Spirit, in that person we
see a member of Christ's true Church.
It is a
Church of which all the members have the same marks. They are all born again of
the Spirit; they all possess "repentance towards God, faith towards our
Lord Jesus Christ," and holiness of life and conversation. They all hate
sin, and they all love Christ. They worship differently, and after various
fashions; some worship with a form of prayer, and some with none; some worship
kneeling, and some standing; but they all worship with one heart. They are all
led by one Spirit; they all build upon one foundation; they all draw their
religion from one single book — that is the Bible. They are all joined to one
great centre — that is Jesus Christ. They all even now can say with one heart,
"Hallelujah;" and they can all respond with one heart and voice, Amen
and Amen.
It is a
Church which is dependent upon no ministers upon earth, however much it values
those who preach the gospel to its members. The life of its members does not
hang upon Church-membership, or baptism, or the Lord's Supper — although they
highly value these things, when they are to be had. But it has only one Great
Head — one Shepherd, one chief Bishop — and that is Jesus Christ. He alone, by
His Spirit, admits the members of this Church, though ministers may show the
door. Till He opens the door no man on earth can open it —neither bishops, nor
presbyters, nor convocations, nor synods. Once let a man repent and believe the
gospel, and that moment he becomes a member of this Church. Like the penitent
thief, he may have no opportunity of being baptized; but he has that which is
far better than any water-baptism — the baptism of the Spirit. He may not be
able to receive the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper; but he eats Christ's
body and drinks Christ's blood by faith every day he lives, and no minister on
earth can prevent him. He may be excommunicated by ordained men, and cut off
from the outward ordinances of the professing Church; but all the ordained men
in the world cannot shut him out of the true Church.
It is a
Church whose existence does not depend on forms, ceremonies, cathedrals,
churches, cha-pels, pulpits, fonts, vestments, organs, endowments, money,
kings, governments, magistrates or any act of favor whatsoever from the hand of
man. It has often lived on and continued when all these things have been taken
from it. It has often been driven into the wilderness, or into dens and caves
of the earth, by those who ought to have been its friends. Its existence
depends on nothing but the presence of Christ and His Spirit; and they being ever
with it, the Church cannot die.
This is
the Church to which the scriptural titles of present honor and privilege, and
the promises of future glory especially belong; this is the Body of Christ;
this is the flock of Christ; this is the household of faith and the family of
God; this is God's building, God's foundation, and the temple of the Holy
Ghost. This is the Church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven;
this is the royal priesthood, the chosen generation, the peculiar people, the
purchased possession, the habitation of God, the light of the world, the salt
and the wheat of the earth; this is the "holy Catholic Church" of the
Apostles' Creed; this is the "One Catholic and Apostolic Church" of
the Nicene Creed; this is that Church to which the Lord Jesus promises
"the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," and to which He
says, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt
16:18; 28:20).
This is
the only Church which possesses true unity. Its members are entirely agreed on
all the weightier matters of religion, for they are all taught by one Spirit.
About God, and Christ, and the Spirit, and sin, and their own hearts, and
faith, and repentance, and necessity of holiness, and the value of the Bible,
and the importance of prayer, and the resurrection, and judgment to come— about
all these points they are of one mind. Take three or four of them, strangers to
one another, from the remotest corners of the earth; examine them separately on
these points: you will find them all of one judgment.
This is
the only Church which possesses true sanctity. Its members are all holy. They
are not merely holy by profession, holy in name, and holy in the judgment of
charity; they are all holy in act, and deed, and reality, and life, and truth.
They are all more or less conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. No unholy man
belongs to this Church.
This is
the only Church which is truly catholic. It is not the Church of any one nation
or people: its members are to be found in every part of the world where the
gospel is received and believed. It is not confined within the limits of any
one country, or pent up within the pale of any particular forms or outward
government. In it there is no difference between Jew and Greek, black man and
white, Episcopalian and Presbyterian — but faith in Christ is all. Its members
will be gathered from north, and south, and east, and west, and will be of
every name and tongue — but all one in Jesus Christ.
This is
the only Church which is truly apostolic. It is built on the foundation laid by
the Apostles, and holds the doctrines which they preached. The two grand objects
at which its members aim, are apostolic faith and apostolic practice; and they
consider the man who talks of following the Apostles without possessing these
two things to be no better than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
This is
the only Church which is certain to endure unto the end. Nothing can altogether
overthrow and destroy it. Its members may be persecuted, oppressed, imprisoned,
beaten, be-headed, burned; but the true Church is never altogether
extinguished; it rises again from its afflictions; it lives on through fire and
water When crushed in one land it springs up in another. The Pharaohs, the
Herods, the Neros, the Bloody Marys, have labored in vain to put down this
Church; they slay their thousands, and then pass away and go to their own
place. The true Church outlives them all, and sees them buried each in his
turn. It is an anvil that has broken many a hammer in this world, and will
break many a hammer still; it is a bush which is often burning, and yet is not
consumed.
This is
the only Church of which no one member can perish. Once enrolled in the lists
of this Church, sinners are safe for eternity; they are never cast away. The
election of God the Father, the continual intercession of God the Son, the
daily renewing and sanctifying power of God the Holy Ghost, surround and fence
them in like a garden enclosed. Not one bone of Christ's mystical Body shall
ever be broken; not one lamb of Christ's flock shall ever be plucked out of His
hand.
This is
the Church which does the work of Christ upon earth. Its members are a little
flock, and few in number, compared with the children of the world: one or two
here, and two or three there — a few in this parish and a few in that. But
these are they who shake the universe; these are they who change the fortunes
of kingdoms by their prayers; these are they who are the active workers for
spreading knowledge of pure religion and undefiled; these are the life-blood of
a country, the shield, the defence, the stay, and the support of any nation to
which they belong.
This is
the Church which shall be truly glorious at the end. When all earthly glory is
passed away then shall this Church be presented without spot before God the
Father's throne. Thrones, principal-ities, and powers upon earth shall come to
nothing-dignities, and offices, and endowments shall all pass away; but the
Church of the first-born shall shine as the stars at the last, and be presented
with joy before the Father's throne, in the day of Christ's appearing. When the
Lord's jewels are made up, and the manifestation of the sons of God takes
place, Episcopacy, and Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism will not be
mentioned; one Church only will be named, and that is the Church of the elect.
Reader,
this is the true Church to which a man must belong, if he would be saved. Till
you belong to this, you are nothing better than a lost soul. You may have the
form, the husk, the skin and the shell of religion, but you have not got the
substance and the life, yes; you may have countless outward privileges: you may
enjoy great light, and knowledge — but if you do not belong to the Body of
Christ, your light and knowledge, and privileges, will not save your soul.
Alas, for the ignorance that prevails on this point! Men fancy if they join
this church or that church, and become communicants, and go through certain
forms, that all must be right with their souls. It is an utter delusion, it is
a gross mistake. All were not Israel who were called Israel, and all are not
members of Christ's Body who profess themselves Christian. Take notice; you may
be a staunch Episcopalian, or Presbyterian, or Independent, or Baptist, or
Wesleyan, or Plymouth Brother — and yet not belong to the true Church. And if
you do not, it will be better at last if you had never been born.
AMEN
